Politics
Topics
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The papal visit to IraqThe blessing of Pope Francis – "Salaam, salaam, salaam"
The Pope’s journey to the "land between the rivers": places of terror and a dialogue to promote hope and optimism. His meeting with Shia Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani was a milestone in the history of Christian-Islamic dialogue. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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From failed state to fragile state?Somalia and the rocky road towards greater stability
With elections on the horizon and an altered African Union mission, Somalia was meant to enter a new phase of stabilisation in 2021. But both have been postponed, and the present government seems ill-equipped to shoulder the country's considerable challenges. It is time for external stakeholders to name their terms, says Annette Weber
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The politics of the Pope in IraqPope Francis and Ayatollah al-Sistani, meeting in faith
When Pope Francis sets foot in Iraq, he will be breaking historic ground while manoeuvring religious and political minefields. So will his foremost religious counterpart, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the Shia Muslim world’s foremost scholars and leaders. By James M. Dorsey
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MEP Dietmar Koester on Fortress Europe"The EU allows human rights to be trampled underfoot"
EU parliamentarian Dietmar Koester criticises the Union's failure to speak up when faced with human rights abuses committed by its Middle Eastern allies, while pointing out that its own isolationist migration policies contravene fundamental European values. Interview by Ismail Azzam
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Joe Biden and U.S. policy on TurkeyNo more special privileges for Recep Tayyip Erdogan
The foreign policy direction favoured by Washington's new incumbent is putting a strain on relations with Turkey. The two nations look set to clash over a whole host of issues, from human rights concerns to the S 400 Russian missile system, Ronald Meinardus writes in his analysis for Qantara.de
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Syria torture trial in KoblenzGerman court sends message on Syrian war crimes
The verdict of a court in western Germany is the first step toward justice in Syria. It also paves the way for verdicts in war crime trials worldwide, writes DW's Matthias von Hein
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Sectarian strife in PakistanSyria's proxy war widens gulf between Sunnis and Shias
After a period of relative calm, the conflict in Syria is reigniting the tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims in Pakistan: groups from both sects are involved in the clashes in Syria. The authorities fear a new wave of sectarian violence. Background by Mohammad Luqman
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Podcast on the Hanau terrorist attack one year on"From 1990 to 2020 Germany's far right killed about 200 people"
On 19 February 2020, a right-wing terrorist murdered nine people in the German city of Hanau: Gokhan Gultekin, Sedat Gurbuz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtovic, Vili Viorel Paun, Fatih Saracoglu, Ferhat Unvar und Kaloyan Velkov. Journalists Sham Jaff and Aline Jabarine talk to Schayan Riaz about the ongoing search for answers
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Turkey’s failing economy, COVID vaccines and the Uighur issueCoronavirus less dangerous than Erdogan's politics
Turkey launched its nationwide vaccination campaign with a Chinese vaccine in January. But the public focus is more on the desolate economic situation. Turkish politicians have failed to create real awareness of the dangers posed by coronavirus, writes Marion Sendker in her report from Istanbul
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Arabellion and the advent of Joe BidenYemen 10 years after the Arab Spring – never lose hope
Yemen's Arab Spring uprisings led to a raging civil war that has inflicted immense suffering on the population for the past seven years. Will the United States' halt on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and a new envoy help bring peace? By Jennifer Holleis
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Iranian Faezeh Hashemi, Rafsanjani's daughter, speaks outWill the Islamic Republic ever get a female president?
Iran's social media was buzzing in January when, Faezeh Hashemi, daughter of Iran’s former President Rafsanjani gave a controversial interview, striking a chord with many Iranians. Questioning the merits of Tehran’s regional policy of "resistance" pursued by the late General Soleimani, Hashemi went on to assert that it will take sustained pressure to change the Islamic Republic’s policies. By Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Lebanon and COVID-19Coronavirus lockdown weighs heavy on a country in crisis
Coronavirus, economic crisis and an unresolved explosion: the situation in Lebanon is tense and a new lockdown is only making things worse for a people already suffering trauma and economic devastation. Diana Hodali reports
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