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Why should I be made to feel guilty for eating during Ramadan?

In Islam women are exempt from fasting during their periods in order to preserve and maintain their health, so why the guilt, asks Sami Rahman.

An open invitation

Low voter turnout in local elections intended to de-centralise governance in Jordan disproportionately boosted Islamists′ fortunes – something which may ultimately have more impact than the intended decentralisation. Commentary by Kirk H. Sowell

Iran’s priorities in a turbulent Middle East

Divergent views of Iran’s ambitions are driving proxy wars from Syria to Yemen. To stop disastrous direct confrontation, it is crucial to close the perception gap and that Iran and its adversaries take mutual steps toward de-escalating tensions.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Examining civil society legitimacy

Civil society is under stress globally as dozens of governments across multiple regions reduce space for independent civil society organisations, restrict or prohibit international support for civic groups and propagate government-controlled NGOs. Leading scholars and activists report on efforts around the world to improve and defend civil society’s legitimacy.

Atheists are less open-minded than religious people, study claims

Researchers at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium suggest religious believers "seem to better perceive and integrate diverging perspectives".

Lajpat Nagar, Delhi's "Little Kabul"

R.I.P. Pierre Sioufi, "guru" of the Egyptian revolution

Amnesty International honours anti-torture campaigners

Egyptian anti-torture campaigners working for the Nadeem Centre have been given the Amnesty Human Rights Award at a ceremony in Berlin for their work in documenting and treating torture victims.

Scholar of Islamic Law Abdullahi An-Na'im: "We need a secular state"

Clear differences of opinion

What do people in Germany really think about immigration? A recent study by the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) shows that there are definite differences of opinion between the country's elite and the general public. Shohreh Karimian discussed the findings with Marc Helbling, one of the authors of the study