Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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US Election 2024Time to vote for Trump? How the Democrats are losing Arab voters
Arab-Muslim voters in the US are turning away from the Democrats because of their support for Israel. In Michigan, a Democratic mayor has even endorsed Trump. The US election may well be decided in this state, which is home to about 240,000 Muslims.
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Reform of Iraq's Personal Status LawAre Shiite forces on the verge of victory?
The Personal Status Law in Iraq encompasses regulations on marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance and more. It could soon be amended, with dramatic consequences for women's and children's rights. Feminists and left-leaning political parties have mobilised to defend it.
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UAE in GazaSecuring a role in the postwar plan
The United Arab Emirates is supplying vital humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Behind the scenes, it is working closely with Israel and the US to plan for the future of the enclave—and to secure a role for itself—once the war is over.
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Book “111 Places in Berlin That Teach Us About Islam”Searching for traces of Muslim life in Berlin
The historic Şehitlik cemetery in Kreuzberg, the queer-friendly Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque in Moabit, the Muslim community's poetry slam i-Slam: Islam is part of Berlin's history, politics and everyday life.
Politics
More about Politics-
Hezbollah's new leader Naim QassemStepping out of Nasrallah's shadow
Naim Qassem is a veteran of Hezbollah in Lebanon. A member since its foundation, he could never escape the shadow of Nasrallah. Now, he's the boss, and a man the Israeli government says is living with a death sentence.
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UAE in GazaSecuring a role in the postwar plan
The United Arab Emirates is supplying vital humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Behind the scenes, it is working closely with Israel and the US to plan for the future of the enclave—and to secure a role for itself—once the war is over.
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Saudi intervention in YemenStoking the fires
Riyadh′s support for militants fighting the Houthis has greatly benefited al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Yemen. Reversing their advances is likely to prove difficult. By Nasser Arrabyee
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″Islamic State″: lessons learntWhat chance a Muslim reformation?
Muslims who describe IS as un-Islamic and declare that it has nothing to do with genuine Islam cannot deny that many of their fellow believers identify with the image of Islam promoted by the jihadists and their ideology. A thorough examination of the Muslim faith is long overdue. By Hakim Khatib
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Iran and the Revolutionary GuardPulling the economy's strings
They may dress in clerical garb or call themselves the "Seal of the Prophet", but their focus is on a different kind of profit. Religious foundations and the Revolutionary Guard are running Iran's business. Thomas Kohlmann reports
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Elections in IranEven Khomeini can be disqualified
The moderate cleric Hassan Khomeini has been excluded as a candidate for the Assembly of Experts in Iran, even though he is the grandson of the nation's founder. This example shows why it so difficult for the moderates and reformists to assert themselves against the country's conservative establishment. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Iran′s image in the Arab worldConservative regime and open-minded society
The Kuwaiti analyst Shafeeq Ghabra believes that the real strength of Iran is its society, which is much more emancipated than the regime and more open-minded than the ruling mullahs. Iranian society is not only young, but also more secular than any Arab society
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Interview with Martin Kobler, UN Special Representative on Libya"Libya must not become the Syria of tomorrow"
In view of the advance of IS in Libya, the UN's Special Representative on Libya, Martin Kobler, warns of the need for swift action: the Libyan state must reinstate its monopoly on the use of force to enable it to take appropriate counter measures. Karim El-Gawhary spoke to the German diplomat
Society
More about Society-
US Election 2024Time to vote for Trump? How the Democrats are losing Arab voters
Arab-Muslim voters in the US are turning away from the Democrats because of their support for Israel. In Michigan, a Democratic mayor has even endorsed Trump. The US election may well be decided in this state, which is home to about 240,000 Muslims.
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Reform of Iraq's Personal Status LawAre Shiite forces on the verge of victory?
The Personal Status Law in Iraq encompasses regulations on marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance and more. It could soon be amended, with dramatic consequences for women's and children's rights. Feminists and left-leaning political parties have mobilised to defend it.
