Arab world
All topics-
Middle East conflict
Two peoples' experience of displacement
The Israel-Palestine conflict is multilayered and very complex. The greatest problem is that both sides have reason to believe the other wants to destroy them
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Dangerous Instagram?
Iraqi LGBTQ+ community loses safe space
It was always double-edged, but in Iraq, social media was often a comparatively safe place where the local queer community could meet. Recent amendments to Iraqi law are changing all that
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Zakaria Tamer's "Sour Grapes"
Always subversive
Playing with language in his short-short collection "Sour Grapes" – now in English translation – Syrian writer Zakaria Tamer doesn't hesitate to employ the winking humour, quick reversals and archetypes that are a part of his wide appeal
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Saudi Arabia
Women drive the Kingdom's thriving startup scene
A flourishing entrepreneurial scene is transforming the Saudi business world. Startups contribute to the nation's branding efforts and aim to tackle unemployment, as the Gulf state aims to move away from its dependence on oil
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Reform Islam
Transcending the secular-sacred divide
Sherman Jackson's "The Islamic Secular" makes a compelling case for an alternative understanding of 'secular', which is neither outside religion nor a rival to it
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Aziza Brahim's "Mawja"
The voice of Western Sahara
Aziza Brahim's childhood as a Sahrawi refugee in Algeria naturally shaped her music, but as her latest album, "Mawja" shows, while she has not forgotten where she comes from, she has long since tuned her ears to a world beyond the camp perimeters
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A year of war in Sudan
"We haven't lived in dignity for a long time"
In her debut novel "A Mouth Full of Salt", Sudanese author and physician Reem Gaafar tells the intertwined stories of three women who are confronted with injustice. A conversation about responsible writing, role models and the forgotten war in Sudan
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Arab Film Festival in Berlin
Spotlighting Palestinian voices
As the Israel-Hamas war impacts Germany's cultural sector, the organisers of the ALFILM festival fear for the future of their event
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Middle East conflict
Qatar won't be pressured by the West
Criticism by U.S. politicians of the emirate's role in the Middle East conflict have ruffled feathers in Doha. Rulers now say they'll reassess their mediator role between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas – thereby sending a warning to Washington
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Political transition wishful thinking in Libya?
"Dangerous status quo" – UN Special Envoy resigns
After "stubborn resistance" by Libya's major political stakeholders, Abdoulaye Bathily, the UN special envoy for Libya, has resigned. Analysts say his replacement will need to disrupt the "dangerous" status quo
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Iran drone attacks
Why did some Arab countries help Israel?
Some analysts saw the fact that Arab nations helped Israel and the U.S. repel a major Iranian attack as cause for celebration. Countries like Jordan have, however, more complicated motivations for coming to Israel's aid
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Gender equality in Egypt
The impact of empowering women
Egypt's personal status law has always sparked a wide range of reactions within society, particularly when it comes to women's rights