9/11
All topics-
Archaeology in Iraq
Drought reveals Bronze Age city
Extreme drought in Iraq has given German and Kurdish archaeologists the unique chance to examine an ancient Bronze Age city that was hidden beneath the water of a reservoir for decades. Experts believe the ruins could be those of the ancient city of Zachiku. It was a race against the clock to complete work before the city was once again covered by the reservoir's rising water level. By Alexander Freund
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Germany's energy policy and the Middle East
Beware of tunnel vision!
Foresight is needed to turn the tide of German policy. Being independent of Russia must not lead to dependence on authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. By Kristin Helberg
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The Middle East's "Axis of Failure"
Arab autocrats – ruining their own states
In "Die Achse des Scheiterns", Rainer Hermann of Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung explains with refreshing clarity what is currently going wrong in the Arab world. Wolfgang Freund read the book
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Muslims in the West
Can democracy tolerate Muslims at all?
"Muslimaniac" is what political scientist Ozan Zakariya Keskinkilic calls Western society's invention of Muslims as a problem: a shimmering term that mixes social construction and obsession with the passionate, ironic spirit of breaking free from stereotypes. Brilliantly and bitingly, he writes about consistent alienation and paves the way towards rapprochement. Interview by Schayan Riaz
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War in Ukraine and the West
Putin's fight and our illusions
Faced with Russia's war against Ukraine, "the West" is once again getting tangled up in its own propaganda, invoking the threat of a clash of civilisations when it comes to the question as to which side Ukraine belongs. An essay by Stefan Weidner
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Ukraine war
The deep desire to declare a state of emergency
Russia's attack on Ukraine took Germany by surprise. The "end of an era" has shifted the political focus to the military, bringing back stale memories of the Western response to the attacks of 9/11. Essay by Stefan Buchen
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Berlinale 2022: "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush"
The Guantanamo mother
Andreas Dresen's Berlinale film "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush" is the gripping portrayal of a mother determined to get her son released from Guantanamo. By Torsten Landsberg
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America and the War on Terror
Guantanamo's "forever prisoners"
The notorious U.S. prison camp is 20 years old. Over the years, several plans to close it have been rejected. For the detainees, little has changed in the last two decades. Oliver Sallet reports from Guantanamo Bay
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Taliban Afghanistan
Afghan girls attend "secret school"
After coming to power, the Islamist group imposed a ban on girls' education, prompting some Afghans to set up an underground school. Hussain Sirat and Ahmad Hakimi spoke to some of the girls who are determined to continue their studies
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Iraq's Yazidi women
After tragedy, new freedoms and opportunities
Historically Iraq's Yazidi community was isolated, under-resourced and very conservative. Seven years after the "Islamic State" tragedy, the community is more open to the world – and Yazidi women are benefitting. By Cathrin Schaer
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Book review: Nadia Hashimi's "Sparks like Stars"
Reclaiming memories long buried
In "Sparks Like Stars", Nadia Hashimi pulls the reader behind the curtain of modern history to peek backstage at the impact of war and terror on individual lives. Richard Marcus read the book
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The Longest War – 20 years of the "War on Terror"
Afghanistan: Emran Feroz' chronology of a disaster
The "War on Terror" has not only failed in Afghanistan, it has exacerbated insecurity and generated more terrorism. This is the main thrust of journalist Emran Feroz in his book, which was published, appropriately enough, 20 years after the attacks of 11 September 2001 and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan by the USA and NATO. Behnam Said read the book for Qantara.de