Society

Baha'i in Iran

A Life of Repression

The situation for Baha'i in Iran has been deteriorating ever since the "Islamic Revolution" thirty years ago. Yet persecution has intensified under President Ahmadinejad's rule. By Katajun Amirpur
Piety and Politics in the Middle East

A Bad Pair

From the very beginning, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was more than just a fight for land. Religion plays a large role, for both the Israelis as well as the Palestinians. Pious fanatics from both sides put a strain on negotiations. Kersten Knipp reports
Marrakesh Elects Its First Woman Mayor

Equal Rights and a Change of Generation

Last summer saw the election of the 33-year-old Fatima Azzahra al-Mansouri as the first woman mayor of the city of Marrakesh in the south of Morocco. As Alfred Hackensberger reports, she won the vote in spite of the warnings of conservative politicians
Interview with Susan Schenk on Al Jazeera English

Not As One Might Expect

In her new study "The image of Islam in international television", the communications scientist Susan Schenk reaches the surprising conclusion that coverage of Islam-related issues on Al Jazeera English differs very little from that on other international news channels such as CNN or BBC. Interview by Loay Mudhoon
Interview with Kay Sokolowsky

Racism Dressed Up As Criticism of Islam

Media critic Kay Sokolowsky warns against the negative consequences of rising Islamophobia for the co-existence of Muslims and non-Muslims and calls for dialogue and education. Interview conducted by Ramon Schack
Cultural Policy in the Maghreb

Is Northern Africa Losing Its "Soul"?

Poor governance and the pressure of globalisation mean the Maghreb runs the risk of losing its unique character. Yet only a small minority seems to be aware that this development is destroying an irretrievable part of the Maghreb identity. An essay by Beat Stauffer
Commentary by Aiman Mazyek

Putting Christian-Muslim Dialogue to the Test

Aiman Mazyek, media adviser and editor-in-chief of islam.de, criticizes the stagnation of Germany's dialogue between the religions and suggests practical ways for reviving it
Media Critique on the Marwa El-Sherbini Case

Desperately Seeking Intercultural Sensitivity

Reporting on the murder of Marwa El-Sherbini in the German and the Egyptian media testifies to mutual misperceptions, ignorance and a lack of intercultural sensitivity in both countries. A critical analysis by Hanan Badr
Interview with Shadi Sadr

Collecting Evidence for Crimes against Humanity

The Iranian women's rights activist and lawyer Shadi Sadr was imprisoned for over ten days during the protests following the recent Iranian presidential election. Ariana Mirza spoke to her about the current human rights situation and the reform movement in Iran
Cultural Relations Crisis

What Went Wrong with the Dialogue between Cultures?

We have a common language for universal values, but we do not have a common language for cultural differences, writes Traugott Schoefthaler. We need to work on such language, he says in his essay, in order to provide instruments for coping with critical moments of confrontation
Wilfried Murad Hofmann Honoured

"Islamic Personality of the Year"

Wilfried Murad Hofmann, a former German diplomat and a convert to Islam, has received one of the most important prizes in the Muslim world. He's been chosen as "Islamic Personality of the Year" in Dubai. A portrait by Ulrike Hummel
The Image of Women in Islam

Ibn al-Jawzi's Mysoginist Writings

The religious scholar Ibn al-Jawzi's collection of the prophet's recalled comments on women in Islam, well known in conservative Islamic circles. Does the work confirm our image of Muslim misogyny or can we derive a different understanding of women from these sources? By Stefan Weidner