Society

Women's Centres in Turkey

Fleeing the Tormentors

Barbarous traditions and customs still govern the way women are treated in the southern and eastern parts of Anatolia in particular. Many women are raped, abused, and even stoned to death. But resistance to such practices has been growing since the end of the 1990s. Sigrid Dethloff reports
Interview with Ahmed An-Na'im

"We Muslims Have No Church!"

Human rights and secularism, says Ahmed An-Na'im, create a space for protest. And, surprisingly, the lawyer, who is originally from Sudan, sees in the Muslim law system, the Sharia, the third pillar of a humane civil society. Interview by Edith Kresta
The Hotel Baron in Aleppo

Spies, Nuns, Presidents, and a Broken-Hearted Lover

The "Hotel Baron" in Aleppo has witnessed a century of Syrian history and European involvement in the politics of the Middle East. Previous guests have included kings and presidents, writers and spies; now, Kristin Helberg experiences modern comfort combined with the flair of times past
Islam in the Media

Neo-Orientalizing Images

It is a bitter irony that only after 9/11 Western media developed a hitherto unparalleled interest in Islamic culture. But still journalists are struggling with stereotypes. Sonja Hegasy about the pitfalls of journalism dealing with Islam
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