Society

Education in Syria

Returning pupils face language barrier

Eleven-year-old Ali spent six years in Germany. Now back in Syria, he is struggling with Arabic, his native language, as the new government appears overwhelmed by the task of reintegrating returning schoolchildren.
By Huda al-Kulaib
Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi

"Intersectional long before the term was coined"

A seminal feminist text by Nawal El Saadawi has been translated into English and German for the first time, over five decades after it first appeared in Arabic. Publisher and translator Sophie Haesen explains why it should be essential reading worldwide.
By Amany Alsiefy
War crimes in Syria

The starvation of Yarmouk on trial

A new trial of Syrian war crimes suspects has opened in Koblenz, Germany. It's the first since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the first ever to charge starvation as a war crime.
By Hannah El-Hitami
Child labour in Egypt

New regulations won't end poverty

Whether in supermarkets, workshops or factories, child labour is ubiquitous in Egypt. A new law aims to curb it, but labour laws alone will not solve the structural problems that drive children to work.
By Rehab Eliawa
Islah Hassniyyeh

Gaza's feminist legal pioneer

Islah Hassniyyeh was the first woman to open a law firm in Gaza. In September, she died under Israeli blockade in Gaza City. A portrait of a trailblazing lawyer and lifelong advocate for women's rights in Palestine.
By Riham Halaseh
Syrian reconstruction

"Debris isn't waste"

Concrete, brick, steel: Aref al-Swaidani wants to rebuild Syria from its ruins. In Weimar he’s conducting research on recycling building materials.
By Aref al-Swaidani
"Nostra Aetate" at 60

A landmark for Muslim-Christian understanding

Six decades on, the message of mutual respect between faiths, enshrined in the Catholic Church's "Nostra Aetate", feels as urgent as ever. It's a reminder that dialogue is not naïve, but necessary.
By Zeyneb Sayılgan
Islamic education in Germany

Under constant scrutiny

Islamic religious education is neither a threat to democracy nor a cure-all. What dedicated teachers really need is recognition of their role.
By Raida Chbib
Deported from Germany

Yazidi survivors confront the harsh reality of return

Thousands of Yazidis fled IS genocide and found refuge in Germany. Now, many have been ordered to return to Iraq, where they face dire living conditions, shattered infrastructure and the threat of further violence.
By Hannah Wallace
"The Misguided Islam Debate" by Teseo La Marca

A plea for a pluralistic Islam

In his new book, Teseo La Marca argues that Germany's debate on Islam swings between extremes and calls for more nuance as an antidote to fundamentalism. But does he practise what he preaches?
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Syrian activist The Darvish

"Queerness is freedom and freedom is indivisible"

Belly dancer and queer organiser The Darvish arrived in Berlin in 2016, where they found a welcoming community and room for self-expression. But they warn that, as German politics shifts to the right, this community is under threat and its spaces are vanishing.
By Ahmed Lamloum
Syria's shadow economy

Sex work, captagon and currency

Having grown significantly during the war, Syria's informal market for sex, drugs and money continues to thrive. Meanwhile, weak regulation is discouraging investment in the formal economy.
By Ahmed Mohamed