Society
Topics
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Civil society initiatives in Lebanon
"I am not a martyr"
Bomb attacks and other acts of violence have almost become part of everyday life in Lebanon. After recent bomb blasts, two media campaigns were launched to raise awareness among Lebanese people of the everyday violence in their crisis-torn country. A background report by Juliane Metzker
By Juliane Metzker -
Book review: Jürgen Wasim Frembgen on Kohistan
With the wild men of Kohistan
Very few foreigners have ever ventured into Kohistan in the north of Pakistan, where the locals have a reputation of being barbarians. In his book "Das verschlossene Tal" (The Sealed Valley), the German ethnologist Jürgen Wasim Frembgen paints an exhilarating portrait of this mountain region. By Marian Brehmer
By Marian Brehmer -
Lebanon's first female pastor
"The fact that I am a woman was never a problem"
In Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli, an Evangelical community has decided to break with tradition and elect a woman as their pastor. The small parish has come to appreciate Rola Sleiman in trying times. By Andreane Williams in Tripoli
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Youth and protest in Turkey
"The pieces of the mosaic are shifting"
The Gezi Park protests in Turkey may have died down, but the social commitment of many young people is still high, and their battle for self-determination and participation continues. An overview by Anna Esser in Istanbul
By Anna Esser -
Investigations against a cloth puppet in Egypt
Theatre of the absurd
Egypt is currently hooked on a real-life satire playing out before its eyes: the country's public prosecutors are investigating a TV puppet on suspicion of terrorism. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
By Karim El-Gawhary -
Ez-Zitouna University
Helping to shape Tunisia's religious future
After decades of secular state leadership, many Tunisians would like Islam to play a greater role in the social and political life of their country. Some feel that Islamic scholars at Ez-Zitouna University could take on the role of mediator in this process. Reporting from Tunis, Carolyn Wißing has the details
By Carolyn Wißing -
Wahhabism and Salafism
Shared foundation – different methods
Wahhabis and Salafists are often named in the same breath. Yet these two ultra-orthodox faith movements do differ in a number of aspects, writes the doctor of Islam Studies Mohammad Gharaibeh
By Mohammad Gharaibeh -
Refugee Crisis in Jordan
At the Breaking Point
Jordan has accepted around 600,000 Syrian refugees to date, and more are on the way. Although Jordan is continuing to show a considerable willingness to help, the fact that there is no foreseeable end to the Syrian civil war has led to growing frustration among Jordanians due to rising rents and increasing competition on the labour market. By Claudia Mende
By Claudia Mende -
Women in Saudi Arabia
Caught in a System of Gender Apartheid
No professional or vocational training, no visits to the doctor, no lawsuits without male approval. The Yemeni-Swiss political scientist Elham Manea describes the plight of women in Saudi Arabia
By Elham Manea -
Gardens in Islam
A Metaphor for Heavenly Paradise
Given the often extreme living conditions in the arid areas of the Islamic Orient, it comes as no surprise that oases and irrigated gardens have a very special status in the Muslim religion, the statements of the Prophet, and the holy scriptures. An essay by Eckhart Ehlers
By Eckhart Ehlers -
What Muslims and Christians Share
A Christmas Meditation
Scholars are only now beginning to realise the extent to which the Mughal emperors adopted what most would assume to be outrightly Christian devotions. An essay by William Dalrymple
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A German-Turkish Love Story
Müzeyyen Adores Christmas
When they founded their Christian-Muslim family, the Dreessens had no reference points. But they encountered plenty of resistance from relatives. At home, there was more heated discussion over how to bring up the children than on the subject of faith. These days, things are much more relaxed. By Hedwig Gafga
Most read articles
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German academia
When neutrality becomes complicity
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Samia Mehrez's "The Many Lives of Ibrahim Nagui"
Reframing a divided legacy
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"Carmen" on the Egyptian stage
Rewritten to fit the patriarchal script
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Iran at war
The scapegoating of Afghan refugees
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The "New Middle East"
Pax Israelia or bellum aeternum?
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Ismail Küpeli's "Graue Wölfe"
A danger left unchecked