Society

Reform Islam

Transcending the secular-sacred divide

Sherman Jackson's "The Islamic Secular" makes a compelling case for an alternative understanding of 'secular', which is neither outside religion nor a rival to it
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
Germany and the Gaza war

Jewish and Muslim communities search for solidarity

Six months of Israeli retaliation in Gaza for the October 7 Hamas terror attacks have put Jewish-Muslim relations in particular peril. Germany's hypersensitivity to anti-Semitism adds an extra layer of difficulty
By William Noah Glucroft
Middle East conflict

Life in Palestine before the Nakba

"Against Erasure" documents the diversity of life in Palestine before the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948, building a solid foundation for sorely needed, well-grounded discourse on the Middle East
By Jan Altaner
Middle East debate in Germany

The bell of Gaza

With its fossilised premise of "raison d'etat" Germany is damaging itself. It is time for change – for constructive partnership in a concerted effort to overcome the Israeli-Palestinian catastrophe
By Charlotte Wiedemann
Medical tourism trend

Turkey's plastic surgery boom

Ever more people are visiting Turkey from abroad for nose jobs, hair transplants and similar procedures. Prices are low, but what are the risks?
By Elmas Topcu und Aynur Tekin
Migration and the white majority

Racism can make you sick

If you've experienced racial discrimination, you'll know how it feels. Racism can cause high blood pressure, excess weight and mental health problems
By Julia Vergin
Hamas attacks on Israel

Six months of grief and anger

While support for Israel's war in Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 30,000 Palestinians, remains high among Jewish Israelis, the government is also under pressure to get the remaining hostages back
By Tania Kraemer
Islam in Germany

Muslims in the German military set to get their own chaplaincy

Soldiers of the Islamic faith in Germany's armed forces have long lacked the pastoral care available to their Christian and Jewish counterparts. What was once seen as politically impossible is about to change.
By Christoph Strack
Imams from Germany

"The idea of a German Islam isn't all that strange"

Ender Çetin is one of the first imams to have been trained in Germany. Are these imams the bridge-builders Germany needs right now?
By Teseo La Marca
Climate change in Iraq

When the water buffalo die

Iraq is one of the nations hardest hit by climate change. But the 'land between the two rivers' isn't just drying out, it's also battling groundwater contamination as a result of oil production
By Birgit Svensson
Lebanon's Tripoli

Old wounds and new problems on "Syria Street"

Syria Street in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, was a microcosm of the Syrian Civil War for many years. Nowadays, a fragile calm hides the complexities of Lebanon's past and the resilience of its people
By Diana Hodali
Islam's holy month

Why more non-Muslims are taking part in Ramadan

Ramadan's observance is widespread in the Middle East, often involving non-Muslims in the region's celebrations. In Christian-majority countries, participation has been less common, but this trend is starting to shift
By Cathrin Schaer & Mohammed Farhan