Society

Freedom of the press in Syria

The truth can cost lives

Four years into Syria's civil war, neither the regime nor the jihadists are interested in free and fair reporting. As Samar Yazbek explains, it takes great courage to stand up and tell the truth under such circumstances
By Samar Yazbek
Media reports on the Yemen conflict

A skewed view of Yemen's plight

In this opinion piece, Charlotte Wiedemann criticises the fact that many media reports about the current Yemen conflict are ill-informed, tendentious and overlook the West's responsibility for the escalation of the conflict
By Charlotte Wiedemann
Book review: Mohamedou Ould Slahi's "Guantanamo diary"

Diary entries from the darkness

Mohamedou Ould Slahi wrote "Guantanamo diary" entirely by hand in his cell in Guantanamo Bay. Although heavily redacted by the censors, the book is still a harrowing and moving account of what one inmate of this notorious detention camp has been suffering for almost 13 years. By Emran Feroz
By Emran Feroz
Interview with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University

"What the Islamist armed movements are doing is wrong"

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb is grand imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo, one of the highest religious instances in Sunni Islam. In an interview with Khalid El Kaoutit, he explains how the jihadists of Islamic State (IS) are abusing Islamic doctrine for their own purposes
By Khalid El Kaoutit
The image policy of IS

Terror in the spotlight

In this essay, Felix Koltermann takes a closer look at the image policy of IS and how media and politicians around the world have reacted to it. He argues that in spite of the horror of the images being disseminated by IS, it is important not to fall into the rhetoric of a war of images, because the goal of such a rhetoric is to take pictorial acts as a justification for military action
By Felix Koltermann
Recruitment strategies used by Islamic State

A mutation of religion

The crude promises of salvation and ideological constructs propagated by IS, and the apocalyptic fantasies it is spreading via films and magazines on the Internet make the terrorist militia attractive to radical forces not only in the Arab world but in Europe too. By Michael Kiefer
By Michael Kiefer
The Palestinian village of Susiya

Archaeology of a dispossession

Susiya is a small Palestinian village in the West Bank. In 1986, when the remains of a synagogue were found in the village, the site was declared a national park and the land confiscated. Residents were relocated to nearby agricultural lands. Last March, the Israeli government sought permission from the High Court of Justice to demolish the village and relocate its residents again, claiming the land for further archaeological work. Ylenia Gostoli visited the village to find out more
By Ylenia Gostoli
The headscarf in the colonial period

Remove your veils!

As far back as over 100 years ago, people were already arguing that the headscarf was a symbol of male oppression and therefore incompatible with Western civilisation and its system of values. In the French colonies, authorities actually followed through on these ideas, forcing women to take off their veils. Historical insights from Susanne Kaiser
By Susanne Kaiser
Interview with Fereshta Ludin

"The decision for or against the headscarf is wholly a matter for the woman herself"

Fereshta Ludin is probably one of the most famous teachers in Germany. Her battle to be allowed to wear the headscarf in the classroom began in 2003 – initially without success. But she is optimistic following the latest ruling from the judges at Germany's Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. She spoke to Emran Feroz
By Emran Feroz
The headscarf ruling from Germany's Constitutional Court

Heated debate on all sides

The headscarf ruling handed down by the Karlsruhe judges on 13 March met with divided reactions. While some are calling it a landmark decision, others see it not as a solution but as a potential source of further problems. Canan Topcu outlines the various positions
By Canan Topçu
Interview with the political scientist Farid Hafez

"An expression of institutional Islamophobia"

The most recent amendment to the Islam Law in Austria is also making waves in Germany. While some politicians at the conservative end of the spectrum would like to introduce a "German version" of the law, critics believe adopting it would be the wrong way to go. One of these critics is the Austrian political theorist Farid Hafez. Emran Feroz asked him about his objections to the new law
By Emran Feroz
Women's magazine "Zhin" in Iraqi Kurdistan

Challenging traditions

A number of female journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan are shaking up a male-dominated domain with a magazine that aims to highlight the problems and abuse many women still face. They are reporting on women's success stories and addressing controversial issues such as female genital mutilation. Melissa Tabeek visited the editorial team in Sulaymaniyah
By Melissa Tabeek