Society

Saudi authorities crack down on bloggers

Assault on the freedom of expression

Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes by a Saudi court. His crime: using the freedom afforded by the Internet to express his opinion on the religious authorities in his country. He is not the only one in Saudi Arabia to fall foul of the authorities. In general, the crackdown on freedom of expression has been in full swing for quite some time. By Kersten Knipp
By Kersten Knipp
Interview with Asma Jahangir, winner of the Right Livelihood Award

"Every restriction is based on religion"

This year, activist and human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir became the first woman from Pakistan to win the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the "alternative Nobel Prize"). She spoke to Roma Rajpal Weiss about the difficult circumstances facing human rights activists in Pakistan
By Roma Rajpal Weiss
The papal visit to Turkey

A message of peace and dialogue

Pope Francis' three-day visit to Turkey was the first papal visit to that country in eight years. The pontiff made a lasting impression on the Turkish people. By Luise Sammann in Istanbul
By Luise Sammann
Hebron: a divided city

"Palestine is like a prison"

The war in Gaza this past summer triggered memories of life during and after the second intifada in the West Bank. In Hebron in particular, many Palestinians fear that restrictions on their freedom of movement, which is already limited, could be tightened even more. Impressions of a divided city by Susanne Kaiser
By Susanne Kaiser
Istanbul's Kazova textile co-operative

Fighting on alone

Kazova, a textile firm that began production in 1947 but went out of business in January 2013, is about to re-open as a workers' co-operative. The 11 men and women who want to relaunch Kazova following the conclusion of the legal proceedings relating to the closure of the factory have a motto: "production without a boss". They were inspired by the spirit of Gezi. By Ekrem Guzeldere
By Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere
Journalists in Libya

Caught in the crossfire

As their country slides into a fully fledged civil war, an increasing number of Libyans are seeking shelter abroad. Among them are many journalists who are perceived as being representatives of opposing political forces and are increasingly coming under fire. By Valerie Stocker in Tunis
By Valerie Stocker
Islam and violence

Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS

Does Islamic theology have the argumentative resources to counter the claim that violence perpetrated in the name of Islam is covered by verses from the Koran? Yes, says the Islam expert Katajun Amirpur, pointing to an open letter from Muslim scholars
By Katajun Amirpur
Women's rights in the Indonesian province of Aceh

"The population is being systematically silenced"

Azriana Rambe Manalu, 46, and Samsidar, 48, are two of the best-known women in Aceh. In this interview with Christina Schott, they talk about how the introduction of Sharia in Aceh in 2003 has affected society – and women in particular
By Christina Schott
Book review: "Cairo. Open City" by Florian Ebner and Constanze Wicke

The power of images

The illustrated book "Cairo. Open City. New Testimonies from an Ongoing Revolution" by Florian Ebner and Constanze Wicke casts a critical eye over the media portrayal of the Egyptian revolution. Shohreh Karimian reviews the publication
By Shohreh Karimian
Afghan idioms and proverbs

"The arrival of the king leads to the downfall of the village"

Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic nation with language rich in idioms and proverbs. These are an integral element of the country's culture, although less familiar to young Afghans these days. The German-Afghan Noor Nazrabi has collected many idioms and published a reference book in German and Dari. Kathrin Erdmann met the author
By Kathrin Erdmann
The death of Abdelwahab Meddeb

A proponent of disloyal loyalty

The renowned Tunisian-French writer and Islam expert Abdelwahab Meddeb died of cancer in Paris on 6 November 2014. He was 68. Obituary by Bettina David
By Bettina David
Interview with Egyptian philosopher Hassan Hanafi

From Velvet Spring to military despotism

Renowned Egyptian philosopher Hassan Hanafi believes it is too early to declare the Arab Spring revolutions a failure. In an interview with Moncef Slimi, he explains why fundamental religious reforms are now necessary in the Arab world
By Moncef Slimi