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Education and climate in YemenToo hot for class
In Houthi-controlled Yemen, the decision to schedule the school year by the Hijri calendar has pushed classes earlier into the harshest heat of summer. For students this has compounded the impact of climate change, posing health risks and driving up dropout rates.
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Turkish women's association Havle"White secular women do not have a monopoly on feminism"
The Muslim queer-feminist group Havle uses religious arguments to challenge discrimination. Facing growing hostility and, most recently, arrests, two members speak about the struggle for LGBTQ rights in the country.
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Detainees in northeast SyriaWhat will happen to the women and children of al-Roj camp?
Deteriorating conditions are fuelling tensions at al-Roj camp, where people with alleged links to IS have spent years in detention. As control of the camp shifts to the Syrian central government, uncertainty grows over their future and prospects of returning home.
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Arthouse film in MoroccoKeeping Tangier's cinematic history alive
20 years ago, the historic Cinema Rif in Tangier was renovated and reopened as the Cinémathèque de Tanger, one of the few arthouse cinemas in North Africa today. Elisa Pierandrei traces its history and place in Morocco's vibrant film culture.
Politics
More about Politics-
Gilbert Achcar on the impact of 9/11"The Iraq War shattered the promise of a new world order"
The attacks of 11 September 2001 fundamentally altered US foreign policy and triggered a series of wars that have reshaped the Middle East. 25 years on, Gilbert Achcar reflects on the US response to 9/11 and its enduring impact on the region.
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Taliban in AfghanistanPower consolidated, society reshaped
In the five years since regaining power, the Taliban have cemented their rule in Afghanistan, bringing armed conflict in the country to a relative lull. Their ambitions go beyond maintaining control: they are seeking to transform the country from the bottom up.
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COVID-19Syriaʹs crisis within a crisis – coronavirus could hit hard
The corona pandemic has reached Syria. Anna Fleischer explains why the virus could hit the country extremely hard and above all endanger those imprisoned
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COVID-19 in IraqWorking under the coronavirus curfew in Baghdad
Coronavirus is also spreading in Iraq. This didn't stop hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travelling to a Shia shrine, however. The nation's health system has already conceded it cannot cope with the epidemic. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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COVID-19 pandemicHow is Turkey dealing with the corona crisis?
Going by the official numbers, Turkey is doing well, especially in comparison to other countries. But does this impression correspond to the reality? There are significant reasons to doubt that it does. By Tayfun Guttstadt
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After the Berlin conferenceLibya's war for war’s sake
Libyan political analyst Faraj Alasha argues that the Berlin conference on the Libyan war did nothing to change the fact that there is no political solution to end the war raging in the suburbs of southern Tripoli
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COVID-19 epidemic in IranFaith and the coronavirus
The "holy" city of Qom, the centre of Shia scholarship, was the starting point of the corona epidemic in Iran. The ayatollahs vehemently and successfully resisted quarantine and the virus spread rapidly throughout the country. But corona is not the plague, Iran is not in the Middle Ages and the virus is not divine retribution. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Sudan's ex-dictator Bashir at the International Criminal CourtArab dictators take note
Political scientist Ali Anouzla interprets the potentially imminent trial of Sudan's ex-dictator Omar al-Bashir before the International Criminal Court as a warning sign for numerous despots across the Arab world who must themselves answer for serious human rights violations
Society
More about Society-
Ahmed Isamaldin"Gold is directly connected to the violence in Sudan"
Artist and researcher Ahmed Isamaldin uses satellite imagery to trace how Sudan's gold industry has expanded during the war. His research reveals how the conflict is linked to global supply chains and the commodities we consume.
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Religious diversity in TunisiaThe Virgin Mary on the streets of Tunis
In Tunisia, a tradition is being revived: the Marian procession in La Goulette. Christians, Jews and Muslims from around the world are coming together to make a statement in favour of peaceful coexistence, in a country where the authorities are cracking down on migrants.
