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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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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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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.
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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Iran WarWill the Gulf states stand together?
Hard hit by Iranian attacks, the business model of the Gulf states is under attack. Yet they are far from defenceless: with coordination—and unity—they could establish themselves as powerful agents of change.
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Trump's Pakistan outburstReckless tweets vs. democratic hopes
Pakistan′s slow progress towards developing a stable and inclusive political system faced new challenges in the second half of 2017 – now Donald Trump's tweets could make matters worse. If Pakistan continues to falter in 2018, the consequences will be felt across South Asia and the broader Muslim world. By Shahid Javed Burki
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U.S. policy on the Middle EastThe imperial reflex
The United States believes it can enforce the policy of sanctions it has directed against Iran on the rest of the world as well. In no third country are the possible implications as grave as in Turkey, says Stefan Buchen in his analysis
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Non-fiction: Safwan M. Masri′s ″Tunisia – An Arab anomaly″A history of intellectual excellence
Tunisia stands out as the only democracy among Arab countries. Why it has managed the transformation from autocratic rule after the Arab Spring has deep roots that go back centuries, argues Safwan M. Masri. Hans Dembowski read the book
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Social unrest in TunisiaYou′re on your own
Strip away the friendly overtures made by various European countries towards Tunisia and you’ll find nothing more than exploitation and non-reciprocation. How else to explain their failure to step in as the North African state slides inexorably towards poverty? Commentary by Bachir Amroune
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Protests rock TunisiaA winter of discontent
Despite general frustration over economic hardships and the unfulfilled promises of the Arab Spring’s only success story, the revolutionary momentum that gripped Tunisia in 2011 has not waned seven years later. Tunisians seem intent on preserving the spirit of the revolution: bread, freedom and national dignity. By Houda Mzioudet
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Protests in IranNo revolution in sight
Forty years after the start of the Islamic Revolution, Iran is once again convulsed with protests. Many of the economic problems facing the country today resemble those in the 1970s, and the regime appears to be scarcely less repressive and ossified than it was back then. Nevertheless, the current protests are unlikely to be the beginning of a new revolution, says Ulrich von Schwerin
Society
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Jewish community in Syria"One day we’ll drive from Damascus to Jerusalem"
The fall of Assad has prompted the return of millions of Syrians, including a small Jewish minority. Under Henry Hamra, son of the country’s last chief rabbi, they are asking whether a lasting return is possible.
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Palestinians in EgyptTime to return to Gaza?
In Egypt, Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza face a painful dilemma: return to their families and a devastated homeland or remain in limbo without residency. Medical needs, financial hardship and border fears make the decision fraught.
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Preventing Islamism in BelgiumShaking the terrorist image
Belgium has been fighting religious radicalisation since it became painfully obvious that Islamists were operating in the country. Art and humour have become tools in the battle of prevention. But how is this being received by the general public? Doris Pundy reports from Brussels
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Non-fiction: ″Religious criticism around 1900″Middle Eastern philosophy's take on Islam
How is the relationship between science, philosophy and religion discussed in the Muslim world, beyond the well-known dictum that Islam rules its states and societies and therefore also determines its morality and aesthetics? A new series by Berlin-based publishers Klaus Schwarz addresses this question. By Sonja Hegasy
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Obituary: dissident Ebrahim YazdiAn emblematic figure of Iranian politics bows out
The image of Ebrahim Yazdi, who passed away on 27 August aged 86, fittingly portrays the paradoxes of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Those involved in Tehran′s political scene of the last twenty years knew him as the opposition, an ′Islamic liberal′ and supporter of democratic reforms. By Marina Forti
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Judaism in IranThe minority perspective: ″Jews and Muslims respect each other″
Iran is frequently at odds with Israel, despite having the second biggest Jewish community in the Middle East. For the director of Tehran's Jewish Committee, Siamek Morsadegh, that′s not necessarily a contradiction. Interview by Theresa Tropper
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Interview with religious scholar Michael BlumeTurning away from Islam: Muslims beat a silent retreat
Is Germany home to a self-assured Islam and Muslims confident in their faith? It doesn't seem that way, says the religious scholar Michael Blume in interview with Christoph Hasselbach. Instead, Islam is in serious crisis
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Women's rights in IranFarewell compulsory veiling? Time to go with the flow
After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Islamic regime began to force women to adopt Islamic dress. Resistance to the rule has never ceased, though it has changed. And suddenly compulsory veiling in the theocracy no longer seems to be on solid ground. An abridged version of the original article by Nasrin Bassiri
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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Frankfurt Book Fair: Indonesian LiteratureDiscovering a new world
Poetry books as bestsellers, authors as self-promoters – the literary scene in Indonesia works differently. Nevertheless, many a book has secured itself a small place on the world literary map. By Martin Maria Schwarz
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Alaa Al Aswany′s novel ″The Automobile Club of Egypt″Microcosm of tyranny
In his new novel "The Automobile Club of Egypt", the best-selling Egyptian author Alaa Al Aswany paints a picture of a deeply divided, bigoted society and recalls the oriental despotism of the 1940s under King Farouk. A review by Arian Fariborz
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Art from Iraq and the Armenian diaspora in VeniceA far cry from what we′ve seen before
While in the mass media, the war of images with and over Islamic State is making headlines, very little attention has been paid to the visual art being created in the region. To get an idea of the diversity of artistic production in the Arab world and the Middle East, head to this year′s international Venice Biennale. Felix Koltermann was in the city on the lagoon, and introduces the most exciting national contributions and artistic installations from the region
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Indonesian literature at the Frankfurt Book FairThe island that literature forgot
In his essay, the Indonesian writer and literary critic Wayan Sunarta sheds light on the history of modern Indonesian literature, and explains why it has so far failed to establish itself internationally
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An interview with Syrian author Samar Yazbek″The Crossing: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria″
Pen Pinter prizewinner Samar Yazbek talks to Rosa Gosch about her latest book, ″The Crossing: My Journey to the Shattered Heart of Syria″, the current situation in her home country and her expectations of the West
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Islamic popular literature: ″Sastra Islami″″God′s gift to Indonesia″
Sastra Islami is seen by its representatives as a corrective to the increasing ″Westernisation″ and ″secularisation″ of Indonesia. It presents itself as a religious counter-movement to the firmly secular literature published since the fall of Suharto in 1998. By Bettina David
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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