Society

Afghans in Germany

"Most of us feel betrayed"

Five years on from the fall of Kabul, the German government is cooperating with the Taliban. Mitra Hashemi from the German-Afghan Friendship Society talks about the Afghan community in Germany, a lack of recognition and responsibility towards their relatives in Afghanistan.
By Clara Taxis
Christians in Lebanon

Fighting to preserve Lebanon's wine tradition

Economic crisis and war have made winemaking in Lebanon difficult, pushing producers to rely on exports. But with its deep ties to Lebanese Christian identity, many are determined to keep making wine at home.
By Janan Basoul
New Faculty of Islamic Theology in Münster

"Theology is opening up and engaging with society"

The University of Münster has established Europe's first Faculty of Islamic Theology. Dean Mouhanad Khorchide discusses the responsibility of theology, Europe's shift to the right and his ambition to influence the Islamic world.
By Ulrike Hummel
Peace work in Lebanon

"War is not an adventure playground"

Young people in Lebanon need to confront the country's violent past, says Christina Foerch-Saab of Fighters for Peace. Through visits to schools and universities with former combatants, she sees attitudes beginning to shift, even amid renewed escalation.
By Jannis Hagmann
Gaza health crisis

Living between sewage and rubble

Israel’s war on Gaza has displaced hundreds of thousands and destroyed the territory’s sanitation system. Mohamed Solaimane reports from Khan Younis on how harsh conditions in displacement camps are fuelling disease, especially among children.
By Mohamed Solaimane
Iraq's Anfal campaign

The survivor who brought her torturer to justice

After decades in hiding, the head of a notorious prison during the 1988 campaign against Iraq's Kurds has been sentenced to death. For survivor Fazila Mohammad, who helped identify him, the verdict is a milestone, but not the end.
By Karzan Maaroof
Libyan commander at the ICC

The "angel of death" on trial

The ICC has confirmed charges against Khaled El Hishri, accused of crimes against humanity at Tripoli's Mitiga prison. The first Libyan suspect to appear before the court, his trial could expose a wider system of abuse affecting Libyans, migrants and refugees.
By Margherita Capacci
Israel's high-tech warfare

A new era of automated violence

In Gaza, mobile phones are both a lifeline and a threat, feeding algorithmic targeting systems while remaining essential for survival. Researcher Gihan AbouZeid examines how AI-driven surveillance technologies are reshaping the experience of war.
By Gihan AbouZeid
Iran's Gulf region

More than a strait

The Strait of Hormuz is at the centre of geopolitical tensions. But a closer look at the cultural landscape reveals a different picture: on Iran's southern coast, African, Indian and Arab influences converge, creating a cultural tapestry far removed from the image of a homogeneous theocratic state.
By Amin Farzanefar
Reconstruction in Syria

Whose land will major investors build on?

Syria is relying on competition and foreign investment to fund its reconstruction efforts. In Damascus, citizens are being asked to sell their land for a multi-billion property project. Yet many long to rebuild their own homes.
By Justus Könneker
250 years of the USA

How enslaved African Muslims resisted bondage

The history of Islam in the U.S. does not begin with voluntary immigration. It can be traced back to the country's formative years, and to the millions of enslaved Africans, up to a third of whom are believed to have been Muslim.
By Nareman Amin, Leila Tarakji
Femicide in Turkey

Where is Gülistan Doku?

Years after a young Kurdish woman's femicide, new probes have led to arrests. The suspects are sons of civil servants. The case ignited a Turkish debate on state failure and alleged cover-up. Yet the wider issue of anti-Kurdish violence remains sidelined.
By Jana Treffler