Society

Cairo's Darb Al-Ahmar District

Preserving a Historical Heritage

Cairo's Darb Al-Ahmar district contains some of the finest extant examples of Islamic medieval architecture. Regional, national and international resources are being mobilised to halt the crumbling decay and restore the area to pristine splendour. Nelly Youssef took a walk to see how things are coming along
The First Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament

Promoting Diversity, Dialogue and Solidarity

The first Euro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament will bring together students from Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian Autonomous Territories - and Israel, among others. The young participants have now met in Alexandria for a preparatory conference. Nelly Youssef reports
Universities in Iraq

Heritage of the Past and Chaos of the Present

Universities in Iraq have experienced a series of changes over the last few years. Many students nowadays refuse to be taught by professors who have no real academic qualification but simply used to represent the Ba'ath regime. Ahmad al-Saadawi reports
Missionary Work in the Sudan

With Charm, Bible and Koran

Missionaries in the Sudan are striving to convert Muslims to Christianity, notwithstanding all obstacles. Since the end of the civil war Muslim groups have also started a mission in the Christian south. Marc Engelhardt reports
Conflict Prevention in Lebanon

Learning Peace

In this country of ethical and religious conflicts, rival parties have come together for the first time to learn peaceful conflict resolution at a workshop organized by a Beirut NGO. Christina Förch reports
New Curriculum in Turkey

Revolutionizing the Classroom

The EU is working hand in hand with the Turkish government to completely change the way children are taught. The days of discipline and memorization - or chalk and talk - are finally coming to an end. By Dorian Jones
"Intercultural Mainstreaming"

A Plea for the Intercultural Opening of Society

The institutions of "highbrow culture" in Germany have hitherto hardly recognised the fact that the composition of society has changed, writes Mark Terkessidis in his commentary
Islam in the Media

How Media Researchers Draw Hasty Conclusions

Many studies dealing with the representation of Islam in Western media come to the conclusion that there is a tendency to portray Islam in a negative way. Klemens Ludwig doubts whether they all adhere to scientific criteria
Media Influence

The Framed World

In this age of global media, foreign countries and events are only viewed through a small frame that obscures everything else. Charlotte Wiedemann files this report about working as a foreign correspondent and the way we perceive the rest of the world
Islam Lessons at German Schools

"We Pretend You're a Church"

Because Germany's Muslims don't have a central institution to represent them, it is difficult to organise Islam lessons at German schools. One primary school has got round this problem with a clever trick, as Christiane Hawranek reports
Islam in the Media

Suppressing the Positive Aspects of Muslim Life

Kai Hafez and Carola Richter, both specialists in the field of communications studies, have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the image of Islam presented by Germany's public broadcasting companies. Sabine Schiffer took a critical look at their study
Women in Islam

Between Oppression and (Self-) Empowerment

At a two-day conference organised by the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation, women's organisations from Europe, the Middle East and Africa met to talk about their work and discuss the role of Islam in their own societies. Abdul-Ahmad Rashid listened in