Politics

Coronavirus in India

Muslims as scapegoats

On the streets and online, radical Hindu nationalists, including MPs from the ruling BJP party, are agitating against the Muslim minority, inciting hatred and spreading rumours of a "corona jihad": they allege that Muslims are spreading the virus in order to harm India. By Dominik Müller
By Dominik Müller
Coronavirus and Islam

Pakistani clerics refuse to shut down mosques

With no nationwide lockdown in place and with Islamic clerics refusing to stop allowing religious congregations, Prime Minister Imran Khan is relying on restricting the size of congregations attending mosques and advice to stay at home from religious groups to contain the spread of the new coronavirus at religious gatherings. By Haroon Janjua
By Haroon Janjua
First INSTEX transaction with Iran

Trade as an obstacle course

Germany and other member states of the European Union are for the first time making use of the so-called INSTEX mechanism to circumvent the sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States. By Birgit Svensson in Cairo
By Birgit Svensson
Western Sahara territorial dispute

New African consulates cause trouble for Western Sahara

Several African countries have opened diplomatic missions to Morocco in Western Sahara, a disputed area occupied by Rabat. This has been exacerbating the conflict in an already volatile region seeking independence. By Martina Schwikowski und Hugo Flotat-Talon
By Martina Schwikowski & Hugo Flotat-Talon
COVID-19 pandemic

Science versus covidiots – Indiaʹs coronavirus challenge

Obscurantism is making it harder to prevent Covid-19, not only in Southeast Asia. Though India's lockdown was poorly planned, we must hope it will prove effective. By Aditi Roy Ghatak
By Aditi Roy Ghatak
Syria and Iraq

Islamic State seeking to profit from coronavirus pandemic

From advisories against travel to calls for a new jihad, Islamic State sees the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to exploit. The militants, however, are no more immune to the virus than anyone else. By Lewis Sanders IV & Tom Allinson
By Lewis Sanders IV & Tom Allinson
COVID-19 in North Africa

Corona proactivity in Tunisia, trivialisation in Egypt

Healthcare systems in Tunisia and Egypt are in a catastrophic state. The governmental response to the crisis in both nations could not be more different. Sofian Philip Naceur reports from Tunis
By Sofian Philip Naceur
COVID-19

Syriaʹs crisis within a crisis – coronavirus could hit hard

The corona pandemic has reached Syria. Anna Fleischer explains why the virus could hit the country extremely hard and above all endanger those imprisoned
By Anna Fleischer
COVID-19 in Iraq

Working under the coronavirus curfew in Baghdad

Coronavirus is also spreading in Iraq. This didn't stop hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travelling to a Shia shrine, however. The nation's health system has already conceded it cannot cope with the epidemic. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
By Birgit Svensson
COVID-19 pandemic

How is Turkey dealing with the corona crisis?

Going by the official numbers, Turkey is doing well, especially in comparison to other countries. But does this impression correspond to the reality? There are significant reasons to doubt that it does. By Tayfun Guttstadt
By Tayfun Guttstadt
After the Berlin conference

Libya's war for war’s sake

Libyan political analyst Faraj Alasha argues that the Berlin conference on the Libyan war did nothing to change the fact that there is no political solution to end the war raging in the suburbs of southern Tripoli
By Faraj Alasha
Democratisation in danger

Sudan's ongoing turf war

Violent clashes between parts of the Sudanese security forces and the ominous influence of external financiers of the paramilitary "Rapid Support Forces" (RSF) are endangering the country's democratisation process. By Samuel Ramani
By Samuel Ramani