Society

Interview with Hossein Mousavian

''Iran Will Not Negotiate under Threat''

Seyed Hossein Mousavian, spokesman for the former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani and once the Iranian ambassador to Germany, sees a realistic chance for a resolution of the nuclear crisis despite the escalation of the conflict. Direct talks with the USA are both possible and necessary, says the former diplomat. An interview by Silke Mertins
By Silke Mertins
A Backlash of Patriarchy in Egypt

Hope for a Proper Revolution

The targeting of women in the Egyptian revolution – to make them know "their place" – was among the first shots fired by the counter-revolution. Yet they fight on. A viewpoint by Margot Badran
By Margot Badran
Syriac Orthodox Christians in Turkey

''This Is Simply Our Home''

In recent years, around 60-100 Syriac Orthodox families have returned from central Europe to Turkey. Encouraged by changes in the political atmosphere, the minority nonetheless faces a host of problems, from the expropriation of land belonging to a monastery, to a ban on special schools and kindergartens, and also a lack of places of worship in Istanbul. By Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere
By Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere
Islamic Archaeology in Israel

A Sea-change in Attitudes

A group of Israeli historians and archaeologists is calling for a radical rethink in the way the region's past is viewed. They want a stronger focus on Palestine's Islamic eras, which have in the past been neglected in favour of its Jewish history. By Joseph Croitoru
By Joseph Croitoru
Interview with Amina Wadud

''Islam Belongs to All Its Believers''

Amina Wadud is an American scholar of Islam with a progressive focus on Koran exegesis. In 2005, she led Friday prayers in the US, which not only broke with tradition, it also triggered debate and Muslim juristic discourse on the issue of female imams. Interview by Abderrahmane Ammar
By Abderrahmane Ammar
Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

The Heavy Burden of the Open Borders Policy

The crisis of the Syrian refugees is growing day by day in neighbouring Lebanon. State institutions are neither able nor willing to deal with the situation. Bjorn Zimprich talked to Guita Hourani, Director of the Lebanese Emigration and Research Center, about the plight of the refugees and the social problems the refugee crisis is creating for Lebanon
By Björn Zimprich
Turning away from Shia in Iran

''A Tsunami of Atheism''

Iran's moral guardians are concerned: while Islam is increasing in political importance throughout the Arab world, people in the Islamic Republic of Iran are leaving the mosques in droves. As Ali Sadrzadeh found out, young people seem especially susceptible to the attractions of sects or Christianity
By Ali Sadrzadeh
Islamic Jurisprudence in Qatar

Putting the Gulf on the Legal Education Map

The small emirate of Qatar is extremely ambitious – and wants to position itself as a motor for the region, also in the field of jurisprudence. Laura Overmeyer spoke to the German legal expert Günter Frankenberg, who is aiming to set up an innovative legal research institute in Doha
By Laura Overmeyer
Justice in Iran

Petty Criminals Sent to the Gallows

Iran has begun handing down death sentences for robbery – a crime that previously carried much less severe punishments. In socially and politically uncertain times, the regime is increasingly resorting to Draconian measures in the hope that these will serve as a deterrent, reports Stefan Buchen
By Stefan Buchen
Turkish Businesswomen

Female Power for Turkey's Economy

Turkey's largest companies are increasingly assigning women to key positions and corporate boards. Of the top executives in these companies, 26 percent are women - well above the EU average. Ayhan Simsek and Selcuk Oktay report
By Ayhan Simsek
Interview with Pinar Selek

''I Can Feel a Huge Amount of Solidarity''

The sociologist and author Pinar Selek spoke with Hülya Köylü Schenk on her sentence of life imprisonment in Turkey and on the solidarity she has been receiving from many levels of society
By Hülya Köylü Schenk
The Uprising of Women in the Arab World

Fighting Patriarchal Tyranny

The group "The uprising of women in the Arab world" is taking a courageous stand for gender equality. However, the activists face significant resistance: from old ways of thinking, patriarchal chauvinism – and even from Facebook. Laura Overmeyer reports
By Laura Overmeyer