Society

Obituary: Egyptian LGBTQ activist Sarah Hegazy

"How can I survive in a society based on hate?"

In 2017, Sarah Hegazy was arrested in Cairo for displaying a rainbow flag, the symbol for homosexuality and queerness, at a concert. The activist recently took her own life in Canada. By Christopher Resch
By Christopher Resch
Coronavirus fallout

Tunisia post-lockdown – should we stay or should we go?

Now that the COVID-19 crisis in Tunisia has abated, the government has lifted almost all restrictions. But the social consequences of the lockdown are still hitting the country hard. While social protests and strikes put pressure on the government, an increasing number of people are starting to see escape to Italy as the only way out. Sofian Philip Naceur reports from Tunis
By Sofian Philip Naceur
Islamic State on trial

Prosecuting IS returnees in Germany takes the law's longest arm

An increasing number of Islamic State returnees are standing trial in Germany, including female supporters of the terror group. To make their case, federal prosecutors are relying on international criminal law. By Matthias von Hein
By Matthias von Hein
Review of Leor Halevi's "Modern Things on Trial"

Bottom-up fatwas – Rashid Rida and laissez-faire Salafism

Leor Halevi’s latest work examines how Muhammad Rashid Rida with his pro-capitalist and open-market fatwas promoted a version of "laissez-faire Salafism" at the turn of the 20th century. Muhammed Nafih Wafy read the book
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
Human rights and civil society in North Africa

Tunisia joins George Floyd protests to say 'no' to racism

Tunisians rallied on Saturday in support to the Black Lives Matter movement, decrying anti-black racism and raising awareness about racial discrimination in the North African country. Alessandra Bajec reports from Tunis
By Alessandra Bajec
COVID-19 pandemic

Afghans fear a belated coronavirus wave

According to official figures, Afghanistan has so far not been affected by the corona pandemic to the same extent as its neighbour Iran. But deficits such as a lack of testing capacity are giving rise to fears of worse to come. Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi reports
By Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
Non-fiction: Ulrike Freitag's "A History of Jeddah"

The legacy of Jeddah's migration history lives on

Jeddah is very different from other cities on the Arabian Peninsula, says Ulrike Freitag, historian of the Modern Middle East. In her book "A History of Jeddah", she explores the turbulent history of this former Ottoman port city, which has been uniquely shaped by trade and pilgrimage. Jannis Hagmann spoke to her about the city and the book
By Jannis Hagmann
The instrumentalisation of religion

What do Donald Trump and Pakistani imams have in common?

Using religion as a prop to entrench power, Donald Trump and Pakistani clerics share the kind of opportunism and worldview that serves their short-term interests – irrespective of the cost to human life.
By James M. Dorsey, Tehmina Qureshi
COVID-19 and religion in the Middle East

Mosques re-open in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem amid virus woes

There were signs of a return to something akin to normality at the weekend as mosques in Saudi Arabia and the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem re-opened for the first time since COVID-19 struck in mid-March. Whether Muslims can look forward to the hajj this year is another matter
By Aya Batrawy
Municipal administration for beginners

Local authorities in Germany offer traineeships to Syrians

Twenty-five Syrian refugees were accepted onto a one-year trainee programme in municipal administration with seven German local authorities. As it turns out, the Syrians were not the only ones to benefit. Claudia Mende reports
By Claudia Mende
The Istanbul Convention and women's protection

Bombing the heart of the family in Turkey?

Turkey signed up to the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention, which aims to protect women from violence. Conservative forces in the country, however, are calling for Turkey's immediate withdrawal, claiming the traditional family is in danger. By Pelin Unker and Daniel Derya Bellut
By Pelin Ünker, Daniel Derya Bellut
Non-fiction: Kubra Gumusay's "Sprache und Sein"

Beyond the linguistic pigeonhole

In "Sprache und Sein" (Language and Being) the activist Kubra Gumusay critically examines the function of language – the narratives that reflect and determine the realities of human coexistence, which classify and empower individuals while also curtailing their rights. It is all about privilege, stereotypes and exclusion. By Melanie Christina Mohr
By Melanie Christina Mohr