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Sunni–Shia relationsIran's futile bid for ecumenism within Islam
Although Saudi Arabia distances itself from groups like al-Qaida, its leaders share the terrorist organisation's mistrust of the Shias and fear the emergence of a "Shia Crescent" in the Middle East. But Iran has always seen itself not as a Shia but as an Islamic country and declares itself committed to a rapprochement between the different Islamic denominations. Ulrich von Schwerin analyses why Iran's attempts to further ecumenism within Islam have thus far been in vain
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Misogynists unite?Women, Islam and Germany's modern society
For many people Islam and misogyny are apparently inseparable. And for some, growing numbers of refugees are pushing up levels of concern over both. But if immigrants and their children are thinking in patriarchal family structures, this has less to do with their religion or culture and far more to do with German immigration policy. An essay by Susanne Kaiser
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Islam and the WestWhat Islamisation?
The state promotes Islam in public life – and for good reason. This has nothing to do with Islamisation but with the liberties enshrined in the constitutions of the Western democracies, writes Christine Langenfeld, chair of the Expert Council of German Foundations on Integration and Migration
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Hamed Abdel-Samads Buch "Mohamed: Eine Abrechnung"From critique of Islam to post-Salafism
The Egyptian-German Hamed Abdel-Samad is one of Germany′s best-known Muslim media pundits – and at the same time one of the country′s most popular critics of Islam. Following a book on Islamic fascism, he has now brought out his ″reckoning″ with the prophet Mohammed. Yet Abdel-Samad remains wedded to the thought structures of Salafism, says Stefan Weidner in his book review
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Juergen Habermas awarded Kluge Prize for Philosophy″Asylum is a human right″
What holds society together and what's our role in it? Philosophers Juergen Habermas and Charles Taylor have recently been honoured in the US for their work on these issues. By Klaus Kraemer and Stefan Reccius
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Portrait of the Syrian intellectual Sadiq al-AzmCritical philosopher and political activist
Though Damascene born and bred, al-Azm is a true cosmopolitan - with no nostalgia for his mother′s baking, no tears shed over the good old days, and no longing for the fresh scent of jasmine so reminiscent of Damascus. He has always preferred personal freedom with all its associated risks to the comfort of a familiar environment. By Yassin al-Haj Saleh
Culture
More about Culture-
Book “111 Places in Berlin That Teach Us About Islam”Searching for traces of Muslim life in Berlin
The historic Şehitlik cemetery in Kreuzberg, the queer-friendly Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque in Moabit, the Muslim community's poetry slam i-Slam: Islam is part of Berlin's history, politics and everyday life.
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Album "Mute" by El KhatOn the edge of anarchy
The Berlin-based Yemenite-Israeli band El Khat use handmade instruments to create a chaotic blend of styles and traditions. Behind the raucous noise, they explore themes of silencing, conflict and displacement.
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Post-Migrant Literature in Germany''The time has come to speak out very, very loudly''
The writers duo Marianne Salzmann and Deniz Utlu are pioneers of Germany's post-migrant literary scene. In this interview with Astrid Kaminski, they talk about 'transcultural perspectives', the meaning of subculture and anti-Semitism in Germany
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The Palestinian flutist Dalia MoukarkerBach in the West Bank
A young Palestinian flutist, who grew up without any classical training, has won a place at a prestigious German music school thanks to her own perseverance, and teachers and friends who believed in her talent. Kate Hairsine reports
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The Writer Alaa al-AswaniA Desperate Citizen of Egypt
"We will topple Mursi, just as we toppled Mubarak": A few years ago Alaa al-Aswani wrote what is arguably the most successful novel ever to be written in Arabic, now he is fighting for democracy in his homeland. By Tim Neshitov
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The Trio OlivinnSchubert's 'Trout' à la Turka
The trio Olivinn blends Turkish folk songs with German art songs and jazz elements, creating a universal music language in which listeners from different backgrounds discover elements that are familiar to them. Ceyda Nurtsch met the group and set out on a musical journey through different cultures and history
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Interview with Filmmaker Lina al-Abed''I Believe in the Syrian People''
Lina al-Abed is a journalist and filmmaker who left her home in Damascus, Syria, to start a career in Beirut, Lebanon. In this interview with Irmgard Berner, she talks about women in the Arab film business and how the Syrian revolution has already in some ways liberated Syrians
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German-Israeli TiesStill Best of Friends?
Despite German Chancellor Angela Merkel's strong, traditional backing for Israel, some Germans are becoming more critical of the country and calling into question Germany's unequivocal support. By Daniella Cheslow
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