Society

Interview with Islamic reformer Mustafa Akyol

"Islam needs its own enlightenment"

Turkish author and journalist Mustafa Akyol is one of the foremost pioneers of an Islam reconciled with modernity. Musa Bagrac spoke with Akyol for Qantara.de about his new book "Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance" and the chances for Islamic reform
By Musa Bagrac
Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis

Can the Taliban avert a food crisis without foreign aid?

In view of the catastrophic supply situation in Afghanistan, UN authorities are sounding the alarm. Inflation and growing poverty are exacerbating the situation. The Taliban reportedly have an emergency programme to combat the crisis. By Shabnam von Hein
By Shabnam von Hein
Greening tourism in the Arab world

E-buggies replace horse carts at Jordan's Petra

Horses and mules have long drawn tourist carriages through Jordan's ancient city of Petra, but animal rights concerns are driving a project to start replacing them with electric vehicles.
Interfaith dialogue

Religions responsible for helping create a better world

People these days are seeking orientation in a rapidly changing world. In response, all religions – each unique in their customs and traditions – need to pull together, says Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt
By Pinchas Goldschmidt
In profile: West Bank Hope Flowers School principal Ibrahim Issa

"We are educating for the well-being of humanity"

Ibrahim Issa runs an extraordinary school where he prepares Palestinian students for a future of peace. It isn't what he originally planned to do with his life, but as things turned out, Hope Flowers is exactly where he was needed. By Judith Poppe
By Judith Poppe
Femicide in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan activists sound alarm over femicide wave

Activists in Azerbaijan have been urging the country's government to ratify the 2011 Istanbul Convention – a landmark international agreement aimed at preventing domestic violence – for years. Baku has yet to act, however. Meanwhile the number of women dying at the hands of their partners continues to rise
"Eternal" wine revives Assyrian culture in Turkey

Assyrian merchant Yuhanna Aktas no longer has to hide from villagers in his conservative corner of southern Turkey that the grapes they harvest are destined to become wine.
Discrimination against black people in the MENA region

Not just a Western problem

Racism exists in the Arab world. People with dark skin are discriminated against and often see their rights curtailed. Activists have had enough of such treatment and are starting to rise up. The greatest progress has been made in Tunisia. By Mona Naggar
By Mona Naggar
Canada's Islamic History Month 2021

Fighting "othering" on all fronts

Ever since a 2007 decree by the Canadian parliament, October has been celebrated as the country's Islamic History Month. Four weeks of events across the country highlight the significant role Muslims play in Canadian society and their extraordinary contribution to world culture. By Richard Marcus
By Richard Marcus
Sex education in the Arab world

Let's talk about sex, habibi!

Sex education – taboo in the Middle East. Or is it? Thanks to social media, millions these days are daring to ask everything about "it". Jennifer Holleis has the details
By Jennifer Holleis
Freedom of the press in Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan tightens the media thumbscrews

Critics are in for a rough ride: in future, opposition media in Turkey that receives funding from abroad will have to disclose all sources of income. Journalists' associations fear a further attack on press freedoms. By Hilal Koylu
By Hilal Köylü
Prostitution in the Islamic Republic of Iran

Open-minded, loving... and desperate

How did the Islamic revolutionaries deal with prostitution and sex workers in Iran, and how does the business of sex work in Iran today? Have supply and demand changed four decades after the ayatollahs came to power? By Nasrin Bassiri
By Nasrin Bassiri