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Loosing the chains

Scarcely any other country treats native and foreign workers as unequally as Saudi Arabia. With its pronounced disparities between men and women, the labour market also reflects the contradictions within Saudi society. Implementing the initiated reforms will be no small feat. By Nassir Djafari

Reviving the Rich Translation Culture of the Arab World

Under the auspices of the Abu Dhabi Institution for Culture and Tradition the "Kalima" project aims to revive the rich culture of translation in the Arab World. Muhammad Massad met up with Karim Naji, the executive president to the project

A Satanic Tactic

In the case of Iran and Pakistan, the citizens are being unscrupulously manipulated in order to distract people's attention from both domestic and foreign policy problems, says Peter Philipp in his commentary

The Mellow Voice of the Muezzin

Seven years ago, the Great Mosque of Granada was opened, more than 500 years after the Muslim Moors were expelled by the Catholic 'Reconquista'. Many people feel uncomfortable hearing the Muslim call to prayer. By Troy Nahumko

The Minaret Man

Ahmet Akbaba had a good idea at exactly the right moment. Originally a carpenter, he began specializing in building minarets and is now the top man in Germany for the field. Abdul-Ahmad Rashid introduces him

The unwelcome glare of publicity

According to a report in the Austrian weekly ′Falter′, Professor Ednan Aslan is said to have allowed civil servants working for the Austrian Foreign and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz to manipulate his findings for political ends. Allegations he vehemently denies. A commission has now been set up to investigate. By Canan Topcu

A Christmas Meditation

Scholars are only now beginning to realise the extent to which the Mughal emperors adopted what most would assume to be outrightly Christian devotions. An essay by William Dalrymple

When love comes down

Egypt's Culture on Four Wheels

The Egyptian author Khaled al Khamissi is being hailed as the new literary star of the Arab world. His book "Taxi" is an homage to the wit, wisdom and poetry of the cab drivers of Cairo. By Werner Bloch

The Genealogy of the "Egyptian Spring"

The Egyptians have long been considered a peaceable, patient people. However, contrary to appearances, the recent protests have not materialised out of thin air. Egypt is much further down the line than we like to think, writes Stefan Winkler