Society

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.
One year of Taliban rule

How life has changed for Afghans

On 15 August 2021 the Taliban overthrew the government in Afghanistan and seized power. One year later, the country is facing multiple challenges that demand immediate global attention. Ahmad Hakimi reports
By Ahmad Hakimi
Climate change in Bangladesh

The end of the line for climate migrants in Dhaka

Global warming is driving domestic migration in Bangladesh, which sits just above sea level. With a population of 160 million, it is the most densely populated nation in the world. Former fisherman Jahangir Alam, now a rickshaw driver in Dhaka, is one of a huge number of people who are fighting for their very existence. By Dominik Muller
By Dominik Müller
Women and Islamic studies

Annemarie Schimmel’s pioneering take on Islam

This year Annemarie Schimmel, the great German scholar of Islamic studies, would have turned 100. Unique within the German and international academic community of her time, Schimmel’s pioneering work was characterised by a love of Islam. A tribute by Stefan Weidner
By Stefan Weidner
Pakistan

Climate crisis impacts Pakistani cotton industry

Pakistan is one of the world’s five major cotton-growing countries. Production has, however, been dwindling in recent years. Global warming is one of the reasons. Experts are currently working on how to rise to the challenges. Imran Mukhtar reports
By Imran Mukhtar
Tourism in North Africa

Tentative recovery, or too little, too late?

Tourists have been returning to Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. But, given the global uncertainty caused by the Ukraine war, will the comeback be enough to save a struggling sector, revive lost jobs and avoid unrest? Cathrin Schaer and Mohammed Magdy report
By Cathrin Schaer, Mohammed Magdy
The Pikala Bikes initiative in Morocco

More mobility, more confidence, more freedom

In Morocco, the bicycle is considered a poor man's means of transport. What's more, cycling tends to be a male-only affair. The Pikala bike initiative in Marrakesh seeks to change all this. By Marian Brehmer
By Marian Brehmer
Rizwaan Sabir's "The Suspect"

Muslims post-9/11 subject to blanket targeting

"The Suspect" by criminology lecturer Rizwaan Sabir is the harrowing account of the author's own experiences at the hands of the UK's counterintelligence agencies. At the same time, the book is a carefully researched analysis of how the Muslim community was targeted by those supposedly working to protect society. Richard Marcus read the book
By Richard Marcus
Health and ageing

Middle East and North Africa unprepared for coming dementia epidemic

By 2050, the Middle East and North Africa could be dealing with many more elderly people suffering from dementia. A lack of facilities, specialists and local knowledge means the region is woefully underprepared. By Cathrin Schaer, Tarak Guizani and Mohammed Magdy
By Cathrin Schaer, Tarak Guizani