Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Women's rights in SyriaToo early for confidence
At the end of February, the highly anticipated National Dialogue Conference took place in Damascus. Did the meeting meet expectations? Karim El-Gawhary talked to women's rights activists on the ground before and after the event.
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Öcalan and the PKKFrom terrorist to peacemaker
On Saturday, the PKK declared a ceasefire in response to jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan's call to disarm. The collapse of the last Turkey-PKK ceasefire in 2015 triggered an eruption of violence. Will Öcalan succeed in ending the 46-year-old conflict this time?
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New album "Ajdad" by Amir Amiri EnsembleEchoes of a shared past
On the album "Ajdad", Montreal-based Iranian composer and santur master Amir Amiri seeks to reunite Arabic and Persian musical traditions, historically divided by repression and conflict.
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Musician Michael Barenboim on Gaza"Nothing justifies genocide"
Violinist Michael Barenboim, leader of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, calls for an arms embargo against Israel and argues that the German media has failed in its responsibilities. He tells Qantara how he balances art and activism.
Politics
More about Politics-
Turkey and post-Assad SyriaBound together by fate, history and migration
Turkey’s close ties to the new Syrian regime have reignited fierce debates at home. In Syria, Turkey sees a reflection of its own deep divisions—Islamist vs. secular, Alawite vs. Sunni, Turkish vs. Kurdish.
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German elections 2025Debates on the Middle East, migration and antisemitism
Germany heads to the polls on 23 February. Where do the main parties stand on migration, Israel and Gaza, antisemitism and the future of Syria?
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Pakistan′s struggle with sectarianismEnough is enough
In recent years, Pakistan, a country with a rich and varied multi-ethnic and multi-religious history, has become a hostile place for minorities. Aurangzeb Qureshi, writer and political commentator, examines how Pakistan might quell its burgeoning sectarianism
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Sadiq Khan′s LondonDemocracy wins out
Pakistani by origin, Muslim by faith and newly elected Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan is the man of the hour in the United Kingdom, if not in Europe. As Bernard-Henri Levy argues, his victory sends a highly positive signal
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Sykes-Picot and the role of Gertrude BellMidwife of the Middle East
The order of nation states in the Middle East has been disintegrating since Islamic State fighters overran the Syrian border in 2014 – a border that dates back to 1916 and a secret agreement between the diplomats Sir Mark Sykes and Francois Georges-Picot. Yet one woman also played a key role: the British national Gertrude Bell. Birgit Svensson visited her grave in Baghdad
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100 years of Sykes-Picot"A tapestry of plans and promises"
One hundred years ago, the Middle East was divvied up between the French and the British. The historian Maurus Reinkowski talks about the long-term effects of the colonialist powers' splitting up of the spoils. Interview by Andreas Noll
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Iraq′s political crisisAl-Sadr the power broker
Demonstrators have gathered in Baghdad to protest Iraq's government every Friday for months. The Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is using the movement to stage his political comeback. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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Political protests in EgyptSisi′s falling star
Just days after the Egyptian regime seemed capable of tolerating protests critical of its policies, the authorities clamped down massively on a new wave of demonstrations to hit the country. The security apparatus' ambivalent response to the unrest has raised questions. By Sofian Philip Naceur in Cairo
Society
More about Society-
Forensic expert in Syria"Opening the graves is not a priority"
In Syria, families of those who disappeared under Assad are desperate for answers. But before bodies can be identified, countless files, photos and videos must be gathered. "There is a bureaucracy of the dead," says forensic scientist Luis Fondebrider.
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Volleyball in GazaPlaying without fear
An amateur women's volleyball team in Gaza is offering displaced people a sense of peace amid the destruction. The women on the team dream of a lasting end to Israel's war on the enclave.
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Book review: ″Auf der Flucht″ by Karim El Gawhary and Mathilde SchwabenederBorn in the wrong place
″Auf der Flucht″ by Karim El Gawhary and Mathilde Schwabeneder tells stirring and disturbing real-life tales of people who have lost everything. Martina Sabra read the book
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The Islam debateThe dual consciousness of Muslims
Muslims today can no longer think, or ultimately exist, outside the widespread lore about Islam, which links them to discussions about terror, violence and the separation of religion and society. They can never be free of the neverending stream of projections about Islam. An essay by Farid Hafez
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Muslims in IndiaNothing like equal opportunities
Despite being India′s largest minority, the Muslim community is marginalised both economically and politically. Although Muslims are frequently targeted in acts of communal violence, the government and the population at large generally associate Islam with terrorism. Ghazala Jamil examines the quest of Indian Muslims for genuine participation and representation
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Prostitution in TunisiaThe big reveal
An art project exposes just how much the state controls sex workers in Tunisia. Such women not only have their freedom of movement restricted, they also face social isolation. Several brothels have been closed down since the Jasmine revolution. A report by Christina Omlin
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IS and its mediaCalling all suicide bombers
The media is playing its part in today's horror as "Islamic State" showcases its terrorists in magazines, videos and on the Internet to recruit new members. Joseph Croitoru examines how IS strategy has developed and evolved
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France after the attacksOf Islam, champagne and bombs
The situation in France continues to be tense following the latest attacks in Paris. But instead of solving the problems at home, the focus is solely on Syria. Details from Emran Feroz
Culture
More about Culture-
Gaza documentary "Yalla Parkour"It all started with a smile
The documentary "Yalla Parkour", which held its European premiere at the Berlinale, is a tribute to Gaza before 7 October—and an urgent appeal to support the survivors of the war.
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Documentary on racist attack in GermanyFighting for the truth in Hanau
Director Marcin Wierzchowski has been following the families of the victims in Hanau since the day after the shootings. His new documentary, "Das Deutsche Volk", premiered last week, marking the fifth anniversary of the racist attack.
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Mohammed Rasoulof's ''Manuscripts Don't Burn''Iranian Agents as Killers
The Islamic Republic's intelligence service is unmasked for the first time in a film based on a series of murders of Iranian writers and intellectuals in the late 1990s. Stefan Buchen introduces the new movie by director Mohammed Rasoulof
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Islam in European Classical MusicAs-salam alaykum Resounding from the Minaret
We cannot say precisely when the musical penetration of East and West began, but one thing is certain: composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and others could not resist the fascination of the Orient. Thus elements of Turkish music, Persian poetry and Arabic storytelling found their way straight to the heart of European culture. By Nadja Kayali
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Interview with Syrian Writer Nihad SireesOn Literature's Honest Surrender
Syrian author Nihad Sirees has written seven novels and several plays and TV dramas. After increasing pressure from the Syrian government, Sirees left Aleppo in early 2012. Marcia Lynx Qualey met him at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair, just as he was leaving his exile in the US and moving to Egypt
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Film on the Case of Murat Kurnaz''A Scandal of Democracy''
"Five Years" examines the fate of the German Guantanamo prisoner Murat Kurnaz. Director Stefan Schaller's film exposes viewers to the horrific abuse of human rights endured by camp detainees. Jochen Kürten reports
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Lebanese Victims of TortureRemembering Palmyra
They were abducted and tortured. Now they have taken to the stage: In "The German Chair", Lebanese survivors of Syrian jails recreate the horrors of the civil war in a play. By Jannis Hagmann
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Interview with the Tunisian Theatre Director Meriam BousselmiFear of Religious Fanatics
The young Tunisian lawyer, dramatist and director, Meriam Bousselmi, was born in Tunis, where she still lives, in 1983. She's currently making a name for herself with sharp, critical works for the theatre, such as her latest production, "Sabra". She spoke to Suleman Taufiq
From the Syria archive: Assad's regime of terror
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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