Society

Cologne and sexualised violence worldwide

The groper in my home

Penning yet another article on Cologne can only make you unpopular. But our writer Elisabeth Lehmann has nevertheless given it a shot: her partner is "North African"
By Elisabeth Lehmann
Integration in Germany

On the right track - one refugee's story

Alaa Houd has been through a lot. Fleeing Syria, he survived the hazardous Aegean crossing and an odyssey through German refugee hostels along the way. Distress and anguish about the wife and child left behind in his war-torn homeland were his constant companions. Now, finally, he has a new home in Bonn. By Sebastian Schug
By Sebastian Schug
CrossCulture Programme celebrates ten years

Global ambassadors

For the past ten years, young professionals from Islamic countries and from Germany have been able to immerse themselves in a foreign culture for three months as part of a internship programme run by the Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa). The programme has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. By Fabian Pianka
By Fabian Pianka
Cologne: New Year's Eve mob

Thinly veiled racism

Our outrage over the sexist Muslim male reveals a need to feel superior. It expresses a brand of cultural chauvinism that co-opts feminism as a means of diverting attention from its own sexist and racist shortcomings. A contribution by Khola Maryam Hübsch
By Khola Maryam Hübsch
Afghan refugees in Iran

On the fringes of society

Many refugees currently knocking on Europe′s doors come from Afghanistan. Most of them, however, no longer know their homeland because they are second generation refugees who have grown up in neighbouring Iran. Ghasem Toulany on the situation of Afghan refugees in the Islamic Republic
By Ghasem Toulany
New Year′s Eve assaults on women

The Cologne outcry

The perpetrators involved in the attacks in Cologne, Dusseldorf and Hamburg must be brought to book, regardless of their origins. Those using the suffering of the New Year′s Eve victims to foment popular prejudice against individuals who have fled inhumane suffering, however, compromise their own humanity. An essay by Raphael Sartorius
By Raphael Sartorius
Sexual assaults at Cologne′s main station

#KoelnHbf – An attack on my freedom

The sex attacks at Cologne's main railway terminal are intolerable, regardless of where the perpetrators come from. An outcry is essential (#aufschrei). It is not acceptable that women in Germany become a target. Commentary by Sarah Judith Hofmann
By Sarah Judith Hofmann
Cologne: sexual assaults and the press code

Outrage reaches new heights

Reports on the sexual attacks on New Year's Eve in Cologne have intentionally emphasised the ethnic origins of the offenders. With what reason? A commentary by Daniel Bax
By Daniel Bax
Human rights violations in Morocco

City of roses, city of torture

The case of the Belgian-Moroccan national Ali Aarrass shines a spotlight on persistent human rights violations and the existence of torture prisons in Morocco. While the monarchy remains silent, the public deliberately looks the other way. By Susanne Kaiser
By Susanne Kaiser
Atheism in Egypt

Breaking the taboo

Atheists claim to hold no religious beliefs whatsoever: though some find that hard to accept, freedom of speech dictates that everyone should be entitled to express their ideas and thoughts without intimidation. Challenging religious oppression and outdated social mores, many Egyptians risk their lives to uphold and protect freedom and tolerance. By Hakim Khatib
By Hakim Khatib
Women and Islam

On Muslim women and the Islamic dress code

The assumption that God demands submission can mislead women and turn conflicts of conscience into desperation. After all, it is women who are cheated out of their life before death by the social limitations associated with covering their heads and bodies. An essay by Emel Zeynelabidin
By Emel Zeynelabidin
Druze conscription

Youth reject ″sectarian″ recruitment to the Israeli army

Conscientious objection among the Druze community is gathering support, particularly among the young men who are expected to serve in the Israeli army. One organisation that seeks to support those fighting the call to join up is ″Urfod″ or ″Refuse: your people will protect you”. Ylenia Gostoli examines the issues confronting the religious minority
By Ylenia Gostoli