Politics

The Egyptian Revolution five years on

Ghosts of the uprising

25 January 2011 saw the start of the revolution in Egypt that led to the collapse of the Mubarak dictatorship. Today, the Egyptian writer Mansoura Ez-Eldin sees another regime in power staging an absurd drama of fear and oppression
By Mansura Eseddin
Islamic State

Know your enemy

There is much the West does not understand about its latest enemy, in which it faces more than ″just″ extremists. IS ideology thrives on hatred, anger and resentment – the most effective response would therefore be to introduce and nurture values of tolerance, unity, mutual co-operation and peace. By Abdel Bari Atwan
By Abdel Bari Atwan
Gentrification in Egypt

Urban counter-revolution in Cairo

The "Reclaiming Downtown" campaign launched by the Egyptian government is no ordinary measure designed to advance the gentrification of the Cairo city centre. It is instead a politically motivated drive against any form of opposition and civilian autonomy. The "backyard of the revolution" is to be refurbished and its revolutionary history wiped out. By Sofian Philip Naceur
By Sofian Philip Naceur
Interview with Slim Laghmani on Tunisia′s national crisis

″We′re halfway there″

In the medium term, it′s neither political nor economic problems that pose the greatest threat to democratic change in Tunisia, but rather the country′s national crisis, says Slim Laghmani, a legal scholar at the University of Carthage. Sarah Mersch spoke to him
By Sarah Mersch
Muslim Brotherhood texts

Once valued, now proscribed

In recent months, both Egypt and Saudi Arabia have begun withdrawing literature relating to the Muslim Brotherhood from the public domain. Tracts and treatises that once held pride of place on bookshelves – with some even enjoying official textbook status – are being confiscated and burned. By Joseph Croitoru
By Joseph Croitoru
New Year′s Eve and Islam in Germany

A gift from the gods

What happened in Cologne is being instrumentalised on all sides. Islamist preachers such as Pierre Vogel and Muslim representatives in Germany are using the events to clalm that salvation lies, as ever, in the strict observance of religious rules. This is simply serving to widen the rift, writes Stefan Buchen
By Stefan Buchen
Interview with the Islam scholar John Louis Esposito

Islam′s image problem

In conversation with Habib El Mallouki, the renowned US Islam scholar John Louis Esposito talks about burgeoning Islamophobic and right-wing populist tendencies in Europe and the US as a consequence of the terrorist activities of radical Islamist groups
By Habib El Mallouki
Iran-Saudi conflict

Playing the sectarian card

Iran and Saudi Arabia are stoking the denominational conflict between Sunnis and Shias. Both sides are attempting to exploit an inner-Islamic conflict that has been raging for more than 1,300 years. And yet, as Andreas Gorzewski reports, it′s not always about religion
By Andreas Gorzewski
Iran and Saudi Arabia:

The impending storm

The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not confessional in nature. Both lay claim to regional supremacy and also to the leading role in the Islamic world – maximalist positions that naturally provoke confrontation. An essay by Ali Fathollah-Nejad, political scientist with the German Council on Foreign Relations
By Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Iran and Saudi Arabia:

A plea for Islamic tolerance

The escalating rivalries and animosities between Iran and Saudi Arabia have nothing to do with the Sunni-Shia divide in the Islamic theology, even less with the common fate and destiny of Iranians and Arabs among other nations in the region. An analysis by Hamid Dabashi
By Hamid Dabashi
Middle East conflict

What prospect peace?

2015 closed in a wave of violence. Israel has continued consolidating its control of the West Bank and forged ahead with settlement building. Radical Palestinians have reacted to the increased repression with knife attacks. Details from Tel Aviv by Daniella Cheslow
By Daniella Cheslow
NATO in Afghanistan

Hopes of withdrawal fade

2015 was a troubled year for Afghanistan. With the Taliban and IS achieving temporary success within the country, NATO was forced to revise its troop withdrawal plans. A report by Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
By Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi