Science
All topics-
Africans in Pakistan
Magical Karachi
Juergen Wasim Frembgen's new book, "Bambasa Street", is a fascinating account of the traditions of the African diaspora in Pakistan's largest metropolis
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Protests at US universities
"What's needed now is dialogue"
The impact of the protests and police crackdowns at US universities goes far beyond the campuses where they are taking place and is likely to affect the outcome of this year's presidential election
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German academia and the war in Gaza
Universities must remain places of dialogue
Discussions about the Middle East conflict naturally tend towards polarisation. In Germany, showing empathy for victims of political violence in Israel while drawing attention to the suffering of Gazan and West Bank Palestinians, who bear the brunt of any major confrontation, is a tricky balancing act
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Holocaust researcher Omer Bartov
"Germany could help Israel and Palestine on the path to reconciliation"
In interview with Qantara.de, leading Holocaust researcher Omer Bartov talks about the indictment against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the instrumentalisation of anti-Semitism and Germany's possible role in a two-state solution
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750th anniversary of Rumi's death – Part 6
Academic research and spiritual exploration
No Islamic mystic in the past two centuries has touched literary figures and academics in both East and West as much as Rumi. A look at the history of research into this hugely influential spiritual teacher
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Philosophy, Arab world trend
Erich Fromm's advice for troubled times
The writings of German-American philosopher Erich Fromm (1900-1980) are trending in the Arab world. Claudia Mende asked Hamid Lechhab, translator of Fromm's works into Arabic, what might be behind this
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Language and language acquisition
How the brain processes German and Arabic
Language develops in different areas of the brain. Researchers have been able to show that the way these are linked varies according to the respective native language – knowledge that could prove useful. By Katrin Ewert
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Education in Pakistan
Digital learning for more opportunity
Pakistan's struggle with underinvestment in education and digitisation has resulted in high illiteracy rates and systemic discrimination. While some positive examples can be found in institutions catering for persons with disabilities, the overall picture remains bleak. By Marva Khan
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Udo Steinbach on Europe and the Gulf
Let's have none of the old arrogance
Middle East expert Udo Steinbach has been advocating closer relations with the Gulf states for years. Genuine interest in regional development, however, needs to look beyond the stereotypes. Birgit Svensson spoke to him in Baghdad
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Turkey-Syria quake
Weak buildings, shallow shock caused deaths
The instability of old buildings was responsible for much of the wreckage in Monday’s earthquake along the Turkey-Syria border. But the earthquake was also abnormally strong for its magnitude. Clare Roth has the details
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The origins of the Maghreb
Was the Arab Maghreb a French invention?
The book "The Invention of the Maghreb: between Africa and the Middle East" prompts us to review basic terminology. This includes terms that we use almost every day as if they are definitive by virtue of geography, history and culture, such as "the Arab Maghreb", "North Africa", "the Middle East" and "sub-Saharan Africa". Shady Lewis Botros read the book
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Protests in Iran
Rethinking Sharia and democracy
According to a recent survey, half of all Iranians say that they have left Islam as a religion, while two-thirds believe Islamic law should be excluded from their legal system. In the following essay, Ahmet T. Kuru explores the implications