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Islamic Streetwear from the German ''Styleislam'' Label

Modern, Rebellious, and Pleasing in the Sight of God

Melih Kesmen designs Islamic fashion, which has brought him a great deal of international success. Laura Overmeyer relates how Kesmen, a German Muslim, developed his spontaneous idea into a successful concept and how fashion can be used to promote interreligious dialogue
Women in Patriarchal Iran

Between Skepticism, Pragmatism, and Gentle Protest

Although the women's movement in Iran is one of the most progressive and active in the Islamic world, it remains to be seen whether it will truly be able to assert itself in the sclerotic patriarchal system of the Islamic Republic. By Arian Fariborz
Iran's Intellectuals and President Rouhani

When Freedom Becomes A Possibility

Ever since Hassan Rouhani assumed the office of Iranian president, optimism has been growing among Tehran's intellectuals. Nevertheless, no one is taking any chances; past experience has shown that this would be unwise. Marina Forti reports from the Iranian capital
Iran and the Syria Conflict

Pragmatism instead of Confrontation

Iran has welcomed the Russian imitative for international control of Syria's chemical weapon arsenal. The fact that President Obama is now pushing for a diplomatic solution to the conflict is also good news for the moderate forces in Tehran, who do not wish to support Assad at any price. By Marcus Michaelsen
Mohammed Rasoulof's ''Manuscripts Don't Burn''

Iranian Agents as Killers

The Islamic Republic's intelligence service is unmasked for the first time in a film based on a series of murders of Iranian writers and intellectuals in the late 1990s. Stefan Buchen introduces the new movie by director Mohammed Rasoulof
Interview with the Iranian author Fariba Vafi

"Cliches have no place in writing″

Fariba Vafi is one of Iran′s most popular contemporary women writers. She has already published many short stories and novels to critical acclaim. In interview with Maryam Aras she looks back over her own life and the situation of women in Iran following the Islamic Revolution
Fariba Vafi's novel ''My Bird''

The Iranian Dream of Emigration

Can a novel in which nothing is said about politics and which does not focus on society as a whole still have a political dimension? Having read Fariba Vafi's novel, My Bird, the answer is most certainly "yes". A review by Volker Kaminski
Film review: "No Land's Song"

One woman's quest to make Iranian women's voices heard

It sounds like a completely mad enterprise: in Iran, a country where women have not been allowed to sing unaccompanied in public in front of men since the 1979 revolution, an Iranian woman sets out to organise a concert of women singing Iranian songs. The documentary "No Land's Song" charts her progress. Richard Marcus saw the film
Turkey's new president

Where to now, President Erdogan?

Following his recent victory in Turkey's presidential election, Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to pursue the process of democratisation in Turkey and the nation's efforts to join the EU. But his political opponents say all he's really interested in is the consolidation of his own power and the conservative-Islamic restoration of Turkey. An essay by Cemal Karakas
The Erdogan administration

Turkey's paradigm shift

Since coming to power 12 years ago, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has launched the most far-reaching process of democratisation the country has ever known and facilitated an unprecedented economic upswing. According to Cemal Karakas, however, it has not all been positive; there have been some worrying developments too, particularly in recent years