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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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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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Displacement in LebanonWhen war reached our building in Beirut
In Lebanon, war is felt differently across society, and displacement is a test of social cohesion. Manal Khader recounts how it reached her Beirut apartment block, and the responses of the residents' WhatsApp group in the Christian neighbourhood of Badaro.
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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.
Politics
More about Politics-
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.
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Israeli activist Yuli Novak"The system is based on violence"
In this interview, the head of Israeli NGO B’Tselem discusses the increasingly boundless violence in the region and argues that defending Palestinian rights is defending human rights worldwide. She urges Germany to lead in upholding international law.
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Parliamentary elections in PakistanWho will prevail?
What's at stake in Pakistan's upcoming parliamentary elections? Should the West be concerned about a possible military-backed government and its impact on Afghanistan's security and South Asia's geopolitics? An analysis by Shamil Shams
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A nuclear Middle EastArab states court the atom
With more instability likely in the near future, the incentives for maintaining or acquiring nuclear weapons in the Middle East are destined to increase. One thing remains clear, however: as long as Israel is excluded, the objective of total nuclear disarmament in the region will never be achieved, writes Israel Rafalovich
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Egypt's economic disarrayWhether to topple President Sisi...
Five years after protests and a coup brought then-President Mohammed Morsi to his knees, Egypt is experiencing its sharpest rise in living costs. Is the country on the brink once again? Farid Farid reports from Cairo
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Verdict in neo-Nazi NSU trialThe shredding of Germanyʹs democracy
For those of us with a migrant background, the recent NSU trial verdict does not put the matter to rest. We are still left fearing for our lives in this country, says Sheila Mysorekar in her commentary
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The demise of Daraa, former rebel strongholdAt the mercy of Assadʹs troops
While Berlin was contemplating secure borders, the Syrian regime embarked on its next campaign to exacerbate the suffering of refugees. To Syriaʹs President Bashar al-Assad, they are nothing more than a weapon. By Bente Scheller
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Moroccoʹs sentencing of Nasser ZefzafiWhen civil liberties contract
The sentencing of a prominent opposition activist to jail long-term has shaken critics of Moroccoʹs government. Activists and analysts alike warn of ill omens for the countryʹs political trajectory. By Tom Stevenson
Society
More about Society-
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.
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Ralph Ghadban on Iran"The Islamic Republic is rooted in society"
Whether through appeasement or escalation, the West keeps making the same mistake with Iran, argues Islamic studies scholar Ralph Ghadban: it fails to recognise the regime's radical Shia ideological foundations.
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The uncertain future of Modern Standard ArabicA language in decline
Substantial numbers of schoolchildren in the Gulf are losing their ability to communicate in Arabic. The development may well herald the onset of language loss in the region. By Sawsan Khalaf
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Controversial manifesto against "new anti-Semitism" in FranceCutting Suras to suit
In France, the publication of a manifesto that calls among other things for the removal of certain verses from the Koran and seeks to pave the way for state intervention in religious matters has triggered heated debate. Farid Hafez has the details
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Israeli author Lizzie Doron on Independence Day"Israel is facing crucial decisions"
Seventy years after the founding of the State of Israel, Lizzie Doron, author of "Who the Fuck is Kafka?", which traces the unlikely friendship of an Israeli and a Palestinian, walks through her evolving feelings over the years regarding 14 May
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Migrating across the MediterraneanEscape at all costs
For a while, things had quietened down around Spain. Neither Ceuta and Melilla nor mainland Spain were hitting the headlines with fresh streams of refugees arriving there. Yet that could all be about to change. By Susanne Kaiser
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Egyptian footballSun god, star, Mo Salah
Just weeks before the start of the FIFA World Cup, excitement in Egypt has reached fever pitch. What's causing the mania? The Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, currently tipped as the best football player in the world. By Bachir Amroune
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The Syrian ArchiveNetting the war criminals
An open source project in Berlin is gathering hundreds of thousands of online videos on the war in Syria in order to investigate war crimes such as the recent alleged chemical weapons attack on Douma. By David Siebert
Culture
More about Culture-
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.
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Women′s writing workshop in Basra, IraqWriting to survive
A writing workshop in the southern Iraqi city of Basra is encouraging women to use words to process their often traumatic experiences of a country scarred by destruction and conflict. But the future of the project now hangs in the balance due to funding problems. By Birgit Svensson
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NSU documentary: "Der Kuafor aus der Keupstraße"Probing the open wound
Directed by Andreas Maus, the documentary "Der Kuafor aus der Keupstraße" highlights police negligence surrounding the right-wing terrorist NSU’s 2004 nail bombing in Cologne and the failures of the German state. Petra Tabeling saw the film
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Iranian feature film "Lantouri"A society in close-up
Iranian film director Reze Dormishian's third film is a powerfully articulated indictment of some of his country's more dubious and controversial practices, such as the execution of children and adolescents, horrific acid attacks and retributive justice. By Rene Wildangel
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Non-fiction: ″Magic in Islam″ by Michael Muhammad KnightFinding the hole in the fence
Michael Muhammad Knight has penned a book about magic and Islam that excites and intrigues. Taking us on a captivating journey into the faith′s history and evolution, he presents a picture that is far less homogeneous than many might expect. Richard Marcus read the book
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Picture books explore the fate of refugeesA gentle yet honest approach
New picture books issued by German publishers aim to introduce children to themes relating to refugees, war and xenophobia. By Fridtjof Kuchemann
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Non-fiction: ″Syrian Notebooks: Inside the Homs Uprising″ by Jonathan LittellTranscribing the horror
Back in 2012 Jonathan Littell spent two weeks working as a ″Le Monde″ journalist in the Syrian city of Homs, the focus of resistance to Bashar Al-Assad′s regime. His diary from the period is a graphic account, urgently conveyed as events unfold at breakneck speed. Nahrain Al-Mousawi read the book
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
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