Politics
Topics
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Turkey′s media crackdownNo freedom. No press.
The crackdown on media critical of the Turkish president and his government continues unabated with the official seizure of the country′s bestselling ″Zaman″ newspaper. With international criticism muted, many government critics fear the lights are about to finally go out for independent media. By Dorian Jones in Istanbul
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Lebanon: from amnesty to amnesiaLacking a culture of remembrance
"In Lebanon, repression has become a permanent state of mind," says the journalist and Orientalist Monika Borgmann. With the archive "UMAM Documentation & Research", founded in 2004, she attempts to fill the gaps in the country's collective memory. Interview by Juliane Pfordte
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Saudi Arabia and IranDefeat Islamic State - or become it
The dawn of 2016 has brought a new round of doomsday predictions that Saudi Arabia’s ruling Al Saud family cannot sustain its autocratic grip on power. The kingdom, pessimists argue, is caught in a perfect storm with economic problems, social challenges and foreign policy crises all converging at the same time. By James M. Dorsey
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Syria: human rights violations and tortureThe toll of the missing
Since war broke out, the Assad regime has caused hundreds of thousands of people to disappear. Such abductions are a useful means of intimidating the opposition. A German of Syrian origin is searching for his missing father. By Hasan Hussain
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Elections in IranA lesson for the powerful and the disempowered
Granted, elections in Iran have little impact on the real political conditions in the Islamic Republic, where to this day the leader of the revolution retains his hold on the reins of power. But even so, the latest round of voting has highlighted the atmosphere among large sections of the civilian population. An analysis by Ali Sadrzadeh
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Tony Blair and the Iraq warA case of smoke and mirrors
We don't need to wait for Chilcot, Blair lied to us about Iraq, asserts Peter Oborne, former political editor-in-chief with the British "Daily Telegraph"
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″Islamic State″: lessons learntWhat chance a Muslim reformation?
Muslims who describe IS as un-Islamic and declare that it has nothing to do with genuine Islam cannot deny that many of their fellow believers identify with the image of Islam promoted by the jihadists and their ideology. A thorough examination of the Muslim faith is long overdue. By Hakim Khatib
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Iran and the Revolutionary GuardPulling the economy's strings
They may dress in clerical garb or call themselves the "Seal of the Prophet", but their focus is on a different kind of profit. Religious foundations and the Revolutionary Guard are running Iran's business. Thomas Kohlmann reports
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Elections in IranEven Khomeini can be disqualified
The moderate cleric Hassan Khomeini has been excluded as a candidate for the Assembly of Experts in Iran, even though he is the grandson of the nation's founder. This example shows why it so difficult for the moderates and reformists to assert themselves against the country's conservative establishment. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Iran′s image in the Arab worldConservative regime and open-minded society
The Kuwaiti analyst Shafeeq Ghabra believes that the real strength of Iran is its society, which is much more emancipated than the regime and more open-minded than the ruling mullahs. Iranian society is not only young, but also more secular than any Arab society
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Interview with Martin Kobler, UN Special Representative on Libya"Libya must not become the Syria of tomorrow"
In view of the advance of IS in Libya, the UN's Special Representative on Libya, Martin Kobler, warns of the need for swift action: the Libyan state must reinstate its monopoly on the use of force to enable it to take appropriate counter measures. Karim El-Gawhary spoke to the German diplomat
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Islam′s non-violent traditionNeglected heritage
In view of the threat of Islamist terrorism, Muslim intellectuals and leaders who emphasise non-violence and democracy tend to be ignored internationally. They deserve attention. Some Muslim traditions actually fit modernity quite well. By Hans Dembowski
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