Society

Virginity in Egypt

Double Standards and Hypocrisy

Operations to restore a woman's virginity are prohibited in Egypt, but are often performed all the same. They reflect a rejection of old concepts of morality which equate virtue with an intact hymen. Nelly Youssef reports
Muslims in Britain

The Issue of Intellectual Leadership

The July bombs in London have dominated discussion of British Muslims in 2005. But even more important than the social problems of young Muslims is the quality and character of Muslim leadership
By Tahir Abbas
Weblogger in Iran

Hoder's Virtual Struggle for Freedom

In Iran there are currently over 100,000 weblogs serving as an outlet of expression. One of the pioneer bloggers is Hossein Derakhshan (Hoder), whose appearance on the web set off a small-scale media revolution in Iran. Golrokh Esmaili reports
Swedish Study on Circumcision

The Correlation of Genital Mutilation and Infertility

Around the world 6,000 girls are circumcised every day, the majority of them in Africa. Now a Swedish study has found that the practice has a significant impact on fertility. Maja Dreyer reports
Amr Khaled

"I Want to Move Arabic Youth!"

The Egyptian-born preacher Amr Khaled motivates and galvanises Arabic youth. One of his theses is that Muslims who live in Western societies must also respect the values of those societies. Mona Naggar reports
Muslims in Germany

Islam Implicated as Motivating Factor behind Social Conflicts

The political and social climate for Muslims in Germany has deteriorated significantly within the last year, says Ebehard Seidel, as for instance the newly introduced "convictions tests" in the state of Baden Württemberg show
Racial Violence in Australia

Tense Situation on Sydney's Beaches

Shortly before Christmas, Australia was shocked by the most serious racial violence in its history. The fifth continent's reputation as a model multicultural society has been severely tarnished. Sebastian Krüger reports
Follow the Women

Pedalling for Peace

In order to raise awareness of how the current situation within the Middle East affects the lives of women and children, over 200 women from 23 countries cycled through Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. Sophie Nicholson was with them
Cycling as a Bridge to Understanding

Peace Cyclists in Damascus

On an international cycle tour from Germany to Egypt, twenty cyclists from Dresden are spreading the message of "peace and understanding." En route through the Near East, the Saxonians arrived in the Syrian capital of Damascus shortly before Christmas. Manuela Römer reports
Islamic Studies in German Schools

An Equality Policy of Small Steps

In an interview with Qantara.de, Dr Michael Kiefer, an expert in Islamic Studies, talks about the experience that has been gained and the controversies that have arisen since "Islamic Studies" have been taught in German schools.
Women in Europe and the Arab World

Struggling with Gender Roles

Life for women in Europe is generally portrayed as being worlds apart from women in the Arab world. At a German-Arab media conference now held in Rabat, Morocco, participants learned that this is not necessarily so. Martina Sabra reports
"AktionCourage"

No Place for Xenophobia

Discrimination of any kind is an attack on human dignity, say the initiators of "AktionCourage". That's the name of a one-of-a-kind organization that is fighting against racism and for dialogue with Islam throughout Germany – above all, in schools. By Petra Tabeling