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250 years of the USAHow enslaved African Muslims resisted bondage
The history of Islam in the U.S. does not begin with voluntary immigration. It can be traced back to the country's formative years, and to the millions of enslaved Africans, up to a third of whom are believed to have been Muslim.
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Lebanese literature in translationThe rediscovery of Alis al-Bustani
Published in 1891, Alis al-Bustani's only novel "Sa'iba" dismantles the comforting assumptions of Arab modernity. A new translation restores to view a woman writer long consigned to obscurity.
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Islamic history scholar Sabine Schmidtke"The Holocaust reshaped knowledge production about Islam"
Hedwig Klein's life and scholarship were cut short by the Holocaust in 1942. In her new book, Sabine Schmidtke traces Klein's intellectual legacy and sets the record straight on her involvement in Hans Wehr's Arabic dictionary.
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Femicide in TurkeyWhere is Gülistan Doku?
Years after a young Kurdish woman's femicide, new probes have led to arrests. The suspects are sons of civil servants. The case ignited a Turkish debate on state failure and alleged cover-up. Yet the wider issue of anti-Kurdish violence remains sidelined.
Politics
More about Politics-
Saudi sports policyThe limits of Saudi Arabia's football ambitions
Saudi Arabia has emerged as an influential player in the politics of international sports, particularly football. The 2034 World Cup will be hosted by the Kingdom, but war in the Gulf could be jeopardising its ambitious goals.
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Israeli filmmaker Netalie Braun"There's room for everyone between the river and the sea"
What does it take to make anti-militarist cinema in a country where, as Netalie Braun puts it, the army "resides in the DNA of society"? In this interview, she discusses navigating censorship, boycotts and the challenges of imagining peace amid violence.
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Q&AWhat is happening in Sudan?
Since 2023, a brutal war has raged in Sudan, but the conflict receives little attention in the West. Who is fighting whom in the North African country, and what lies ahead?
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Migration through BulgariaUnmarked graves on the EU border
Bulgaria has assumed a key role in controlling migration into the EU. People attempting to cross from Turkey to Bulgaria report violence, pushbacks and unanswered emergency calls. Dozens have been killed or gone missing.
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Political scientist Scott Straus on Sudan"All the fundamentals of genocide are present"
Genocide scholar Scott Straus has spent decades studying the causes of mass violence. He examines the dynamics of violence in Darfur, arguing that international inaction on Sudan highlights a broader crisis in genocide prevention.
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Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-SudaniIraq's economic reform experiment
Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani is banking on hands-on reforms and new infrastructure projects to restore trust in the state. His approach has delivered short-term stability and popularity. But Iraq's oil dependence and economic weaknesses remain.
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Lebanese writer Hazem Saghieh"Hezbollah has never protected Lebanon from Israel"
Hazem Saghieh says that the renewed war between Israel and Hezbollah has revealed deep divisions within Lebanese society rather than fostering unity. He warns that Israel's intervention to disarm Hezbollah risks paving the way for a new occupation.
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Opposition figure Behrouz Farahani"The war has frozen Iran's protest movements"
The Iran war stems from two reactionary forces, the hegemonic ambitions of Iran’s Shia establishment and the Israeli vision of reshaping the Middle East, says Behrouz Farahani. A ceasefire is urgent, he argues, and real change must come from within.
Society
More about Society-
Morocco’s 2030 World CupThe cost of redevelopment
As Morocco’s Atlas Lions take the field in the 2026 World Cup, bulldozers in Casablanca and Rabat are already clearing the way for 2030, when Morocco will co-host the tournament. Local residents are paying the price.
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Q&AWho are the Imazighen?
Still widely known as "Berbers", millions of people identify as Amazigh. Brahim El Guabli of Johns Hopkins University discusses the identity, language, and history of a people striving for recognition within predominantly Arab societies.
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Discrimination in GermanyWhen racism is hard to name
In Germany, discrimination is often subtle enough to go unchallenged. For many migrants, experiences of exclusion are marked not by open hostility, but by pauses, implication, and casual remarks. Such moments are difficult to prove as racism—yet impossible to forget.
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Gaza’s lost booksHow to preserve what remains
In Gaza, people are working to salvage books from the ruins of libraries, while others are digitising historical texts. The first public libraries are set to reopen soon, even though many important books have been lost for good.
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Egypt's "World Press Photo" winner"If we as locals don’t tell these stories, who will?"
Photographer Mohamed Mahdy has documented life in Alexandria, where residents suffer from severe pollution from a cement factory. He explains how they are pushing back, why he looks for his stories close to home, and what he expects from international media.
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LebanonShia families struggle for shelter in divided Beirut
More than one million Lebanese have been displaced by Israeli strikes. Destruction and occupation have made return impossible for many from the south, including Shia families, who are stranded in Beirut with limited shelter amid deepening sectarian mistrust.
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LebanonWhen war reached my Beirut home
In Lebanon, war is a test of social cohesion. Beirut-based author Manal Khader recounts how fear and uncertainty spread through her neighbourhood. Her building's WhatsApp group came to life—first with updates and practical questions, then the tone shifted.
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War and memoryGaza's lost photographs
Through years of war, many people in Gaza have lost their personal photo albums. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul reflects on her family's vanished images and what their absence means for personal and collective memory.
Culture
More about Culture-
Tunisian gender scholar Amel Grami"Arab culture's flexibility distinguishes it from others"
Concepts of gender are shifting across the Arab world. Tunisian writer and academic Amel Grami reflects on emerging approaches to gender analysis in the region and examines how colonial legacies have shaped existing perceptions.
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"Palestine 36"A film tracing the roots of colonial violence
"Palestine 36" depicts the 1936-1939 revolt against British Mandate rule. It recreates an often-forgotten turning point in Palestinian history in vivid detail.
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Marrakesh and CasablancaTwo cities shaping contemporary art in Morocco
Morocco's art scene is diverse and growing, spanning independent spaces, commercial galleries and international fairs. While Marrakesh positions itself as a global hub, Casablanca's scene is closely tied to its history and political reality.
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Saudi poetry todayBetween nomadic past and digital present
The new poetry anthology "Tracing the Ether" brings together 26 poets responding to a rapidly changing Saudi Arabia. It offers a rare glimpse of a literary scene whose breadth has yet to be fully reflected in English translation.
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Club culture in GermanySounds of the "Stadtbild"
In Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne, "SWANA"-focused events are filling clubs. DJs and organisers are forging hybrid sounds drawn from South-West Asian and North African musical traditions, asserting identity in the face of exclusionary political rhetoric on migration.
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Language politicsCan English replace French in Algeria?
English is gaining ground in Algeria's education system, challenging the long-standing dominance of French, a remnant of colonial rule. But the shift is far from straightforward, testing the ability of schools and universities to adapt.
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Ramadan TV specialsSyrian drama after Assad
Television dramas are a Ramadan staple in Syria. This year, for the first time, viewers watched series written in a post-Assad era, some confronting past trauma, others offering satirical critique, sparking fierce debate over how the country's stories should be told.
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Syed Muhammad Naquib al-AttasA life rethinking the foundations of knowledge
Malaysian philosopher and polymath Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas has died aged 94. A lifelong critic of Western intellectual dominance, his work has shaped debates on modernity and education across the Muslim world.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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