Qantara Startseite Englisch
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Anti-corruption campaign in Saudi ArabiaThe harder they fall?
The most recent wave of arrests in Saudi Arabia would seem to have been motivated by a desire to tackle corruption. Look more closely, however, and it is clear that this move was planned for a long time and is just one of many steps Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman is taking to edge closer to the throne. Tobias Zumbragel analyses recent developments
-
Death of Yemeni ex-dictator Ali Abdullah SalehCaught in no-man's land
For a week, Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former long-time ruler of Yemen fought against his erstwhile Houthi alliance partners for control of the capital Sanaa – then suddenly he was dead. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Islamist extremism in MoroccoTime for a rethink
Despite the hardline approach taken by the Moroccan state over the years in its dealings with Islamist extremists, the Maghreb nation is still viewed as the world's biggest "terrorist exporter". What's going wrong? Answers from Ali Anouzla
-
Africa's MuslimsPawns of the Saudis
Rich Saudis are investing millions in building mosques in Africa. And they are being accused of using radical preachers to destabilise the region. But there has long been much more at stake on the African continent than proselytising. By Gwendolin Hilse
-
Resolving the crisis in LibyaAnother fine mess
How to resolve the conflict in Libya remains one of the most difficult and important questions facing policy-makers today. Given the complex attitudes towards foreign interventions on the ground, we need a clear strategy that will stand up to local, regional and international scrutiny. By Alison Pargeter
-
Mosque attack in northern SinaiTargeting the peacemakers
Openly critical of the culture of violence, the Sufis in northern Sinai have long been a thorn in the side of IS jihadists in the region. This begs the question as to why the Egyptian security forces did not take seriously the threats that were made against the Sufis and the mosque targeted in the recent attack. By Karim El-Gawhary
Society
More about Society-
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.
-
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.
-
Book review: Fethi Benslama's book on the radicalisation of young MuslimsIslamic civilisation and its discontents
In his new book, recently published in German as "Der Übermuslim" (The Super-Muslim), the French-Tunisian psychoanalyst Fethi Benslama explores what drives young people to become radicalised. He concludes that they seek meaning, stability, orientation and identity in radical Islamism. By Herbert Csef
-
Waste separation and recycling in MoroccoMorocco's recycling pioneers
Morocco is exemplary in North Africa for its role in promoting the use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power. However, just like its neighbours, the country has a major problem with waste. A co-operative based just outside the capital has set out to change things. By Alexander Göbel in Rabat
-
Interview with Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im"We are in the middle of a transformative process"
Islamic scholar Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im of the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, USA, has done extensive research into the ways in which Sharia can be reconciled with the modern secular state. Claudia Mende spoke to him about the different faces of the secular, the separation of state and religion in early Islamic history and why he feels Muslims are in the middle of a reformation process
-
The Kurdish football club Amedspor"Disciplinary measures are unfortunately part of our team identity"
Despite fielding a succession of repressive measures, the Third-League club Amedspor from Diyarbakir is clocking up the sporting victories. For Kurdish fans from Istanbul to Hakkari, the team represents a beacon of hope in difficult times. By Sonja Galler
-
Controversial study about Muslim kindergartens in ViennaThe unwelcome glare of publicity
According to a report in the Austrian weekly ′Falter′, Professor Ednan Aslan is said to have allowed civil servants working for the Austrian Foreign and Integration Minister Sebastian Kurz to manipulate his findings for political ends. Allegations he vehemently denies. A commission has now been set up to investigate. By Canan Topcu
-
Non-fiction: ″Stolen Girls″ by Wolfgang BauerWhat hides in the woods
Satellite images of Duhu, Gubla or Gulak reveal little. A road flanked by scattered settlements runs through sparse terrain. Somewhat further away, the Sambisa forest. North-eastern Nigeria – home to the Islamist terrorist organisation Boko Haram, described by Wolfgang Bauer in his shocking and poignant reportage ″Stolen Girls″
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.
-
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.
-
Book review: "The Kindness of Enemies" by Leila AboulelaCrises of identity and loyalty from Scotland to the Caucasus
In her engrossing fourth novel, "The Kindness of Enemies", the Sudanese-British writer Leila Aboulela tackles themes of identity, jihad and Sufism. She does so through two parallel narratives, one set in contemporary Scotland and Sudan, the other in nineteenth-century Imperial Russia and the Caucasus. By Susannah Tarbush
-
Frankfurt Book Fair 2015: guest of honour IndonesiaSeven must-know authors from Indonesia
Indonesia is the guest country at the Frankfurt Book Fair this autumn. Just under 70 Indonesian authors will be in Frankfurt to give public readings. Qantara.de introduces seven of them. By Monika Griebeler
-
"Tamburi Mundi" music festivalSummit of friendship
The Freiburg-based "Tamburi Mundi" music festival celebrated its tenth anniversary in special fashion this year by bringing together musicians from Isfahan and Tel Aviv. Far from the political tensions one might expect from representatives of these two cities, this get-together was all about friendship and harmonious unity. By Stefan Franzen
-
Book review: "The Drone Eats with Me" by Atef Abu SaifA war without distinct edges
Throughout history, countless literary accounts of war and the suffering it brings have been written. Gazan author Atef Abu Saif has added something new to this body of literature, namely an account of civilian life during the Gaza conflict in 2014 that describes the war and the impact of drone warfare from the viewpoint of a non-combatant. By Marcia Lynx Qualey
-
Book review: "Always Coca-Cola" by Alexandra ChreitehThe agony and the allure
Written when the author was only 19, Alexandra Chreiteh's first novel "Always Coca-Cola", focuses in a highly entertaining way on how three young friends in Beirut are affected by Western commercialisation and contemporary beauty ideals. By Volker Kaminski
-
Exhibition: Political Art and Resistance in TurkeyThe art of remembering
Protest art from Turkey, covering the period from the 1970s to the present day, is currently on show at the Neue Gesellschaft für bildende Kunst or nGbK (New Society for Visual Arts) in Berlin. But this exhibition is a little bit different in that it does not concern itself only with political resistance in Istanbul, but also with social protest in eastern Turkey. Ceyda Nurtsch took a look at the art on display and talked to the artists and the organisers
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
-
Israelische Menschenrechtlerin Yuli Novak
„Das System basiert auf Gewalt“
-
Syriens Präsident Ahmed al-Scharaa
Der falsche Erlöser
-
Prostitution in Tunesien
Das Verdeckte offenlegen
-
Gaza nach dem Krieg
Die verlorenen Bilder
-
Frauenrechte in Saudi-Arabien
Die erste Frau, die in Riad Auto fuhr
-
Sprachpolitik in Algerien
Abschied von der Kolonialsprache