Society
Topics
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Cultural DialoguePeaceful Social Change Is Possible
Development policy needs to take a stand in the debate on basic rights, integration and religion, argues Christian von Haldenwang. Western values should be discussed while taking other views and cultures into account
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Muslim Life in Germany
Integration Beats Segregation
The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees study "Muslim Life in Germany" shows that Muslims are better integrated than is commonly assumed. There are still deficits, however, in school education and educational social mobility. Sonja Haug sums up the findings
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José Casanova: "Europe's Fear of Religion"
Secularism on the Test-Bed
The sociologist José Casanova confronts the paradigm that secularisation is a prerequisite for open and tolerant societies. In 'Europas Angst vor der Religion' (Europe's Fear of Religion) he calls for an end to the strict division between faith and politics. A review by Lewis Gropp
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Blogging in Iran
The Electronic Manifestation of Persian Thought
In spite of government filtering, low bandwidth connections, prosecution of the bloggers, and other social and technological problems, the Persian blogosphere has been able to thrive into a community of people with different social and political opinions and fields of interest. By Arash Kamangir
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Interview with Heiner Bielefeldt
"The Hard Core of Islamophobia Is Racist"
A ban on the burqa is possible, but a ban on the construction of minarets is unlawful, says the former director of the German Institute for Human Rights, Heiner Bielefeldt. He also considers the "hard core of Islamophobia" to be racist. Christian Rath sends us this interview
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Interview with the Historian Michael Borgolte
"Islam Was Always Part of Europe"
Present-day Muslim immigration is returning Europe to its former historical state: the continent was a place of religious plurality from late antiquity on. Ralph Bollmann spoke to the historian Michael Borgolte about the history of Muslims in Europe
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Arabic Blogs in Crisis
Over-estimated Agents of Change
What can blogs really achieve? Is too much expected of them? How can they make a difference? Mohammed Sahli, Moroccan blogger and organiser of the Arabic Blog Awards, talks about the development of the Arabic blogosphere, its future and the social role of blogs
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Women's Rights in India
The Constitution Can Wait
India does not have a uniform civil code regulating family relationships. The religion of the parties determines which law governs the rights and obligations of a family's members, a situation that, according to Ved Kumari, professor of Law at the University of Delhi, upholds the inequality of the sexes
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The Monastery "Deir Mar Musa" in Syria
A Haven for Spirituality and Dialogue
The monastery "Deir Mar Musa" in the desert between Lebanon and Syria is an attraction for believers from all over the world. The convent is an oasis of intercultural and interreligious understanding. Stephen Starr reports from Syria
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Islamic Dietary Laws in Practice
Halal for All
It's not easy to eat a purely halal diet. Muslim consumers in Germany have to be well informed and sometimes accept compromises. There are now halal seals of approval, but it is still almost impossible to avoid traces of pork in food products. By Ute Hempelmann
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Cairo's Townhouse Gallery
Nerve Centre for Egypt's Young Art Scene
The Townhouse in the centre of Cairo, opened by the Canadian William Wells in 1998, has grown into an established magnet for artists, but also for children, families and refugees. Amira El Ahl has the details
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Women in Turkey
Trapped in the Gender Gap
Turkey ranked 129th out of 134 countries in the latest Global Gender Gap Report published by the WEF. Ayşe Karabat explores the challenges faced by the women of the world's 17th largest economy
Most read articles
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Q&A
What is happening in Sudan?
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Amina Wadud's "Qur'an and Woman" revisited
"Inequality between men and women is contrary to Islam"
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Ahmed Isamaldin
"Gold is directly connected to the violence in Sudan"
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Authoritarianism and underdevelopment in the Islamic world
Islamic clerics and statesmen in an unholy alliance
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The new face of the nightly news: Pinar Atalay
Not just the token migrant
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Lebanon
Khalil Gibran's hometown celebrates 'The Prophet' centennial