Politics

10th conference of the Tunisian Ennahda Party

Farewell to political Islam?

The latest Ennahda party conference, held in the Tunisian town of Hammamet, revealed in both its symbolism and the new parlance used by the party a renunciation of political Islam in favour of Muslim democracy. By Ivesa Lubben
By Ivesa Lübben
Battle for the IS stronghold of Fallujah

Militiamen on the rampage

The battle for the Iraqi city of Fallujah is in full swing. Shia militia are apparently giving the IS jihadists a run for their money. But what appears to be militarily effective is a political disaster. By Karim El-Gawhary
By Karim El-Gawhary
Mass shooting in Orlando

Sounding the death knell

Terrorists have more than their immediate victims in their sights - they aim to destroy liberal, open societies. This election year, writes Ines Pohl, the Orlando killer could succeed
By Ines Pohl
France and the Middle East

What chance ″la grande paix″?

Since the beginning of the year, the French government has been building support for an international conference to restart the Israel-Palestine peace process. France deserves applause for its brave effort to revive a process that has been going nowhere for the best part of a decade. But success will require more than courage. By Daoud Kuttab
By Daoud Kuttab
Football fan protests in Turkey and Egypt

Closed ranks

Battles for control of stadiums and other public spaces in Turkey and Egypt have pitched militant football fans against authoritarian leaders. By James Dorsey
By James M. Dorsey
The Taliban′s spring offensive

Over one million displaced Afghans

The most recent suicide attack on the outskirts of Kabul shows once again that in Afghanistan, battles are not only being fought between the army and the rebels. Anyone can find themselves targeted and civilians are the ones suffering the most. By Matthias Lauer
By Matthias Lauer
Interview with the Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswany

″I write to defend democracy″

Best-selling novelist Alaa Al Aswany was one of the main protagonists in the 2011 Egyptian uprising and remains a high-profile government critic. Interview by Sabine Peschel
By Sabine Peschel
Western Sahara – the last colony in Africa

″Armed resistance is their only choice″

With Rabat′s latest Dakhla proposal promising even deeper economic penetration of Western Sahara, many Sahrawis are left wondering if a referendum favouring independence can ever undo Morocco′s presence in the territory. Report from Dakhla by Matthew Greene
By Matthew Greene
Rafik Schami on integration

″To the haters, they′re all faceless Muslims″

In this article, the Syrian-German writer Rafik Schami outlines his idea of integration and hospitality.
By Rafik Schami
Pakistan′s struggle with sectarianism

Enough is enough

In recent years, Pakistan, a country with a rich and varied multi-ethnic and multi-religious history, has become a hostile place for minorities. Aurangzeb Qureshi, writer and political commentator, examines how Pakistan might quell its burgeoning sectarianism
By Aurangzeb Qureshi
Sykes-Picot and the role of Gertrude Bell

Midwife of the Middle East

The order of nation states in the Middle East has been disintegrating since Islamic State fighters overran the Syrian border in 2014 – a border that dates back to 1916 and a secret agreement between the diplomats Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot. Yet one woman also played a key role: the British national Gertrude Bell. Birgit Svensson visited her grave in Baghdad
100 years of Sykes-Picot

"A tapestry of plans and promises"

One hundred years ago, the Middle East was divvied up between the French and the British. The historian Maurus Reinkowski talks about the long-term effects of the colonialist powers' splitting up of the spoils. Interview by Andreas Noll
By Andreas Noll