Society

The Press in Syria

Independent Media as Enemies of the System

Syria always ranks close to the bottom of the Press Freedom Index published annually by the organisation "Reporters Without Borders". And as Mona Naggar reports, the Ba'ath regime has stepped up censorship and persecution in response to recent protests in the country
By Mona Naggar
Egypt's Christian Minority

Copts Fear for the Future

Egypt's Coptic minority has long claimed it suffers discrimination in the Muslim-majority country. Many had hoped that would change in the wake of the revolution, but many fear a return of the old ways. By Magdalena Suerbaum
By Magdalena Suerbaum
Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel's ''The People Reloaded''

The Green Movement and the Struggle for Iran's Future

With their anthology on Iran's Green Movement, Nader Hashemi and Danny Postel provide an intellectual and political road map to the country's largest political protest since the 1979 revolution. Ramin Jahanbegloo introduces "The People Reloaded"
By Ramin Jahanbegloo
On the Death of Juliano Mer-Khamis

100 Percent Juliano

The murdered theatre director and artist Juliano Mer-Khamis spent his life walking on a tightrope. A traitor to some, while a visionary to others – and an exception on the Israeli as well as the Palestinian side. An obituary by Stephanie Doetzer
By Stephanie Doetzer
Indonesia's Cultural Heritage

Eternal Knowledge

Precious Javanese manuscripts are being restored and digitised through the combined efforts of a team of German and Indonesian scholars to ensure their preservation for future generations. By Anett Keller
The German Islam Scholar Lamya Kaddor

Why I as a Muslim Woman Don't Wear a Headscarf

Does the Koran really demand that women wear headscarves? Or is it mainly older men who claim they can decide how women should dress – with no theological foundation whatsoever? For the Islam scholar Lamya Kaddor, there is no question about it: the headscarf is obsolete
By Lamya Kaddor
Islam in Germany

Who Really Wants Muslim Integration?

Despite all their efforts to integrate, Muslims often have a problem of trust. Like the Muslim community in Penzberg, Bavaria: even though it has opened its doors and its mosque, it has been categorised as ‘anti-constitutional’ by the German state security services. By Claudia Mende
The Writer Edmond Amran El Maleh

A Moroccan Jew with Arabo-Berber Roots

The Jewish Moroccan writer Edmond Amran El Maleh died last year at the age of 93. The Moroccan National Library in Rabat is now dedicating a major exhibition to this anti-colonial freedom fighter and patriot. Regina Keil-Sagawe reports
Democratisation in Egypt and Indonesia

"Do Not Repeat Our Mistakes!"

Thirteen years after the political reforms, Indonesia is viewed as the most stable democracy in its region. Is there something Egypt can learn from the Indonesian example? A critical analysis by Saskia Louise Schäfer
Islam Criticism in Germany

The Uprising of the Indecent

A riposte from society's middle ground: with his book "The Alarmists", Patrick Bahners wades through the murky depths of criticism of Islam in Germany and warns against a brutalisation of public life. A review by Daniel Bax
Pro-Palestinian Peace Activists in Germany

Against Political Pigeonholing

In the anthology 'Palestine on my mind' 26 peace activists explain why they are committed to the human rights of Palestinians. The authors are Germans and non-Germans, Jews and non-Jews. By Martina Sabra
Egypt's Shifting Political Landscape

Democracy Informed by Religious Values

The US and the West must understand the constructive role of faith in Egypt's democratic aspirations, says Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies