Society
Topics
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Interview with Kay SokolowskyRacism 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Ritual Islamic Food Production
"The Halal Trend Is Unstoppable"
The ritual slaughter of animals for religious reasons is basically permitted in Germany, although management of the practice is complicated and controversial. But the enormous potential of and demand for 'halal' foodstuffs here in Germany is leading to an increase in production. Daniela Schröder has researched the issue
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Hans Christian Schmid's "Storm"
The Truth Is a Matter of Negotiation
The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague has been occupied since 1993 with the war crimes committed during the Yugoslav Wars. Hans-Christian Schmid has now made a film showing how the West also places political decisions over individual's lives. André Tucic investigates
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Iraqi Gay Refugees
A Temporary Haven in Lebanon
A campaign of murder, intimidation and torture is driving many of Iraq's gay men to join the millions of their compatriots who have fled to other countries in the region. Those of them that make it to Lebanon, while still facing an uncertain future, have the benefit of a relatively tolerant society. Austin Mackell reports from Beirut
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Interview with Joumana Haddad
"Eroticism is the Pulse of Life"
With her erotic cultural magazine "Jasad" ("Body"), Lebanese poet and journalist Joumana Haddad deliberately breaks taboos in a society that likes to draw a veil over the human body – both literally and figuratively. Susanne Schanda spoke with the woman behind the magazine
Most read articles
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Culture in Germany
The politics of neutrality
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Sex tourism in Egypt
A bride for the summer
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Palestinians in Egypt
Time to return to Gaza?
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Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas
A life rethinking the foundations of knowledge
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Women in Saudi Arabia
Caught in a System of Gender Apartheid
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Attacks on Iran
Did the Saudis want this war?