Society

Iran's monarchists

Producing nostalgia, courting war

Through satellite TV, viral content, and alliances with Netanyahu and Trump, Iran's monarchist elites are staging a comeback. From exile they are attempting to co-opt Iran's opposition by recasting the Pahlavi dynasty as a golden age of freedom.
By Armin Messager
Sudanese music in Cairo

Finding joy in the face of war

While war rages at home, for Sudanese wedding singers in exile in Cairo, celebration has become a form of resistance.
By Mohamed Gamal
"Christ in the Rubble" by Munther Isaac

The Christian case against the war on Gaza

Munther Isaac, a West Bank pastor, rejects Bible-based justifications for war and calls Gaza a "moral compass". In "Christ in the Rubble", he presents a view of the war that is polarising without being destructive.
By Behnam Heidenreuter-Said
German academia

When neutrality becomes complicity

German scholars of the Middle East often wear the mask of political neutrality. But both Western philosophy and the classical Islamic tradition insist that knowledge carries an ethical duty. A call for moral responsibility.
By Dina Wahba
Iran at war

The scapegoating of Afghan refugees

Amid conflict with Israel, Tehran's regime is fuelling mistrust of Afghan refugees. Yet they are among those most vulnerable to Israeli air strikes.
By Emran Feroz
Syria after Assad

To stay, to leave, to return

As many refugees return to Syria, queues are forming outside passport offices as people try to leave. Four personal stories reflect the hopes, fears and unresolved questions of a country in transition.
By Mayar Mohanna
Islam and AI

Translating the sacred

Technology can make life easier for believers, but its relationship with religion has fundamental limits. Artificial intelligence may be able to translate the Qur'an, but can it grasp its meaning?
By Ahmad Milad Karimi
Islamic theology

Against toxic masculinity

Islamic and Christian theologians at the University of Münster are analysing concepts of masculinity. Their research brings together religious and social scientific findings, ensuring the conversation isn't left only to social media influencers.
By Ulrike Hummel
Journalists in Gaza

A new generation bears witness

A new cohort of young Palestinian journalists has emerged in Gaza, reshaping the narrative and exposing the failures of Western media. This influence has come at a cost: 232 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
By Ramzy Baroud
Afghans in Pakistan

Ruthless displacement

Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is the site of one of the largest mass displacements in modern times. Since 2023, more than a million Afghans—many of whom lived in Pakistan for decades—have been forced to return to a country where they face few prospects.
By Emran Feroz
Displacement in Gaza

A whole life in one bag

The Israeli offensive in Gaza has displaced thousands of people multiple times. Many carry with them a single bag containing identity documents, a few personal belongings and traces of the lives they left behind.
By Doaa Shaheen
Islam and language activism

The politics of Qur'an translation

Around the world, the Qur'an is being translated into marginalised languages, reflecting a global trend toward preserving cultural heritage. These translations often serve political goals, but can also save endangered languages from extinction.
By Johanna Pink