Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
-
Syria after AssadAl-Sharaa and the global jihad
Jihadist groups around the world are watching Syria's transitional government closely. Al-Sharaa's takeover and moderate strategy are inspiring for some. Others view his pragmatism as betrayal and opt for violence.
-
"Christ in the Rubble" by Munther IsaacThe Christian case against the war on Gaza
Munther Isaac, a pastor in the West Bank, objects to Bible-based justifications for war and describes Gaza as a "moral compass". In a new book, "Christ in the Rubble", he offers views that are polarising without being destructive.
-
GazaCaught between starvation and deadly aid centres
In Gaza, survival now means facing not only bombs but also starvation. As some Palestinians risk their lives to receive aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, others turn to desperate measures to feed their children.
-
Moroccan Gnawa festivalA Sufi tradition on the world stage
A festival in Morocco is bringing Gnawa music to the mainstream. Shaped by migration, slavery and a long struggle for recognition, the once marginalised Sufi tradition is now internationally renowned.
Politics
More about Politics-
Morocco-Algeria arms race"The solution requires political courage"
Tensions between Morocco and Algeria are fuelling a frantic arms race. Moroccan researcher Hicham Mouatadid traces the roots of the rivalry and calls for a solution that goes beyond the Western Sahara conflict to address regional security as a whole.
-
Lebanese Civil WarThe postwar that never was
Fifty years since its outbreak, Lebanon's Civil War continues to shape its society and political system. The postwar era has been marked by violence, foreign occupation, political paralysis and economic crisis—raising the question: did the war ever truly end?
-
Israel's offensive in RafahWhat would make Egypt open its border to Palestinians?
As an Israeli military campaign causes casualties in densely crowded Rafah, near the Egyptian border, Egypt is under increasing pressure to admit displaced Palestinians
-
Yemen, USA and the war in GazaHouthi 'terrorist' label a threat to Yemen aid?
Houthi rebels in Yemen have been designated a "terrorist group" once before. Back in 2021, aid organisations said they feared the impact on "one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world". So what's changed?
-
Elections in IndonesiaWorld's third largest democracy at a crossroads
On 14 February 2024, some 205 million Indonesians are going to the polls to choose a new president as well as new national and regional parliaments. Over the past 25 years, the nation with the world's largest Muslim population has evolved into a stable democracy. Yet observers now fear autocratic tendencies
-
DAVA party woos ethnic TurksGermany fears the "Erdogan party"
For days, Germany has been discussing the emergence of a new party. Its name: DAVA. Critics say it is the extended arm of Turkish President Erdogan. Who is behind DAVA and what are its aims?
-
Hamas and sexual violence"No atrocity ever justifies another atrocity"
In early December, it was made public that Hamas fighters had systematically used sexual violence on 7 October. For international law expert Heidi Matthews, the offences undoubtedly require rigorous investigation. At the same time, however, the accusations are also being used as justification for Israel's disproportionate response in Gaza
-
The EU response to the Gaza warA tale of contradiction and division
Faced with the worst-ever Israeli-Palestinian violence, Europe's selective moralism has also led to strategic blindness
Society
More about Society-
German academiaWhen neutrality becomes complicity
German scholars of the Middle East often wear the mask of political neutrality. But both Western philosophy and the classical Islamic tradition insist that knowledge carries an ethical duty. A call for moral responsibility.
-
Iran at warThe scapegoating of Afghan refugees
Amid conflict with Israel, Tehran's regime is fuelling mistrust of Afghan refugees. Yet they are among those most vulnerable to Israeli air strikes.
-
No festive season in the West BankChristmas muted in 'grieving' Bethlehem
Outside Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity in the Palestinian West Bank, the throngs of tourists and pilgrims who normally rub shoulders with costumed Santas and marching bands are missing this year
-
Destination MoroccoA magnet for migrant women?
Morocco has slowly transformed from a transit country to a destination country for sub-Saharan African migrants – almost half of whom are women
-
U.S. universities and anti-SemitismSpotlight on freedom of speech
Since the eruption of the Israel-Hamas war, New York's Columbia University has been gripped by divisions over the conflict and rancour over where free speech ends and hatred begins
-
Life in LebanonFighting sectarianism with cheap groceries
Two women in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, have founded a non-profit grocery store that offers goods at affordable prices. But their bigger vision is to break down political and religious segregation
-
Cultural boycott of Germany?The German anti-Semitism debate is increasingly off-key
These days, anyone opposing both anti-Semitism and racism faces a difficult choice, as numerous recent cases show. Where must we start in order to change this?
-
Turkey's "Noel Baba"Questions and answers about St. Nicholas
The Feast of Saint Nicholas, observed on 6 December in Western Christian countries falls within the season of Advent. But who was this bringer of gifts?
Culture
More about Culture-
"Carmen" on the Egyptian stageRewritten to fit the patriarchal script
A stage production of "Carmen", adapted from Prosper Mérimée's French novella, has captured the attention of audiences and critics in Cairo. While the French novella portrayed Carmen as a free-spirited rebel, the Egyptian adaptation tells a different story.
-
"Dis-orienting the Maghreb" by Sadik RddadPlural identities in colonial Morocco
In his new book, Moroccan scholar Sadik Rddad revisits colonial-era British and American travel writing, challenging Edward Said's view of Orientalism and its flattening of Maghrebi identities.
-
'They Fell Like Stars from the Sky'Sheikha Helawy's joyous, rebellious passions
Their bodies might be displaced, torn away from homes and villages. Yet the memories of women and girls in Sheikha Helawy's short-story collection "They Fell Like Stars from the Sky" remain, haunting the spaces where they once lived. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the book
-
"Iraq's Invisible Beauty"Pictures, not words
"Iraq's Invisible Beauty" is a documentary film depicting the journey of the late Iraqi photographer Latif al-Ani, who gained international acclaim as one of the pioneers of photography in Iraq and the Middle East. By Shady Lewis Botros
-
Lebanon explosion 3 years onRebuilding Beirut's cultural life
Three years after a massive explosion devastated Beirut, cultural institutions in the city are still struggling to pick up the pieces. But restored and planned new museums offer hope. Stefan Dege reports
-
East JerusalemLibrary restores Palestinian history one manuscript at a time
A library in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem offers a rare glimpse into Palestinian history with its treasure trove of manuscripts dating back hundreds of years before the creation of Israel
-
The last SyrianDreaming of freedom
In his debut novel – "Le dernier Syrien" – Syrian journalist and author Omar Youssef Souleimane looks back on the protest movement of 2011, a time when many in Syria hoped for societal change and democratic structures. Volker Kaminski read the German-language version of the book for Qantara.de
-
Interlacing culturesMusic of the Nile
The Nile Project was a multinational music collective inspired by a river. It sang songs in a variety of styles and languages about life along and with the Nile. Like many projects in the region, it failed because of politics. By Katharina Wilhelm Otieno
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
-
Musiker Michael Barenboim über Gaza
„Nichts rechtfertigt einen Genozid“
-
Ditib-Zentralmoschee in Köln
Ein Ort des Gebets und der Begegnung
-
Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer
-
Interview mit dem Historiker Jürgen Zimmerer
"Es braucht einen Aufstand der Anständigen!“
-
Familien in Gaza nach einem Jahr Krieg
Jede Whatsapp könnte die letzte sein
-
Die pakistanische Schriftstellerin Bina Shah
Die schlafenden Frauen