Society

Street Children in Marrakech

The Oasis of Sésame Garden

Some 10 million tourists visit the Kingdom of Morocco every year. But very little of the income they generate trickles down to the socially disadvantaged. In Marrakech, a lone restaurateur is making a real difference to the lives of street children. A report Astrid Kaminski
By Astrid Kaminski
Christians in Tunisia

Cause for Concern

Pressure on Tunisian Christians in Tunisia has grown since the nation's Jasmine Revolution. Observations from Katharina Pfannkuch in Tunis
By Katharina Pfannkuch
Two New Books on the Gülen Movement

Happy Altruists Everywhere

The American sociologist of religion Helen Rose Ebaugh and the German journalist Jochen Thies wanted to take a closer look at the Gülen movement and the educational activities of its adherents. Both books, however, lack the necessary critical distance says Jan Kuhlmann
By Jan Kuhlmann
Syrian Boat Refugees in Egypt

"Head Straight on to Europe!"

Many Syrian refugees are trying to reach Europe from Egypt via the Mediterranean. They are risking their lives to escape the civil war in their homeland. A reportage by Karim El-Gawhary in Abukir, Egypt
By Karim El-Gawhary
The Gülen Movement

Erdoğan Is Not Turkey's Only Problem

In Turkey, the pious Gülen network has created what is effectively a state within the Turkish state, gaining a strong foothold in the police force, the judiciary, and the bureaucracy. The ultimate goal seems to be to reshape society in the movement's own conservative-religious image. By Dani Rodrik
By Dani Rodrik
Interview with Lina Attalah

"The Media Are PR Machines of the Military"

After being dismissed from the newspaper Egypt Independent, editor-in-chief Lina Attalah founded the alternative news website Mada Masr. Egyptian media are in "a very precarious condition", she says – and calls for a new kind of critical journalism. Interview by Jannis Hagmann
By Jannis Hagmann
Alternative Nobel Prize for the Palestinian Raji Sourani

"We Just Don't Have the Right to Give up Hope"

The Palestinian lawyer Raji Sourani has been named laureate of the 2013 'Alternative Nobel Prize' "for his unwavering dedication to upholding the rule of law under exceptionally difficult circumstances". Sourani sees the award as an "incentive not to lose hope". By Ulrike Schleicher
By Ulrike Schleicher
Germany's "Migrant MPs"

So Where Are You Really From?

Among the new German parliamentarians are 35 with an "immigration background" – a label they find unfortunate, as they are not there to merely fulfill a quota. Naomi Conrad talked to several of these parliamentarians in Berlin
By Naomi Conrad
Women Entrepreneurs in the Arab World

Successful Together

"Ouissal" means "connection". A new project bearing this name offers women entrepreneurs from Germany and Tunisia the opportunity to get to know each other and offer mutual support in their professional careers – a dialogue between equal partners. By Martina Sabra
By Martina Sabra
"Open Forums" in Turkey

New Forms of Participation

The Gezi Park protests have led to the emergence of local grassroots committees or "Open Forums" in many Turkish towns and cities. Their goal: To preserve quality of life in residential areas and foster political dialogue and development. A commentary by Ceyda Nurtsch from the "Open Forum" in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Beyoğlu
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Christians in Egypt

Persecuted and Forgotten

Anti-Christian violence is on the rise in Egypt. Although 45 churches and buildings were burned to the ground just a month ago, the Egyptian state is doing little to protect the country's Christians. By Markus Symank
By Markus Symank
Cultural Dialogue in Germany

Overcoming a Bloc Mind-set in East and West

At the invitation of Federal President Joachim Gauck, several thousand citizens met at Berlin's Schloss Bellevue to exchange views at the "place of encounters". Fabian Pianka depicts the current mood prevailing in Germany with regard to immigrants, how art can help in conflict situations, and the state of the dialogue with the Islamic world
By Fabian Pianka