Society

Interview with Islamic scholar and philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush

"The Sufis were prophets of pluralism"

Islamic scholar and philosopher Abdolkarim Soroush explains how he draws on the work of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi for guidance in his search for a comprehensive approach to religion that doesn't rely solely on rationality and logic, but also on a sense of the other dimension. Interview by Dara Alani
By Dara Alani
Egyptian athlete Manal Rostom

Nike's 'hijab survivor'

Egyptian athlete Manal Rostom made waves in 2015, appearing in a Nike advert wearing a hijab. Having run the Berlin Marathon in September she reveals what inspired her to insist that Nike feature Muslim women in its campaigns. By Elizabeth Shoo and Keith Walker
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Higher education under Assad

Students leave Syria to prove their mettle

The impact of the war on under-funded Syrian universities has been manifold. Yet German education authorities remain unperturbed by the current proliferation of forged Syrian certificates. By Joseph Croitoru
By Joseph Croitoru
Germanyʹs Ahmadiyya community

"Integration is the least of our problems"

Recently some 45,000 Muslims of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat met for their annual peace conference, the so-called "Jalsa Salana". Nermin Ismail attended the meeting of the Islamic reform movement in Karlsruhe
By Nermin Ismail
Youth unemployment in the Arab world

MENA's generation jobless

A lack of jobs and bleak social prospects for young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are undermining the political stability of what is already a deeply troubled region. The problem cannot be solved by simply modernising education and labour markets. By Nassir Djafari
By Nassir Djafari
Women's self-help project "Amal" in Morocco

The single mothers of Marrakesh

Single mothers in Morocco still experience social discrimination today. They upset the traditional image of the nuclear family, although that has long since become outdated. The "Amal" project in Marrakesh supports theses mothers, who are often among the poorest members of society. By Claudia Mende
By Claudia Mende
Interview with extremism researcher Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck

"Being part of a ʹcommunityʹ transcends everything"

Attending this yearʹs Vienna International Christian University, Algerian extremism researcher Dr. Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck, resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, talked to Zahra Nedjabat about the role of women in jihadism, the roots of violent radicalisation and possible antidotes
By Zahra Nedjabat
Mr. Erbil Gentlemanʹs Club

The Kurdish hipsters are in town

The fashion bloggers of "Mr. Erbil Gentlemenʹs Club" from Kurdistan are a worldwide success. They wish to tell the true story of life in their homeland. At the invitation of the German Foreign Office, they came to Berlin for a visit. By Annette Walter
By Annette Walter
More humanity post-Chemnitz

#WirSindMehr: "Hostility is the failure of identity"

Insults, violence, attacks on refugee centres. Is this the answer of an enlightened, democratic society, shaped by human and humane values? Fereshta Ludin, high school teacher and former refugee, calls us all to account
By Fereshta Ludin
Bushra al-Maqtariʹs "Voices from a forgotten war-torn country"

Yemenʹs chronicles of death and destruction untold

Bushra al-Maqtariʹs "What you left behind? Voices from a forgotten war-torn country" is a poignant record of the ongoing war in Yemen, woven with excruciatingly painful accounts of its hapless victims. By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
Egyptʹs generation gap

Not following in their parentsʹ footsteps!

Egyptian young people are rebelling not only against their parents, but against centuries-old social norms. That's perfectly normal. Education today should be based on mutual respect and empathy, says 20-year-old student Engy Ashraf from Alexandria
By Engy Ashraf
Aicha 'Lella Saida' Manoubiya

Tunisia's feminist icon

A free spirit who did not abide by the constraints imposed on women in the thirteenth century, Sufi saint Aicha Manoubiya, known as Saida or Lella Saida, holds a special place in the memories and hearts of the people of Tunis. By Safa Belghith
By Safa Belghith