Society

Islam and eroticism

Let′s talk about sex, Ali

Religion is often regarded as prudish and anti-pleasure. Ali Ghandour (32), an academic at the University of Munster, sees it differently – and has written a book about sex and the erotic from the perspective of Muslim scholars. Interview by Lukas Wiesenhutter
By Lukas Wiesenhutter
German mini-series: ″Mitten in Deutschland: NSU″

Don't look the other way!

The NSU neo-Nazi terrorist trial barely makes the headlines anymore. A German TV miniseries on their alleged murders also met with little interest. Sarah Judith Hofmann wonders whether Germans are even interested in the case being solved
By Sarah Judith Hofmann
"Aleppo Evil" spreading in Syria

A plague of parasites

The "Aleppo Evil" is spreading rapidly in Syria – an infectious disease spread by sandflies, insects for which the rubble of destroyed cities offers the perfect breeding ground. And once again, the West is looking the other way. By Stefan Buchen
By Stefan Buchen
Palmyra post-IS

A pawn in Assad's game

For Palmyra, Assad is just as bad as IS. Completely rebuilding Palmyra's destroyed cultural treasures would turn it into a kind of Disneyland, says archaeologist Annie Sartre-Fauriat. Interview by Sabine Oelze
By Sabine Oelze
Cultural rapprochement with Iran

Laden with promise

Following the historic Iran nuclear deal that was clinched in Vienna in July 2015 and the subsequent lifting of sanctions against Iran in mid-January 2016, Germany and Iran are now looking for ways to stimulate cultural dialogue and exchange between the two countries. Dorothea Grassmann talks to Ali Fathollah-Nejad
By Dorothea Grassmann
Interview with the social scientist Edit Schlaffer

Mothers Schools challenge extremism

The Austrian "Mothers Schools" programme aims to prevent the recruitment of potential jihadists. Edit Schlaffer, founder of the organisation "Women without Borders", has spent the last ten years researching the root causes of Islamist radicalisation. Her core finding: mothers play a key role. Interview by Iris Mostegel
By Iris Mostegel
Islamic theology in Germany

Mission accomplished?

Rarely does interest in a subject grow so fast. Introduced as a course of study at German universities just five years ago, Islamic theology is now being taught to 1,800 students at five centres around the country. Arnfrid Schenk takes stock
By Arnfried Schenk
Racial profiling in the US

Muslim bashing: the new American norm

In the wake of the Brussels attacks, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump yet again repeated his call for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States of America. With ABC News primary exit polls on 15 March revealing that two-thirds of Republican voters feel Muslims would be better off elsewhere, the current tide of anti-Muslim sentiment has yet to turn. By Joseph Mayton
By Joseph Mayton
Interview with the Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa

The reinvention of Islam

Concepts like apostasy or blasphemy reveal that Islamic theology is caught in a mode of imperial Islamic political thinking, says US-based scholar Ebrahim Moosa. What is needed is a process of critical appraisal. Moosa asks that Muslims rediscover the great lessons of diversity in their history rather than following the reductionist versions that masquerade as Muslim theology today. Interview by Claudia Mende
By Claudia Mende
Democracy and civil society in the Arab world

Talk is not a crime

With the violent radicalism and civil wars of the Middle East and North Africa capturing the world′s attention, the region′s grossly distorted legal systems are being given short shrift. Yet problematic laws like those criminalising defamation, which facilitate political and economic repression, undermine development – and destroy lives. By Daoud Kuttab
By Daoud Kuttab
″Afro-Iran″ photo book

The Persian Gulf′s forgotten minority

For a long time, little was known about the Afro-Iranian minority in the Persian Gulf. German-Iranian photographer Mahdi Ehsaei has been documenting their lives in portraits – Marian Brehmer presents his book
By Marian Brehmer
Murdered Italian student in Egypt

Disgraceful accusations

The murder of the Italian postgraduate and journalist, Giulio Regeni, in Cairo in February triggered a wave of international shock and protest. Claims that Regeni’s supervisors bear responsibility for sending him into danger are outrageous, writes the French Lebanese political scientist Gilbert Achcar
By Gilbert Achcar