Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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FairuzSongs for a Lebanon that never existed
Lebanese singer Fairuz, now a 90-year-old icon, began her career 70 years ago with mould-breaking musical theatre. Setting artistic milestones alongside the Rahbani brothers, she soundtracked the history of Lebanon through an era marked by suffering and war.
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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.
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On fleeing to GermanyPoems that strike a blow for freedom
The new collection "Sei neben mir und sieh, was mir geschehen ist" (Be beside me and see what happened to me) features works by 29 poets who arrived in Germany as refugees. Their texts, written in German, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, and Ukrainian, provide insights into their experiences.
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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.
Politics
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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.
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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.
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Gaddafi and the West's military interventionA nation forsworn, forsaken, forgotten
The political situation in Libya five years after the fall of Gaddafi is disastrous. President Obama recently admitted that the mistakes made by NATO could have been avoided. Now, more than ever, it is important to pursue the right strategy, says Gareth Evans, former chairman of the International Crisis Group
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IS attacks in Paris and BrusselsOrchestrating a reign of terror
The majority of IS terrorists to have been arrested recently are EU citizens, jihadist returnees from Syria and Iraq. Ever since the assault on the French satirical newspaper "Charlie Hebdo" in January 2014, international jihadists have increasingly been setting their sights on Europe
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Panama Paper revelationsThe Emirs of Panama
The autocratic Gulf states in particular are famous for their covert business style. It′s something they share with Panama′s offshore operations. Karim El-Gawhary reports on the involvement of prominent Arab politicians and businessmen in dubious financial transactions
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Police co-operation with EgyptIs Germany an "accessory to repression"?
A security agreement between Germany and Egypt is imminent, as confirmed by German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere during his Cairo visit in March. But is the Egyptian Interior Ministry, which has been held responsible for systematic torture and human rights violations, an appropriate partner for Berlin in the war against terrorism and in migration policy? By Sofian Philip Naceur
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Reforming the Arab security sectorA plea for transparency
In many Arab countries, comprehensive democratisation and national reconciliation is needed if urgently needed security sector reforms are to have the desired effect, says Yezid Sayigh, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut
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Egyptian-Saudi relationsTightening the pursestrings
Saudi Arabia has stumped up billions to help Egypt′s economy in recent years. But bilateral relations seem to be cooling under the new Saudi King Salman. An analysis by Sebastian Sons
Society
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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.
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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?
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The French crime writer Karim Miske in interview″There are no simple solutions″
In the wake of the Paris attacks, the question is how such an outbreak of hate and violence could have happened in France. French crime novelist Karim Miske described life in the desolate banlieues of Paris in his novel ″Arab Jazz″. In interview with Claudia Mende he advises against simplistic answers and talks about the difficulties French society has in accepting its immigrants, who feel more French than Arab
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The emotional wounds of refugee childrenTalking about the unspeakable
Refugee children experience awful situations while on the run. They do not talk about these traumatic experiences and are often left alone with their suffering. Now, in the city of Ulm, people are trying to help. A report by Sabrina Pabst
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A different take on SalafismThe power of provocation
Salafism. It's madness! It's the evil of our time! It's the decline of the West! These first, intuitive reactions are understandable. But in a second step, we should try to achieve a deeper and more self-critical insight into what this movement is all about. By Aladin El-Mafaalani
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Islamism in the Paris aftermathThe "Allah Generation": figment of the collective imagination
Many people fear that young refugees from Iraq or Syria are being recruited by Salafists in Western Europe. But the facts show that these fears are unfounded. By Michael Kiefer
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Paris aftermathJihadists drive the wedge deeper
The latest attacks by IS are an attempt to exploit societal rifts at the heart of Europe. Without a concerted effort to address deep-seated and justified concerns relating to domestic social and economic policy, France′s retaliatory strikes are likely to achieve little. By James Dorsey
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The Berlin Project "House of One"Three religions under one roof
Berlin is set to host Germany's first ever house of worship to unite synagogue, church and mosque. With the "House of One" project, Jews, Christians and Muslims aim to send out a signal of tolerance from Berlin's historic centre. Jannis Hagmann on the ambitious and refreshingly pragmatic project
Culture
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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?
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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.
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Jurji Zaidan's Arabic Historical NovelsEducating and Entertaining the Public
By writing historical novels, Jurji Zaidan wanted to provide the common Arabic people with an accurate sense of their own history in an accessible, entertaining way. His novels were unavailable in English for nearly a century. But now, in the last two years, six English translations have appeared. Marcia Lynx Qualey
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Interview with Mahdi Fleifel''God Is Not an Estate Agent''
In "A World not Ours", Danish-Palestinian filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel portrays for years the refugee camp Ain el-Helweh in Southern Lebanon, from where his family originates and where his grandfather still lives. Interview by Igal Avidan
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Documentary Feature ''The Iran Job''US Basketball Player as Cultural Diplomat
In Autumn 2008, film maker Till Schauder accompanied the American basketball player Kevin Sheppard to Iran, where he'd signed a contract to play a season with A.S. Shiraz. Initially, Sheppard tried to keep sport and politics apart, but he soon realised that that wasn't possible in Iran. By Laura Overmeyer
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Interview with Ezzedine Choukri Fishere''The Arab Revolution Is a Cultural Revolution''
Ezzedine Choukri Fishere is an Egyptian novelist, diplomat and academic. In this interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he talks about the new Egyptian identity and why the Arab revolution is just the beginning of a long process
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The Egyptian Artist Ali Abdel MohsenThe Natural Pessimist
Ali Abdel Mohsen is one of the young, original, and generally irreverent artists who appeared as if out of nowhere in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution and who have completely altered the Cairo art scene. A portrait by Claudia Mende
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Portrait of the Artist Anahita RazmiAttempts at Cultural Transfer
In her work, the German artist Anahita Razmi deals with both political and social issues, ones in fact that are often related to Iran, the homeland of her father. A portrait by Daniela Gregori
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
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Repräsentationsdefizit in den Nahoststudien
Alte Strukturen, neue Realitäten
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer
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Comic-Autor Joe Sacco
„Der Westen starb in Gaza“
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90 Jahre Fairuz
Lieder über einen perfekten Libanon, den es nie gab
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"Let’s Talk About Sex, Habibi" von Mohamed Amjahid
Liebe zwischen Kairo und Casablanca
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Cannabis und Islam
Eine vielschichtige Beziehung