Society
Topics
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Oriental HipThe Triumph of the Shisha
Throughout the Arab world, the water pipe has been a traditional accompaniment to friendly gatherings since the 17th century. Now, the shisha is becoming increasingly popular in German bars and cafes. Ariana Mirza reports from Berlin.
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Baghdad
From The Orient to The Occident and Back
Amal al-Juburi has big plans to revive Baghdad's battered cultural life. The Iraqi national, who sought asylum in Germany in the 90s, plans to open a German school and a center for East-West dialogue.
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Germany
Asylum Seekers Train to Help Others
A pilot project in Germany is training refugees to be "language and culture mediators," with the aim of helping other refugees adjust to their new homeland.
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France
Chirac Seeks Law Banning Headscarf in Schools
The headscarf is a highly controversial issue in France. In order not to burn their fingers on this matter, President Chirac and his government have based their decision to prohibit the Hijab on the countrys secular tradition. Bernhard Schmid reports
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Women in the Police Force
Afghani Policewomen on Tour in Germany
The German Society for Technological Cooperation (GTZ) supports police forces and justice officials in Afghanistan. As a part of this cooperation, seven policewomen and two legal experts had been invited to Germany for an informational tour. Monika Hoegen reports
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Reformist Islam
Adapting to Contemporary Interpretations of Islam
Is Islamic law compatible with democracy and human rights? One of Iran's best-known reformist clerics has an answer to this question – an answer that challenges Islamic orthodoxy. Bahman Nirumand reports on a reformist theologian.
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Muslim Converts
"Less Restricted by the Burden of Tradition"
Converts often practise their new religion with particular zeal; but as they are often less bound to the traditional cultural norms of their religious community, they can also be the source of new, reformist impulses. Ursula Trüper reports from Berlin.
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Middle East
Christian Arab Israeli University Opened
With "Unity within Diversity" as its motto, Mar Elias University now opened in Galilee after four years of intensive planning. The project was initiated by Elias Chacour, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee.
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Headscarf Issue
Prominent Women Protest against Ban
"The decisive thing is not what's on the head, but what's in it," says a group of prominent German women who have launched a campaign against the government's headscarf ban for Muslim teachers.
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Interfaith holiday celebrations
Sugar Festival, St. Nicholas, Noel Baba
While politicians and experts are making urgent calls for a dialogue with Islam, children from Muslim and Christian families are a few steps ahead. They have long been celebrating the holidays together. Babette Braun reports
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Malaysia
Working for Reform
"Sisters in Islam" is a small but effective Malaysian women's rights organisation that uses their knowledge of the Koran to reform the situation of women in Islamic Malysia. Report by Charlotte Wiedemann
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Islam in Europe
The Headscarf Debate à la Française
In France as well as Germany, an argument has been raging in recent months on the wearing of the Muslim headscarf. The French government now plans to bite the bullet and pass a new law by Christmas to ensure the "preservation of secularism".
Most read articles
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Middle East conflict
Shoah and Nakba – two interlinked catastrophes
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The Longest War – 20 years of the "War on Terror"
Afghanistan: Emran Feroz' chronology of a disaster
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Women in Saudi Arabia
Caught in a System of Gender Apartheid
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Sex tourism in Egypt
A bride for the summer
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Interview with Salwa al-Neimi
The Liberation of Erotic Literature
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Interview with Iranian-German author Siba Shakib
"The notion of home is bound up with loss"