Society

Culture in Germany

The politics of neutrality

This year’s Berlinale highlighted the tensions between art and supposedly neutral institutions. But state-funded cultural bodies don't operate outside politics; they set the terms of debate. Greater transparency about how boundaries are drawn could strengthen trust.
By Sayed Jalal Shajjan
Damascus book fair

A new benchmark for freedom

Syria has held its first book fair since the fall of Assad. The landmark event sets a new standard against which the government and its cultural policy will be judged.
By Stefan Weidner
Research on Jew-hatred in Germany

"Antisemitism cannot be deported"

The concept of "imported antisemitism" is widespread in German politics but remains poorly researched. A new study provides nuance, context and data on antisemitism among both migrants and non-migrants. An interview with co-author Neta‑Paulina Wagner.
By Judith Poppe
Traumatic mutism

Gaza's silent children

Two years of war have left deep scars in Gaza. Some children have lost the ability to speak as a result of trauma. A team of psychologists is using new technology to help them find their voices again.
By Doaa Shaheen
Education in Syria

Returning pupils face language barrier

Eleven-year-old Ali spent six years in Germany. Now back in Syria, he is struggling with Arabic, his native language, as the new government appears overwhelmed by the task of reintegrating returning schoolchildren.
By Huda al-Kulaib
Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi

"Intersectional long before the term was coined"

A seminal feminist text by Nawal El Saadawi has been translated into English and German for the first time, over five decades after it first appeared in Arabic. Publisher and translator Sophie Haesen explains why it should be essential reading worldwide.
By Amany Alsiefy
War crimes in Syria

The starvation of Yarmouk on trial

A new trial of Syrian war crimes suspects has opened in Koblenz, Germany. It's the first since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the first ever to charge starvation as a war crime.
By Hannah El-Hitami
Child labour in Egypt

New regulations won't end poverty

Whether in supermarkets, workshops or factories, child labour is ubiquitous in Egypt. A new law aims to curb it, but labour laws alone will not solve the structural problems that drive children to work.
By Rehab Eliawa
Islah Hassniyyeh

Gaza's feminist legal pioneer

Islah Hassniyyeh was the first woman to open a law firm in Gaza. In September, she died under Israeli blockade in Gaza City. A portrait of a trailblazing lawyer and lifelong advocate for women's rights in Palestine.
By Riham Halaseh
Syrian reconstruction

"Debris isn't waste"

Concrete, brick, steel: Aref al-Swaidani wants to rebuild Syria from its ruins. In Weimar he’s conducting research on recycling building materials.
By Aref al-Swaidani
"Nostra Aetate" at 60

A landmark for Muslim-Christian understanding

Six decades on, the message of mutual respect between faiths, enshrined in the Catholic Church's "Nostra Aetate", feels as urgent as ever. It's a reminder that dialogue is not naïve, but necessary.
By Zeyneb Sayılgan
Islamic education in Germany

Under constant scrutiny

Islamic religious education is neither a threat to democracy nor a cure-all. What dedicated teachers really need is recognition of their role.
By Raida Chbib