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EU Praises Reforms by Turkey

The European Union praised recent reforms by Turkey. But in its annual expansion report, Brussels said the country still had to make substantial progress before it could take up negotiations to join the EU.

Interview Hartmut Fähndrich

Hartmut Fähndrich argues that perspectives on Islam are still quite narrow - and not only concerning non-Muslims. Stephan Moser interviewed the Swiss, who is among the most renowned translators of Arabic literature into German.

Progress in the Face of Patriarchy and Islam

Although women have always played a central role in Kazakh society, they have only recently started to move more into traditionally male-dominated areas. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan is still a man's country. In some regions, the rise of Islam is even placing new restrictions on women. Marina Khegay reports

Raising the Profile of German Literature

From January 2004 onwards, Literix will feature sample translations of German books on the Internet, with a particular focus on readers in Arab countries. Petra Tabeling enjoyed a sneak preview of this new service.

A Cross-Cultural Mosaic

Three artists from Tunisia and four from Germany collaborated on an artwork in a Cologne exhibition hall in front of an audience. Qantara.de spoke with Etienne Szabo, one of the participants for Germany.

“Experiments wanted” – Iranian Film Center Opens up New Perspectives for Young Directors

Directors like Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Bahman Ghobadi have long become icons of contemporary Iranian film. But young, unknown Persian directors are often overlooked. A private film foundation attempts to gain more attention for these directors both at home and abroad.

In Between Nomad Tents and Cashbahs

The Vitra Design Museum, Berlin, is exploring the myths and realities of the Arab world in its new exhibition "Living Under the Crescent Moon", which offers a comprehensive survey of Arab domestic cultures. The exhibition stands under the patronage of the German Foreign Ministry.

Portrait of the Artist as a Painter and Writer

In his latest novel, 'Welcome to the Paradise' (orig. 'Cannibales'), Moroccan author and painter Mahi Binebine tells a dark tale of illegal aliens, waiting on the beach of Tanger to set sails for Europe. A portrait by Katrin Schneider

"Bombay is a City of Extremes"

The new novel of the famous Muslim Indian writer Altaf Tyrewala "No God in Sight" is an unconnected narrative account of the life of ordinary people in Bombay. Sonia Phalnikar spoke with Altaf Tyrewala about his book and the social realities in Bombay

Kitsch as Weapon

With the war in Iraq far from over, Roberto Benigni has already made a comedy about it. He is one of the very few filmmakers who raise the truly important questions these days: How is it possible, or permissible, to depict human suffering?