Gamal Abdel Nasser | Nasserism

Egypt's Muslim Brothers

"Who determines the future of the Brotherhood remains unclear"

Since the military coup in Egypt ten years ago, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's government has cracked down on the country's Muslim Brotherhood. Abdelrahman Ayash talks about the impact of this crisis, and how the organisation has evolved since 2013
Economic crisis in Egypt

Debt on the Nile

For leading economist Yazid Sayegh, the cause of Egypt's current economic and financial crisis lies primarily in the government's policy of excessive borrowing. He also criticises the way German and European politicians handle the Sisi regime. Interview by Mahmoud Hussein
Cairo Conspiracy a.k.a. Boy From Heaven

Al-Azhar, a Catholic monastery...and the Dalai Lama

Palme d’Or winner "Boy from Heaven" is a classic crossover film in which cultural elements are mixed together in haphazard and random fashion. Shady Lewis Botros bemoans the director’s use of various formulaic and cliche-ridden templates dominant in global mass culture
Egypt's real estate frenzy

An "iron curtain" between rich and poor

Egypt’s military regime is tirelessly modernising roads, public transport and industry across the country and erecting a luxurious administrative capital for the upper class. But the construction boom is primarily financed on credit – Cairo is racing headlong into a debt crisis. By Sofian Philip Naceur
Egyptian army and the Muslim Brotherhood

Competitors in common

Sara Tonsy’s latest book "The Egyptian Army and the Muslim Brotherhood: Contemporary Political Power Dynamics" examines the long-standing rivalry between these two highly influential factions. In interview with Tugrul von Mende she focuses on the relationship between them and what it means for Egyptian society
Egypt's food crisis

Wheat from the desert?

The lack of grain supplies from Ukraine is forcing Egypt to act. Now even the Toshka project is being revived to grow grain in the desert. Birgit Svensson travelled to see it
Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria

Between Assad and Erdogan

The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria controls a third of Syria, but is not recognised by anyone. Attacks by Turkey, a threatened takeover by the Assad regime, dealing with tens of thousands of IS supporters and international isolation complicate people's daily lives. Kristin Helberg reports for Qantara.de from Qamishli
Egypt, Alaa Abd El-Fattah and democracy

"You have not yet been defeated"

Alaa Abd el-Fattah, arguably Egypt’s most prominent democracy activist, has just been handed another lengthy prison sentence. Despite this, a book of his writing has recently been published. It reveals the former Tahrir Square activist as a reflective, left-wing intellectual. Jannis Hagmann read the book
Culture and innovation in the Arab world

Where are the new Arab icons?

As the photo of Fairouz talking to French President Emmanuel Macron spread around the world, many asked if Arabs today had any contemporary stars of Fairouz's standing. In this essay for Qantara.de, Khaled Al-Khamissi answers this question and asks whether there is a place for up-and-coming stars in a world that is so hostile to creativity and originality
10 years of revolution

Alaa Al Aswany on Egypt – "The Republic of False Truths"

Ten years ago, Egyptians dreamt of change, they took to the streets against President Mubarak. But their hopes were dashed. A look back and forward with writer Alaa Al Aswany
Book review: Tawfiq al-Hakim’s "Return of the Spirit"

Awaiting the day of resurrection

In 2019, the long-running Penguin Classics series released its first novel translated from Arabic: Tawfiq al-Hakim’s "Return of the Spirit", conveyed into English by William Hutchins. Al-Hakim wrote his popular novel in Paris in 1927 and published it in Cairo six years later, in 1933. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the book
Social utopia on the Nile?

Sisiʹs new breed of Egyptians

According to the Egyptian government, Egypt is once again experiencing a great civilizational awakening. A campaign aimed at producing a new multicultural identity has been launched, but the progressive slogans mask a more sinister agenda. By Joseph Croitoru