Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
-
Comic book author Joe Sacco"Gaza was where the West went to die"
Trailblazing cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco reflects on Western coverage of the war on Gaza, oral histories, and comics as a medium for critical journalism.
-
Post-Assad Syria"Let freedom of the press be enshrined as sacrosanct"
The collapse of the Assad regime must not only mark the end of an era steeped in fear and oppression, but it must also serve as the dawn of a new chapter in the country’s history. Syrian independent media outlets publish their demands to the new government.
-
ICC arrest warrantsWhat the Netanyahu warrant can teach us about international law
Arrest warrants issued against Israeli leaders are putting international law to the test. Do Western states only support UN courts when it serves their interests? Can the "principle of universal jurisdiction" save international criminal justice?
-
Israel in new Merkel memoir "Freedom"Merkel's reason of state
When Angela Merkel used the word "Staatsräson" in a 2008 speech to the Israeli Knesset, she may not have expected the enduring intensity of the debate it would ignite. In the new memoir "Freedom", the former chancellor reveals her idealised view of Israel, and her reluctance to acknowledge Palestinian perspectives.
From our archive: Christmas in Islam
Politics
More about Politics-
Trump and the Gulf StatesSkeptical optimism in the Gulf
Saudi Arabia and the Emirates hope to reap economic benefits from the Trump presidency. But the Gulf has learned that Washington cannot be relied upon. Meanwhile, the Saudis could push Trump to take a tougher stance towards Israel.
-
Dawn of a new eraZero hour in Syria
After more than half a century in power, the Assad regime has fallen. The end of one of recent history's most brutal dictatorships has sparked both joy and deep uncertainty about the country's future. Who are Syria's most powerful factions? And are there any "good guys"?
-
Elections in MoroccoEnough austerity
Morocco′s Party for Justice and Development (PJD) faces a stiff confidence test on 7 October when parliamentary elections are held for the second time since constitutional reforms were adopted in 2011. Moreover, rumours that the Makhzen is finished with the PJD means that the main opposition – the Party for Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) – poses a serious challenge at the polls. Analysis by Matthew Greene
-
On the death of Shimon PeresStranger than fiction
In the blanket homage to the late Israeli politician Shimon Peres there are significant omissions. One should not speak ill of the dead. But nevertheless, the gushing praise demands further clarification. A critical appraisal by Stefan Buchen
-
Russia and the Syrian conflictDrop the dictator!
For there to be any hope of an end to the war in Syria, Moscow has to realise that an orderly handover of power in Damascus is in its own interest, writes Kristin Helberg
-
India and PakistanUnable to bury the axe
Following the latest attack on an Indian military base in Kashmir, India and Pakistan have yet again locked horns over the disputed region. Now the Indian government says it wants to isolate its Islamic neighbour as a terrorist state. Report by Ronald Meinardus in New Delhi
-
Israel and the settlementsNetanyahu′s forked tongue
The video posted by Benjamin Netanyahu on 9 September took everyone by surprise. Nobody could explain it – neither the timing, the essence, nor the Israeli prime minister′s hidden agenda. For years now, the so-called peace process has been in stasis. Then, out of the blue, Netanyahu decides to address the evacuation of Jewish settlers. Commentary by Gideon Levy
-
Tahrir Square's democracy activistsThe forgotten heroes
Egypt's activists were once the heroes of Tahrir Square. Then the world forgot them – and all other Arab democrats along with them. Authoritarian states and Salafists are not giving them any leeway. By Mey Dudin
Society
More about Society-
Podcast with Qantara author Emran Feroz"The question is: which human rights do the Taliban not violate?"
In August 2021, the USA and its allies withdrew from Afghanistan. Emran Feroz joins the "Deep Dive" podcast to shed light on the human rights situation in the country after three years of Taliban rule.
-
Syrians in Germany"We have suffered at the hands of this regime, its fall unites us"
Stunned by the sudden collapse of the Assad regime, Syrians take their joy to the streets of Berlin. Some have already started planning their return home.
