Society

Iraq's clean-up ambassadors

Tigris makeover as first green projects take root

In Iraq – which has suffered four decades of conflict and years of political and economic turmoil – separating and recycling waste has yet to become a priority for most people. Garbage clogs the banks of Iraq's Tigris River in Baghdad, but an army of young volunteers is cleaning it, a rare environmental project in the war-battered country
Kashmir conflict

"An entire people is traumatised"

Twenty-eight-year-old photojournalist Masrat Zahra documents the situation in India-administered Kashmir with her camera. In this interview with Elisa Rheinheimer, she talks about life in a state of emergency, conservative Kashmiri society and her own family's reservations about what she does
By Elisa Rheinheimer
Middle East

Ukraine overshadows Ramadan 2022

Ahead of Ramadan, most Middle Eastern countries have eased restrictions to near pre-pandemic times. However, increases in prices and food shortages due to the war in Ukraine are casting new shadows on the Holy Month. Jennifer Holleis reports
By Jennifer Holleis
Jewish Diplomatic Corps visits UAE

"Our preconceptions are at odds with reality"

Hamburg lawyer Eugen Balin is a member of the World Jewish Congress' Jewish Diplomatic Corps. At the end of 2021, a delegation of the Corps visited the United Arab Emirates, which established full diplomatic relations with Israel in the summer of 2020. Interview by Christoph Strack
By Christoph Strack
Muslimas on Instagram

The many ways to tie a headscarf

Some German women who’ve converted to Islam are choosing to maintain a public presence on social media such as Instagram, under names such as "Hijabi on Tinder“. In doing so, they’re fending off the cliches and the hate – no matter where it comes from. Julia Ley reports
By Julia Ley
Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia

Grand Prix of double standards

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix raises questions as to how seriously Formula 1 really takes its commitment to respecting human rights. The criticism might be loud, but the financial incentives are irresistible. By Andreas Sten-Ziemons
By Andreas Sten-Ziemons
Ukraine war and the Gulf

UAE – safe haven for sanction-dodging Russians

It's sunny and politically stable, there is little financial transparency and it's easy enough to invest in a business or property and get a residency visa in return, writes Cathrin Schaer
By Cathrin Schaer
Cat capital Istanbul

What to do about Turkey's strays?

Turkey is well-known for its stray cats and dogs. They have found a place in society over many years. But recent incidents and decisions indicate they could become new targets in an increasingly polarised country. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
By Ayşe Karabat
Ukraine conflict

Will Arab oil save the world from soaring prices?

Sanctions on Russia won't work unless the world reduces its use of Russian oil and gas. But it's difficult to do this without also increasing prices. Middle Eastern oil producers could help. But do they want to? Cathrin Schaer reports
By Cathrin Schaer
Syrians and the Ukraine war

"We share a similar suffering"

Syrian opposition activists say they know what it's like to go up against the Russian military. Some experts think things may have turned out differently in Ukraine if the West had stood up to the Kremlin over Syria. By Diana Hodali
By Diana Hodali
Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon

Sentenced for a selfie: police target LGBTQ+ phones

An in-depth study of court files has found that police forces in Tunisia, Egypt, and Lebanon are increasingly relying on digital tools to identify, entrap and prosecute LGBTQ+ people – thus "intensifying anti-queer surveillance". The study reveals the extent that the safety of LGBQT+ people in the Middle East can be compromised by their digital footprint
Muslims in the West

Can democracy tolerate Muslims at all?

"Muslimaniac" is what political scientist Ozan Zakariya Keskinkilic calls Western society's invention of Muslims as a problem: a shimmering term that mixes social construction and obsession with the passionate, ironic spirit of breaking free from stereotypes. Brilliantly and bitingly, he writes about consistent alienation and paves the way towards rapprochement. Interview by Schayan Riaz
By Schayan Riaz