Bahrain
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Research project into "spaces of participation"
Hubs of political protest
From Casablanca to Manama, from Cairo to Istanbul: coffee shops, youth clubs mosques and public areas all play an important role in modern protest movements. A research project at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) in Berlin is now taking a closer look at such spaces of resistance and hope. By Jannis Hagmann
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The fight against IS
No alternative to civil and human rights in the Arab world
In the battle against Islamic State, the religious leaders of Islam have failed; the onus is now on secular forces to fight the jihadi terrorists. To this end, the West must support the beleaguered rebels and civil society's campaign for civil and human rights in the Arab world. A commentary by Markus Bickel
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The Bahraini activist Ala'a Shehabi
David versus goliath
The Bahraini economist Ala'a Shehabi has taken up the fight for democracy in her native country. In light of the fact that the repression of activists has increased here over the past three years and that the regime is spending millions on PR, hers is set to be a long, uphill struggle. By Iris Mostegel
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Book review: "Sectarian Gulf" by Toby Matthiesen
Sectarianism instead of revolution
The Gulf states were among the many countries enveloped by the Arab Spring. However, authorities there skilfully managed to play Sunnis and Shias off against each other as a means of dividing the protest movement. Initially, the tactic proved successful, writes Toby Matthiesen in his book "Sectarian Gulf". A review by Jannis Hagmann
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The Bahraini Activist Ala'a Shehabi
"We Are Being Spied On"
The Bahraini activist and blogger Ala'a Shehabi is certain that freedom of the press is unattainable in Bahrain, even within the framework of the national dialogue between the country's opposition and the leadership of the royal family. In an interview with Hisham al-Douriush, she tells how she and her colleagues are subject to surveillance by the Bahraini security apparatus
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Pan-Arab Youth Orchestra
Music to Combat Hopelessness
The world's only pan-Arab youth orchestra met in Berlin to make music together. But the young musicians also discussed the situation in their home countries – politics, hopes and fears. Peter Zimmermann reports
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Testartikel Dachzeile
Testartikel Englisch
Nach einigem Hin und Her haben sich die EU-Staatenlenker in der Nacht endgültig auf die Finanzplanung für die kommenden sieben Jahre geeinigt. Am Schluss hatten Einwände Großbritanniens noch einmal für Wirbel gesorgt.
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Essay by Nawaf Obaid
The Collapsing Arab State
The Arab Spring has toppled some regimes, though not others. But, more important, everywhere in the Arab world – and beyond – it has called into question the viability of the nation-state. An essay by Nawaf Obaid
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Political Crisis in Bahrain
Reformers on the Defensive
Two years after the outbreak of the unsuccessful revolution in Bahrain and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in the Gulf state, protests are continuing unabated. There is no end to the conflict in sight, while Saudi Arabia is setting strict boundaries to the Bahraini King Hamad's reform programme. By Guido Steinberg
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Interview with Maryam al-Khawaja
''Even if the men stop, the women will continue"
In conversation with Azzurra Meringolo, the head of the "Bahrain Center for Human Rights" Maryam al-Khawaja reports on the repression of activists within the Bahrain democracy movement and how the regime is trying to portray the protests as a conflict between ethnic or confessional groups
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Lin Noueihed and Alex Warren on the Arab Spring
Post-revolution Patchwork
In their book The Battle for the Arab Spring: Revolution, Counter-Revolution and the Making of a New Era, Lin Noueihed and Alex Warren show how differently the countries affected by the uprisings of 2011 are developing. They conclude that for a number of reasons, post-Arab Spring democracies will not turn out to be similar to those in the West. Paul Hockenos read the book
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Interview with Tariq Ramadan
A Revolution in Suspense
According to the Islamic intellectual Tariq Ramadan, the revolutions in the Arab world are either unfinished or have not yet reached their goals. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke to him and asked him about the prospects for the popular uprisings and the nature of the protest movements