-
The scourge of sectarianismObstinate mass suicide
In his essay, the well-known Jordanian journalist and literary scholar Fahkri Saleh explores the impact of the scourge – characterised by fanaticism, extremism, introversion and lethal sectarianism – that is currently sweeping the Muslim world
-
Islam and eroticismLet′s talk about sex, Ali
Religion is often regarded as prudish and anti-pleasure. Ali Ghandour (32), an academic at the University of Munster, sees it differently – and has written a book about sex and the erotic from the perspective of Muslim scholars. Interview by Lukas Wiesenhutter
-
German mini-series: ″Mitten in Deutschland: NSU″Don't look the other way!
The NSU neo-Nazi terrorist trial barely makes the headlines anymore. A German TV miniseries on their alleged murders also met with little interest. Sarah Judith Hofmann wonders whether Germans are even interested in the case being solved
-
"Aleppo Evil" spreading in SyriaA plague of parasites
The "Aleppo Evil" is spreading rapidly in Syria – an infectious disease spread by sandflies, insects for which the rubble of destroyed cities offers the perfect breeding ground. And once again, the West is looking the other way. By Stefan Buchen
-
Palmyra post-ISA pawn in Assad's game
For Palmyra, Assad is just as bad as IS. Completely rebuilding Palmyra's destroyed cultural treasures would turn it into a kind of Disneyland, says archaeologist Annie Sartre-Fauriat. Interview by Sabine Oelze
-
Cultural rapprochement with IranLaden with promise
Following the historic Iran nuclear deal that was clinched in Vienna in July 2015 and the subsequent lifting of sanctions against Iran in mid-January 2016, Germany and Iran are now looking for ways to stimulate cultural dialogue and exchange between the two countries. Dorothea Grassmann talks to Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Culture
More about Culture-
Tunisia's Carthage Film FestivalDecolonial cinema
The Carthage Film Festival in Tunis aims to counter the Global North's dominance in the world of film. Until Sunday, a diverse range of films from Africa and West Asia will be screened. But can the festival truly fulfil its own ambitions?
-
Palestinian director Dima Hamdan"There is no pride when gay men are blackmailed"
Winner of the prestigious Iris Film Prize, Dima Hamdan's short film "Blood like Water" addresses how Israel uses the social stigma of homosexuality in Palestinian society to blackmail gay men.
-
Translations of Classical Islamic LiteratureFrom the Emotional Orient to the Distortion of Islam
Why does classical Oriental poetry still sound so ornate to western ears? Blame the translations. These are still following the model of the eighteenth century, when the myth arose that Islamic poets were sentimental geniuses in the realm of emotion and romance. An essay by Stefan Weidner
-
The Egyptian Author Safaa Abdelmenem"The Characters in My Novels Talk in Dialect"
Her love for the characters in her novels is boundless. The characters themselves provide the direction that the creative process takes. This is why Safaa Abdelmenem wrote her novel "Euphoric" completely in Egyptian, the language of her protagonists. By Mohamed El-Baaly
-
Caroline Link's Film "Exit Marrakech"Understanding the Cultural "Other"
With her exquisite and sensitive film "Exit Marrakech", Caroline Link demonstrates genuine openness towards Morocco – the beauty of its landscape, the social diversity, and the country's cultural wealth, as well as for its social extremes and contradictions. A review by Christoph Leisten
-
Interview with Yasmine Hamdan"I Am a Nomad"
Yasmine Hamdan is a rising star on the alternative electro-pop scene in Lebanon. In her solo debut album "Ya Nass", she has given classical Arabic music a modern twist. An interview by Juliane Metzker
-
Iraqi Pop MusicRaid Yousif – A Superstar in Limbo
After fleeing his native Iraq and settling in Germany, Raid Yousif is devoting himself to developing his music career. Despite setbacks, he's intent on breaking new ground. Eike Rüdebusch reports
-
Interview with Nacer KhemirIslam as a Culture of Reconciliation
Tunisian film-maker and visual artist Nacer Khemir criticises the cultural inertia, which he feels was caused by decades of dictatorship, and the growing religious fervour gripping his country. He spoke to Christina Omlin
From the Syria archive: Assad's regime of terror
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
-
Reform des Familienrechts in Marokko
Das Ringen um koranische Prinzipien
-
"Weihnachten und der Koran"
Die Basis des Dialogs zwischen Islam und Christentum
-
Sexuelle Aufklärung
Der größte Erfolg des Arabischen Frühlings?
-
Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer
-
Syrerinnen in Assads Kerkern
Gequält und gedemütigt
-
Cannabis und Islam
Eine vielschichtige Beziehung