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″It is possible to build a peaceful society″

Iraq′s autonomous region of Kurdistan is home to approximately 2 million refugees from various backgrounds and religions. Since 2005, the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights has been providing medical, psychotherapeutic and social support to survivors of torture, persecution and violence. Katja Dombrowski discussed matters with Salah Ahmad, the Foundation′s founder and president

Iraq still haunted by missing persons

When he first heard that U.S. troops had toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraqi engineer Hazem Mohammed thought he would finally be able to find his brother, who had been shot dead and dumped in a mass grave after a failed uprising against Saddam's rule in 1991

Myths and Confusion

Roger Garaudy, the French philosopher, Holocaust denier, and convert to Islam, still enjoys great popularity in the Arab world. A new book now traces his ideological and religious transformations. Bernhard Schmid reports

Breaking Down Prejudices and Ignorance

An international holocaust conference was recently held in the world's most highly populated Muslim country, Indonesia. The unusual gathering brought together Muslim dignitaries, holocaust survivors and even Israeli rabbis. Tobias Grote-Beverborg has the details

Caught between acceptance and rejection

Russia's largest mosque recently opened its doors in Moscow. New Muslim houses of worship, however, are very controversial in Russia. More than anything, many Russians fear more immigrants. A report by Yulia Vishnevetskaya

Gandhi's killer – a Hindutva hero

Hindu fundamentalist Ashok Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot": not revered independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, but the man who shot him dead

Focus on the soul of Islam

Indonesian religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas set the bar high for both President Joko Widodo and Nahdlatul Ulama – the religious backbone of Widodo's government – when he laid out the agenda for his country's presidency of the G20 last week. James M. Dorsey has the details

Bride abduction is not cool

"Ala kachuu" is Kyrgyz and translates as "Grab her and run". What sounds like an entertaining popular sport is actually the widespread practice of kidnapping women and forcing them into marriage. With her initiative "Ala kachuu is no cool!" Kyrgyz Svetlana Dzardanova is taking a stand against the alleged custom. By Wolfgang Kuhnle

A fateful tradition

In Kyrgyzstan, bride kidnapping is considered an old tradition. However, an increase in incidents in recent years shows that the current economic and political climate is primarily responsible for fostering the phenomenon. By Edda Schlager

Glitzy Dubai hungry for culinary fame

French chef Renaud Dutel never thought his career would take him to the United Arab Emirates' glam hub of Dubai, but has found there a culinary capital in the making