Society

Mental health and Islam

Bangladeshi mystic fights demons with psychiatry

Evil spirits bedevil the families that seek blessings from an elderly Sufi mystic – but he knows his prayers alone are not enough to soothe their troubled minds
Sufism in Morocco

A cure for extremism?

Morocco's Sufi traditions go back centuries. Now King Mohammed VI is trying to use them to combat extremism. His programme of reforms includes the promotion of Sufi movements and moderate Islamic thinkers. By Marian Brehmer
By Marian Brehmer
Press freedom in Egypt

Renewed crackdown threatens last independent news site

Egyptian authorities have Mada Masr in their sights once again after critical reporting. But the editor of the country's last independent news source is adamant they will continue their work. By Jennifer Holleis
By Jennifer Holleis
Women’s football in Morocco

Jump-starting women's football in the Arab world

The Women's Africa Cup this year in Morocco was a resounding success. The Moroccan team was the first Arab women's football team to qualify for a World Cup. By John Duerden
By John Duerden
Elizabeth II and the Muslims

"To be there for our fellow human-beings"

When she ascended the throne, millions of Muslims still lived under British rule. Later, Elizabeth II appealed for tolerance in a multi-religious society. She was the first British queen to visit a mosque
Islam in Pakistan

The land of the Sufis

No country in the Islamic world is influenced as strongly by the traditions of Sufi culture as Pakistan. Yet the Sufis there have been under attack from Islamic hardliners for years. By Marian Brehmer
By Marian Brehmer
Documentary "The Other Side of the River

Women's liberation in a war zone

The documentary "The Other Side of the River" shows how women in the Kurdish regions of northern Syria fight for their rights under the most difficult conditions. By Aviva Freudmann
By Aviva Freudmann
Climate change in the MENA

Will North Africa's beaches disappear?

The southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea are losing sand faster than almost anywhere else. The ecological and economic damage is immense. The good news is, there are ways to cope. By Cathrin Schaer and Tarak Guizani
By Cathrin Schaer
Rahman Abbas' "Zindeeq"

Who's learning lessons from the Holocaust?

Set in a dystopian future, Rahman Abbas’ new novel “Zindeeq” draws on the Indian author’s worries about recent trends in his home country, where aggressive identity politics have been – and still are – gaining momentum. Almuth Degener read the book
By Almuth Degener
Islamic mysticism

Understanding the Sufis

To understand Islamic mysticism, we must first clear up a number of misconceptions, as Marian Brehmer writes in his essay – part 1 of a new series on Sufism
By Marian Brehmer
Lives swept away

Rescued tourists recount Pakistan flood horror

It was midnight when Yasmin and her family were ordered to urgently evacuate their room at the Honeymoon Hotel, perched above the picturesque ice-blue waters of the Swat river. Swapping the sticky Lahore summer for the cooler climes of the northeastern mountains last week, they became embroiled in one of Pakistan's worst disasters
Ibn Rushd Fund for Freedom of Thought

Ibn Rushd Prize 2022: Religious Freedom

This year's Ibn Rushd Prize, focusing on religious freedom, goes to Nayla Tabbara (Lebanon) and her organisation Adyan Foundation and Saad Salloum (Iraq) with his organisation Masarat.