Most recent articles by Marian Brehmer
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Obituary: Turkish photographer Ara GulerChronicler of a bygone age
Turkey's most famous photographer, Ara Guler, has died in Istanbul at the age of 90. With his images of both the people and places of the Turkish capital, Guler has done more than any other to keep the memory of the city as it used to look alive. By Marian Brehmer
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The Sulha Peace ProjectListening for peace
Yoav Peck is director of the Sulha Peace Project, an organisation that specialises in facilitating positive, peaceful encounters between Israelis and Palestinians where the focus is on listening – truly listening – to each other. Marian Brehmer spoke to him about the project
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Historical photographs of IranInto the heart of Shia
Shia Islam is largely unknown to many people in the West. But pictures by the German photographer Hans Georg Berger taken in the centres of Shia Islam afford an unusually deep insight. By Mariam Brehmer
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"Syrien – ein Land ohne Krieg"Syria, as it once was
Many people now only associate Syria with war. In an attempt to counteract these associations, photographer Lutz Jakel and journalist Lamya Kaddor have put together a book of photography from pre-war Syria. By Marian Brehmer
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Documentary: "Muezzin" by Sebastian BrameshuberTurkey's "Idol" for prayer callers
The documentary "Muezzin" by Austrian film director Sebastian Brameshuber gives viewers an inside look at the world of Turkish prayer-callers. A review by Marian Brehmer
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Pashtun freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar KhanIslam's forgotten "Gandhi"
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was the founder of the world’s first professional non-violent army. Here in the West, the Islamic Gandhi is little known – but today his legacy is more relevant than ever. A portrait of the Pashtun "Badshah Khan" by Marian Brehmer
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Sufism and BollywoodA glittering antidote
Bollywood pop songs are currently fostering an Indian Sufi revival. Adored by millions, the music, spearheaded by A. R. Rahman, promotes a message of love and tolerance in the tradition of the Islamic mystics. By Marian Brehmer
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The Silk Road Ensemble"The Music of Strangers": A quest for perfect harmony
The Silk Road Ensemble has been a leading force on the cross-cultural world music scene for almost twenty years. A new documentary – ″The Music of Strangers″ – tells the story of the project. By Marian Brehmer
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″Touba″ – a film documentaryPilgrimage to Sheikh Bamba
Director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi's documentary film "Touba" is a chronicle of the largest Sufi pilgrimage in sub-Saharan Africa. A review by Marian Brehmer
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French philosopher Henry CorbinWherever the spirit guides
Henry Corbin, theologian and professor in Islamic Studies at the Sorbonne, is widely regarded as the West′s authority on Persian philosophy. Despite having died in 1978, he is not only revered in modern-day Iran, he has also been appropriated. By Marian Brehmer
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Sufis targeted in PakistanThe dance goes on
The attack on the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in the Pakistani city of Sehwan struck the country's mystics at the heart of their religious practice. Like no other holy site in Pakistan, the shrine is a symbol of the religious pluralism that is deeply rooted in this nation. By Marian Brehmer
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"The Pearl of Dari" by Zuzanna OlszewskaTreasuring their common Persian heritage
A book about young Afghan poets in exile casts a new perspective on Afghans in Iran. Marian Brehmer read the Oxford anthropologist Zuzanna Olszewska′s study