History of the Near and Middle East
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"Fighting the Flow" by Algerian author Saïd KhatibiThe weight of colonial memory
Saïd Khatibi's "Fighting the Flow" explores French colonialism's violent legacy in Algerian society after the War of Liberation. The novel poses the question: can individuals liberate themselves from their past?
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Bushra Khalfan's "Dilshad"Three generations of Omani history
Bushra Khalfan's award-winning "Dilshad" traces the story of one family through 20th-century Oman, shedding light on the untold stories of marginalised women and their fight for agency.
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A new phase in the Middle East conflictHistory and the war on Gaza
According to the Palestinian-American historian Rashid Khalidi, the Middle East conflict and the war in Gaza are in many ways a consequence of imperial interventions. “Resolution can only be based on dismantling entrenched structures of supremacy and discrimination”, he asserts. Only in this way a two-state solution can be realised.
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What is anti-Semitism?How do you differentiate?
A new anthology sheds light on the various forms of anti-Semitism and the academic debate surrounding it in the light of current controversial debates
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Germany, the Holocaust and colonialismControversy over 'culture of remembrance' reform
Germany's coalition government wants to expand its remembrance culture to include the country's colonial history. Initial proposals have been met with criticism, in particular from heads of Holocaust memorial sites
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The quagmire of historical responsibilityGermany's misguided fight against anti-Semitism
Assessing Israel more critically than other nations is considered anti-Semitic. Yet treating Israel more favourably is problematic too. Philo-Semitism – the unquestioning endorsement of anything Jewish – does not help in the fight against anti-Semitic prejudice
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Middle East conflictTwo 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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Middle East debate in GermanyThe bell of Gaza
With its fossilised premise of "raison d'etat" Germany is damaging itself. It is time for change – for constructive partnership in a concerted effort to overcome the Israeli-Palestinian catastrophe
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Middle East conflictLife in Palestine before the Nakba
"Against Erasure" documents the diversity of life in Palestine before the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948, building a solid foundation for sorely needed, well-grounded discourse on the Middle East
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Middle East: Is there a solution to the endless conflict?Welcome to Abraham/Ibrahim
Who invented it? The Swiss. Why it might be worth looking to the Swiss Confederation in the search for a solution to the Middle East conflict
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Lebanon's TripoliOld wounds and new problems on "Syria Street"
Syria Street in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, was a microcosm of the Syrian Civil War for many years. Nowadays, a fragile calm hides the complexities of Lebanon's past and the resilience of its people
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Israel, Hamas and the war in GazaSeven uncomfortable truths
Anyone wanting to fully understand the current Middle East crisis must face up to realities on the ground. For many, however, this is at odds with the schematic picture they have in their heads. Here are seven uncomfortable truths crucial to de-escalating the situation and finding a solution