Islam and democracy
All topics-
Generation Erdogan
More than 5 million young Turks to vote for the first time
Some 5.2 million young Turks will vote for the first time in the May 14 presidential and legislative elections, and they could be key to deciding the country’s future
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Sudanese artists speak out
"It's not our war"
Sudan has become a battleground. But it is not the war of the people who live there, say exiled Sudanese writers Stella Gitano and Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin. By Stefan Dege
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Germany's Turkish diaspora
Why Turks in Germany still vote for Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing an uphill re-election battle, but if the vote took place in Germany, he'd win. Burak Unveren asks why do so many Turks in Germany continue to support the Turkish president?
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Afghan refugees in Portugal
Regenerating soil and soul
Human rights activists who fled the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan get the chance of a new start in life in Portugal thanks to a permaculture initiative focusing on ecology, agroforestry, social justice and solidarity. Marta Vidal reports
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Turkey-Syria earthquake
Polarising religious narratives
Religious discussions on the causes and aftermath of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria have dominated Arab discourse recently, revealing the urgent need to support marginalised, humanist religious voices and those placing the human above polarisation and the instrumentalisation of events. By Mustafa Karahamad
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Turkey-Syria earthquake
What future for President Erdogan and the AKP?
The deadly earthquakes of 6 February may reshape Turkey’s political landscape forever. Many Turks hold the government responsible for the scale of the disaster, raising questions about its prospects in the upcoming elections and their outcome. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Debt crisis in Pakistan
Crumbling Pakistan economy puts children's futures on hold
Pakistan’s government, struggling to tackle a mounting debt crisis, recently raised taxes on luxury imports and services, saying only the rich elite would be affected. However, it also slashed fuel subsidies and increased a general sales tax, both of which will hit low-income families
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Sectarian politics in Lebanon
A harried Hezbollah
Hezbollah faces massive challenges – Lebanon’s presidential vacuum, sectarian tensions, as well as the ongoing economic turmoil. Yet, as Mohanad Hage Ali argues, it currently has few options for dealing with them
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Detention in Egypt
Cairo's model Badr prison rife with abuse
A new prison, touted by Egypt as a model for reform, that holds some of its most prominent prisoners denies inmates healthcare and subjects them to punitive treatment including isolation, relatives of those inside and rights groups say.
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Freedom of speech in Pakistan
Islamabad's shift towards Islamism
By curtailing free speech and doubling down on blasphemy laws, Islamabad is endangering its relationship with Europe and the United States, argues Kunwar Khuldune Shahid
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Cairo's crisis
Egypt needs democracy to fix its economy
Sisi’s mismanagement has plunged the country into crisis. Both political and economic reform is needed to save it, writes Abdelrahman Mansour
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Human rights deteriorating in Morocco
Rabat's defamation drive
Morocco's regime continues to silence voices through censorship and arrest, apparently feeling vulnerable in the face of widespread popular criticism. Commentary by Abdellatif El Hamamouchi