Society

- Interview
Moroccan feminist Ghizlane Mamouni
"Progress stops where equality begins"

Morocco has its first female head of government, and yet reforms on women's rights have stalled and a feminist is in custody because of a T-shirt. Her lawyer, human rights activist Ghizlane Mamouni, talks about the struggle for gender equality.
Interview by Vanessa Barisch
- Commentary
Energy in Tunisia
A record-breaking summer forces a reckoning

This year saw Tunisia’s hottest-ever summer, putting unprecedented pressure on its electricity grid, exposing the country's vulnerability to climate change and dependence on imports. The crisis has underscored the need for lawmakers to rethink energy policy.
Commentary by Dorsaf Selmi
Hormuz and Bab al‑Mandab

Centuries of struggle for the Straits

Three colonial powers—the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British—gained, and then lost, control over the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. Today, as the US and Iran struggle over these vital chokepoints, history offers a warning.
By Ibrahim Al-Marashi
Education and climate in Yemen

Too hot for class

In Houthi-controlled Yemen, the decision to schedule the school year by the Hijri calendar has pushed classes earlier into the harshest heat of summer. For students this has compounded the impact of climate change, posing health risks and driving up dropout rates.
By Nayef Al-Hassani
- Interview
Turkish women's association Havle
"White secular women do not have a monopoly on feminism"

The Muslim queer-feminist group Havle uses religious arguments to challenge discrimination. Facing growing hostility and, most recently, arrests, two members speak about the struggle for LGBTQ rights in the country.
Interview by Ceyda Nurtsch
Detainees in northeast Syria

What will happen to the women and children of al-Roj camp?

Deteriorating conditions are fuelling tensions at al-Roj camp, where people with alleged links to IS have spent years in detention. As control of the camp shifts to the Syrian central government, uncertainty grows over their future and prospects of returning home.
By Hannah Wallace
- Interview
Ahmed Isamaldin
"Gold is directly connected to the violence in Sudan"

Artist and researcher Ahmed Isamaldin uses satellite imagery to trace how Sudan's gold industry has expanded during the war. His research reveals how the conflict is linked to global supply chains and the commodities we consume.
Interview by Hannah El-Hitami
Religious diversity in Tunisia

The Virgin Mary on the streets of Tunis

In Tunisia, a tradition is being revived: the Marian procession in La Goulette. Christians, Jews and Muslims from around the world are coming together to make a statement in favour of peaceful coexistence, in a country where the authorities are cracking down on migrants.
By Vanessa Barisch
Faten Harb

Mediating family conflicts in wartime Gaza

Faten Harb is one of Gaza's first female mukhtaras, a mediation role traditionally reserved for men. As war has upended everyday life, she has found herself mediating disputes shaped by displacement, poverty and loss, helping families navigate a society under extraordinary strain.
By Doaa Shaheen
- Interview
Algeria and France
"We must deepen our understanding of the colonial era"

History weighs heavily on Algerian-French relations. Historian Benjamin Stora discusses the obstacles and progress made towards a shared culture of remembrance, and the threat posed by the French far right as elections approach.
Interview by Madjid Serrah
- Commentary
Inequality in Morocco
Ceuta was a referendum

Shortly before the general election, the mass crossing into Ceuta has shaken Morocco's image as a stable and thriving nation. The fact that so many people embarked on the journey reveals the depth of discontent in the country.
Commentary by Mohamed Taifouri
- Interview
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.
Interview by Clara Taxis