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COVID-19 pandemicRamadan during coronavirus – with a virtual community
Ramadan begins this week even as the coronavirus pandemic up-ends life around the world. The crisis is forcing Muslims to re-think traditions and find new approaches to one of Islam's most important religious rituals. By Siham Ouchtou and Kersten Knipp
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COVID-19 in the Middle EastWomen talk under coronavirus lockdown: "I want my life back"
How are people in the Middle East and North Africa dealing with the new coronavirus pandemic? Women from countries across the region, some of them war zones, share their worries – and hopes. By Diana Hodali
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Digitalisation and the coronavirus in MoroccoFrom care to control?
With a series of digital measures introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Morocco is creating a trade-off between ways to provide rapid support and the parallel development of digital control. By Anja Hoffmann and Bauke Baumann
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Coronavirus pandemic in the Islamic worldDoubling down on containment efforts
Around the Islamic world, lockdowns and curfews are being extended and religious ceremonies are being cancelled outright in the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19. Here’s the latest from across the region
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Impact of CoronavirusRise in domestic violence in the Middle East
As authorities across the region struggle to contain the pandemic with curfews and lockdowns, few have thought of the knock-on effects. For many women, more time at home means more physical abuse from family members. By Maram Shahatit
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COVID-19 pandemicDevastated by war, Syriaʹs Idlib braces for coronavirus
No soap, hardly any water and no space to quarantine: in Idlib there is growing concern over the possible spread of coronavirus. A women's centre there is trying to educate people. Diana Hodali reports
Culture
More about Culture-
Remembering Sliman MansourThe artist behind a Palestinian icon
"Camel of Hardship" by Sliman Mansour, who died on 24 August, is one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Asmaa al-Ghoul tells how it came to appear on walls across the country and why it remains deeply embedded in collective memory.
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Egyptian photographer Roger Anis"The Nile is part of our collective consciousness"
Egyptian photographer Roger Anis has spent nearly a decade documenting the world's longest river. In 2024, he revived an ancient Nile procession with local fishermen, turning their boats into a moving celebration of the river and its communities.
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Book review: Joseph Andras′ ″De nos freres blesses ″A shameful chapter
Joseph Andras′ debut novel ″De nos freres blesses″ (Of Our Wounded Brothers) touches upon a sore spot in French history, recalling the time when Algeria was a French colony and French anti-colonialists fought alongside Algerians. Claudia Kramatschek read the book
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Young Iranian women writers in GermanyPatchwork identities
In commanding language and without a trace of sentimentality or vanity, the second generation of Iranian women authors in Germany present the balancing act between Persian and German ways of life, weaving their parents′ lives into their literary material. By Fahimeh Farsaie
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Album review: Anouar Brahem′s ″Blue Maqams″A gem of an album
Tunisian-born oud maestro Anouar Brahem who has made a career out of defying people's expectations has done it again. His most recent release, Blue Maqams, showcases his skills in a jazz context – the results are simply stunning. Review by Richard Marcus
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Qatar-Germany Year of Culture 2017Crisis, what crisis?
Showing solidarity through an art exhibition? In the Qatar-Germany Year of Culture, Volkswagen and Deutsche Bank are bringing European design and paintings to the Gulf – in the middle of an existential crisis for Qatar. Werner Bloch reports from Doha
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Interview with graphic novelist Riad SattoufThe eternal fascination with coming-of-age
The French graphic novelist Riad Sattouf is best known for his memoir, "The Arab of the Future". Bettina Baumann met him to discuss his latest series, "Esther's Notebooks", which tells stories from the perspective of a young girl
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Book review: ″Refugees Worldwide: Literary Reportage″Hierarchies of the destitute
The fourteen essays featured in ″Refugees Worldwide: Literary Reportage″ delve deep into the nature of refugee status, charting uniquely individual lives and deconstructing the sense of a collective identity. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the book
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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