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Anti-colonialism"Palestine reveals the limits of international solidarity"
Why do African publics stand so firmly with Palestine while many of their governments court Israel? Algerian researcher Raouf Farrah traces the answer to the continent's anti-colonial past, and to the gap between popular solidarity and state diplomacy.
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German state electionsMigrants face a shifting political reality
The far-right AfD made historic gains in September's state elections, while the Left Party came out on top in Berlin for the first time. Migrants across the country are now considering what the results could mean for their everyday lives and futures.
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"Postmuslim" by Youssef RakhaOne author, multiple selves
"Postmuslim" is an intimate new collection of essays in English by Youssef Rakha. The Egyptian author explores his complex relationship with the West while tracing his intellectual evolution over several decades.
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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.
Politics
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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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Interview with political scientists Nader Hashemi and Danny PostelThe West's "intellectually lazy" obsession with sectarianism
Danny Postel and Nader Hashemi warn in this interview with Emran Feroz against the tendency in Western media and policy circles to view Middle Eastern politics in essentialist sectarian terms. "Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East", their recent collection of essays, examines the topic in depth
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Western diplomacy in crisisWhat to do about Khashoggi?
The abduction or even murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi would constitute a dangerous escalation in the Saudi government's campaign to clamp down on its critics. According to Guido Steinberg, the West should react with as much determination as it did towards Moscow following events in Salisbury
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Essebsi breaks with EnnahdaFarewell to Tunisia's "national consensus"
The decision by Caid Essebsi to end five years of consensus politics is likely to heighten sociopolitical tensions in the North African state and deepen a burgeoning economic crisis. Tunisian journalist Ismail Dbara analyses the reasons for the break-up and the consequences for democratisation within the country
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Germany’s right-wing populists found Jewish groupJews – the AfDʹs means to an end
The AfD, more known for its anti-Semitism, is looking to attract Jews. In his commentary, Armin Langer writes that Jews in Germany should distance themselves from right-wing populists and instead strive to ally themselves with other threatened minorities
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Creeping authoritarianismTurkeyʹs one man band
In June, Recep Tayyip Erdogan became head of state in Turkeyʹs new presidential system, which grants him enormous powers. But the country is in the midst of a veritable economic crisis. Erdogan has his back against the wall. An analysis by Timur Tinc
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Internecine strugglesLibyaʹs free for all
Libya is today the scene of political chaos that is difficult to fathom from the outside. Two governments, one in the west and one in the east, are fighting for supremacy. And even within the power blocs there are military conflicts between the different militias. By Karim El-Gawhary
Society
More about Society-
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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Egyptian athlete Manal RostomNike's 'hijab survivor'
Egyptian athlete Manal Rostom made waves in 2015, appearing in a Nike advert wearing a hijab. Having run the Berlin Marathon in September she reveals what inspired her to insist that Nike feature Muslim women in its campaigns. By Elizabeth Shoo and Keith Walker
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Higher education under AssadStudents leave Syria to prove their mettle
The impact of the war on under-funded Syrian universities has been manifold. Yet German education authorities remain unperturbed by the current proliferation of forged Syrian certificates. By Joseph Croitoru
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Germanyʹs Ahmadiyya community"Integration is the least of our problems"
Recently some 45,000 Muslims of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat met for their annual peace conference, the so-called "Jalsa Salana". Nermin Ismail attended the meeting of the Islamic reform movement in Karlsruhe
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Youth unemployment in the Arab worldMENA's generation jobless
A lack of jobs and bleak social prospects for young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are undermining the political stability of what is already a deeply troubled region. The problem cannot be solved by simply modernising education and labour markets. By Nassir Djafari
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Women's self-help project "Amal" in MoroccoThe single mothers of Marrakesh
Single mothers in Morocco still experience social discrimination today. They upset the traditional image of the nuclear family, although that has long since become outdated. The "Amal" project in Marrakesh supports theses mothers, who are often among the poorest members of society. By Claudia Mende
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Interview with extremism researcher Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck"Being part of a ʹcommunityʹ transcends everything"
Attending this yearʹs Vienna International Christian University, Algerian extremism researcher Dr. Dalia Ghanem-Yazbeck, resident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, talked to Zahra Nedjabat about the role of women in jihadism, the roots of violent radicalisation and possible antidotes
Culture
More about Culture-
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.
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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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Sayed Kashua′s ″Native: Dispatches from a Palestinian-Israeli Life″His family′s grace
Reading Sayed Kashua′s "Native: Dispatches from a Palestinian-Israeli Life" is like binge-watching a laugh-out-loud, buffoonish TV sitcom that offers surprisingly astute social criticism. A review by Marcia Lynx Qualey
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Interview with French-Indian author Shumona Sinha″Looking for the truth″
Sinha′s novel ″Erschlagt die Armen!″ is based on her personal experience of working in a French agency where refugees apply for political asylum. Flying in the face of political correctness, the book has now won her a major literature prize. Interview by Sabine Peschel
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Arsalan Iftikhar is the Muslim Guy″Scapegoats: How Islamophobia helps our enemies and threatens our freedoms″
Human rights lawyer Arsalan Iftikhar is a well-known face on US television networks. Usually pitted against right wing commentators calling for crusades against Islamic countries or tarring all Muslims with the same terrorist brush, he attempts to be a voice of reason. Richard Marcus interviewed him on his recently published ″Scapegoats: How Islamophobia Helps Our Enemies and Threatens Our Freedoms″
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Book review: Bachtyar Ali′s ″Der letzte Granatapfel″Buried treasure
The first German translation of a Kurdish-Iraqi novel has been published – and what a novel! Bachtyar Ali′s ″Der letzte Granatapfel″ is a bombshell. Stefan Weidner read the book
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Book review: Eka Kurniawan′s ″Beauty is a wound″A hidden literary gem
Indonesia′s literary shooting star, Eka Kurniawan, recently longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, is already being hailed as Pramoedya Ananta Toer′s successor. Although ″Beauty is a wound″ was published in 2002, Kurniawan has only recently gained international recognition with its English translation. Sherif Abdel Samad read the book
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PalFest 2016: Interview with Palestinian poet Jehan BseisoBreaking the cultural siege on Palestine
From 21 – 26 May, the Palestine Festival of Literature toured cities in the West Bank and Israel. In attendance was Jehan Bseiso, a young Palestinian poet. With two anthologies to her name and online publications with ″Electronic Intifada″ and ″The Palestine Chronicle″, Jehan is currently working on a poetry collection called ″Conversations Continued″ – a compilation of real, misheard and misremembered conversations. Interview by Ylenia Gostoli
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