Politics
Topics
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Protesting for reform and an end to corruption
Iraq's youth reject the dire status quo
More than a hundred dead and thousands injured: this is the brutal tally thus far of the current unrest in Iraq. Neither the country's political landscape, nor the ubiquitous confessional take on Iraqi politics offer much in the way of explanation. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary -
Protests in Egypt
Sisi, the survivor?
The protests in Egypt against Sisi’s regime have revealed not only his decline in popularity, but also the fragile nature of the military regime. The latter launched a hysterical campaign of arrests, turning the streets and main squares into military barracks in order to prevent mass anti-Sisi demonstrations. Analysis by the Egyptian researcher Taqadum al-Khatib
By Taqadum al-Khatib -
India's Muslims under Narendra Modi
Gandhi bows out
150 years after the birth of the Indian freedom fighter, the Hindu nationalist government in Delhi has distanced itself from Gandhi's legacy of peace more than any other preceding administration. This is highlighted by the continuing systematic marginalisation of Muslims in India. By Dominik Muller
By Dominik Müller -
A year to the day
The infamous murder of Jamal Khashoggi
Key Saudi figures in the Jamal Khashoggi murder investigation have so far escaped trial for his death. But while UN efforts to deliver justice have stalled, difficult questions about the killing still won't go away. By Tom Allinson
By Tom Allinson -
Sisi's rivals or the Muslim Brotherhood
Who is behind Egypt's protests?
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has suggested Islamists are behind rare recent anti-government protests. But is that just a deflection from the underlying factors fuelling unrest in the country?
By Tom Allinson -
Between religion, oil dependence and reforms
Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman
An expert on Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Guido Steinberg explains that the drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities last week were partly a manifestation of complex religious and historical forces. By Sabine Peschel
By Sabine Peschel -
Protests in Egypt
Sisi's social media nightmare
Despite ongoing repression, hundreds of people took to the streets in Egypt at the weekend to demand the resignation of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. The protests were triggered by a hitherto largely unknown building contractor and his revelations about the Egyptian army. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary -
EU refugee deal
Erdogan wants rid of the Syrian refugees
President Erdogan has threatened to ditch the EU refugee deal. After election losses and faced with escalating conflict in Idlib, the attitude towards the growing number of Syrian refugees has become increasingly harsh. Daniel Heinrich has the details
By Daniel Heinrich -
Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities
Hitting Saudi Arabia where it hurts
After the drone attacks on two oil plants in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Trump warned that the USA was ready with a "loaded" weapon to react to the attacks. But against whom is his warning directed? By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary -
Another round of Knesset elections
Deciding Netanyahu's fate
In terms of policy, this election has little else to offer. Social issues, the economy and the conflict with the Palestinians are not dominant themes; it’s a question of power. By Inge Gunther
By Inge Günther -
Interview with Algerian opposition leader Soufiane Djilali
Political crisis in Algeria – is compromise in sight?
Presidential elections or constitutional assembly? Algeria's opposition continues to argue over ways to overcome the crisis. A proposal by the Jil Jadid party could finally break down the entrenched fronts. Sofian Naceur spoke to its leader, Soufiane Djilali
By Sofian Philip Naceur -
Non-fiction: "War in Syria. Resolving a global conflict"
Refuting the populist mantra "Syrians go home"
Middle East expert Kristin Helberg has published an authoritative book on Syria. In it, she explains why the conflict there is by no means over. In her home country of Germany, however, the Syrian debate is short on hard facts and more often than not clouded by populist repatriation fantasies. By Rene Wildangel
By René Wildangel
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