Society

The #siirsokakta movement in Turkey

The poem is on the street

In the wake of the Gezi protests – and through interaction with social media – a movement arose in Turkey that inspired people to write, spray and scrawl snippets of poetry on all kinds of surfaces in public spaces. It became a vibrant part of literary life in Turkey. By Achim Wagner
By Achim Wagner
Media portrayals and geopolitics in the Near and Middle East

Who shapes our image of the world?

In this commentary, Charlotte Wiedemann considers how press freedom and the media are tethered to Western geopolitics
By Charlotte Wiedemann
Interview with Shirin Ebadi

Time for a human rights deal in Iran

Following the recent nuclear agreement, Iranians are hoping not only for a boost to their country's economy, but also for improved rights. In this interview, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi explains why the time has come for the West to focus on the human rights situation in Iran. By Sharam Ahadi and Mitra Shodjaie
By Shahram Ahadi, Mitra Shodjaie
Syrian refugee protest in Germany

"We have to save the lives of our wives and children"

Although Syrian refugees have been promised a speedy asylum process in Germany, some have been in limbo for as long as eight months. Fed up with waiting, a group of Syrians has organised a protest camp in Dortmund. By Janina Semenova
By Janina Semenova
The IS manifesto for women

Baiting the jihadi brides

It is not only men who are joining the ranks of "Islamic State", women are too. Many are being encouraged to do so by the manifesto of the IS women's brigade al-Khansaa, which has been translated into English and German. Primarily aimed at Muslim women with limited education, the IS ideal is not very far removed from role models that prevailed in conservative social strata in the West until well into the twentieth century. By Stefan Weidner
By Stefan Weidner
Abla Fahita: an Egyptian media phenomenon

The taboo-challenging puppet

The TV puppet Abla Fahita is causing a furore in Egypt. On her new show, "Live from the Duplex", she frequently and unashamedly addresses taboo topics – a fact that divides opinion in Egyptian society. Elisabeth Lehmann reports from Cairo
By Elisabeth Lehmann
The Virtual Iftar Project

"It is harder to ignore, vilify or harm those with whom we have broken bread"

The Virtual Dinner Guest Project is an international multimedia initiative that brings people across various cultures together at the dinner table. Breaking bread and barriers in one go, this platform launched the Virtual Iftar Project across Europe during the month of Ramadan, which has just ended. Roma Rajpal Weiß spoke to the project founder, Eric Maddox, about the project and about cultural tension between Muslims and non-Muslims
By Roma Rajpal Weiss
Abducted civilians in Egypt

The disappeared

Again and again, one hears reports of young people simply disappearing in Egypt when out on the street, at university or out for dinner with friends. Esraa el-Taweel is one of them. After a protracted search, her family finally tracked her down in a Cairo prison. Elisa Rheinheimer-Chabbi has the details
By Elisa Rheinheimer
Interview with author and essayist Pankaj Mishra

"Secularisation has really created a void of understanding"

Societies around the world are in turmoil, with religious and social groups pitted against each other in many countries. Examples include the Arab Spring, social revolt against oppressive regimes, the rise of IS, the call from some in Europe for Islam to reform, and the emergence of right-wing movements such as Pegida. Julis Koch spoke to Indian author and essayist Pankaj Mishra about the root causes of this tension and lack of understanding
By Julis Koch
Young women and start-ups in Gaza

Getting down to business

Twelve months ago, Gaza was mired in a conflict that left 2,251 Palestinians dead and more than 100,000 homeless. The economy of the Gaza Strip has not even begun to make a recovery. Despite this bleak outlook, some young people – and some young women in particular – refuse to give in and are looking to launch start-up companies. By Ylenia Gostoli
By Ylenia Gostoli
Curriculum initiative by British Muslims

Using religion to fight terrorism

On the initiative of the Islamic scholar Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, British Muslims have introduced an "anti-terror curriculum" designed to supply Muslim clerics with arguments against the misuse of theological arguments by terrorist organisations such as IS. By Stefan Weidner
By Stefan Weidner
Christian minorities in Iran

Iran's persecuted converts

The Iranian-American woman Naghme Abedini has been fighting for her husband's release from an Iranian jail for some time now. He is a Christian convert accused of founding "underground churches" in the Islamic Republic – institutions that are growing ever more popular in Iran. By Thomas Latschan
By Thomas Latschan