Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Sumud FlotillaTunisia at the forefront of global convoy to Gaza
More than 50 boats are set to sail to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's blockade. While European activists dominate headlines, the mission unites participants from over 40 countries, including many from Tunisia, where solidarity with Palestine runs deep.
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New print issueWhat will become of Syria?
The question of Syria's future is the focus of the latest issue of Kulturaustausch, who we've partnered with for the first time. The answers come from our Syrian contributors. Articles are now available online in English.
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Artists in SyriaReclaiming space, testing limits
Since Assad's fall, Syrian artists and intellectuals have been seeking ways to respond to a transformed reality. Four cultural workers reflect on the shape of the cultural sphere in the new Syria.
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Egypt's TikTok crackdownSuzy el-Ordoneya and the politics of social media fame
A police crackdown in Egypt is targeting TikTok influencers. Among them is Suzy el-Ordoneya (Suzy the Jordanian), whose rapid rise has brought her into conflict with official state morality.
Politics
More about Politics-
The new SyriaA history of violence
For the first time in eleven years, Yassin al-Haj Saleh returned to his homeland. The Syrian writer and dissident found a country torn apart by internal conflicts and beset by worries about the return of tyranny. A historical analysis.
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Tunisia under Kais SaiedCivil society in survival mode
Since his re-election last year, Tunisian President Kais Saied has consolidated his authoritarian rule, silencing dissent and attacking marginalised groups. The EU must support Tunisian civil society rather than reinforcing Saied's populist narrative.
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Interview with the Islam scholar John Louis EspositoIslam′s image problem
In conversation with Habib El Mallouki, the renowned US Islam scholar John Louis Esposito talks about burgeoning Islamophobic and right-wing populist tendencies in Europe and the US as a consequence of the terrorist activities of radical Islamist groups
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Iran-Saudi conflictPlaying the sectarian card
Iran and Saudi Arabia are stoking the denominational conflict between Sunnis and Shias. Both sides are attempting to exploit an inner-Islamic conflict that has been raging for more than 1,300 years. And yet, as Andreas Gorzewski reports, it′s not always about religion
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Iran and Saudi Arabia:The impending storm
The rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia is not confessional in nature. Both lay claim to regional supremacy and also to the leading role in the Islamic world – maximalist positions that naturally provoke confrontation. An essay by Ali Fathollah-Nejad, political scientist with the German Council on Foreign Relations
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Iran and Saudi Arabia:A plea for Islamic tolerance
The escalating rivalries and animosities between Iran and Saudi Arabia have nothing to do with the Sunni-Shia divide in the Islamic theology, even less with the common fate and destiny of Iranians and Arabs among other nations in the region. An analysis by Hamid Dabashi
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Middle East conflictWhat prospect peace?
2015 closed in a wave of violence. Israel has continued consolidating its control of the West Bank and forged ahead with settlement building. Radical Palestinians have reacted to the increased repression with knife attacks. Details from Tel Aviv by Daniella Cheslow
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NATO in AfghanistanHopes of withdrawal fade
2015 was a troubled year for Afghanistan. With the Taliban and IS achieving temporary success within the country, NATO was forced to revise its troop withdrawal plans. A report by Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi
Society
More about Society-
Kafr Nabl, SyriaTraces of the revolution
When the Syrian revolution began in 2011, Kafr Nabl went from a sleepy, provincial town to a hub of resistance. Today, it resembles a ghost town. Its story may help ensure the revolution's original ideals are not forgotten.
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Economic hardship in SudanWar demands unconvential strategies
As the war continues in Sudan, survival has become a daily test of resilience for millions in the country. Business has to adapt and focuses on necessities: food, electricity, fuel and internet.
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Egypt′s media and the new anti-terror lawTowing the government line
The anti-terror law passed in mid-August has struck fear into the hearts of journalists and bloggers in Egypt. It imposes legal limits on how they report terrorist attacks, severely curtailing freedom of speech. Background by Mustafa Hashem in Cairo
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One Syrian refugee’s story″I could no longer live in Syria″
Syrian refugee Alaa Houd left his job and family and hired people smugglers to make his way to the wealthy countries of Western Europe. Hiring people smugglers was his only way of leaving war-torn Syria. Diana Hodali spoke to Syrian Alaa Houd and recounts his story for him
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Portrait of the refugee helper Father Zerai"All these people want is a chance"
The feisty Catholic priest Mussie Zerai is a staunch advocate of the rights of refugees in Italy and has already saved countless lives. A candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, he is known as the "refugees' guardian angel". Many refugees simply call him "Father Moses". By Andrea Backhaus
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The National Museum in BeirutFighting to save the region's cultural heritage
As world heritage sites in Iraq and Syria continue to be bombed, blown up and bulldozed, the question as to what can be done to save their historical treasures has taken on a new urgency. The National Museum in Beirut is playing its part in trying to save the region's cultural heritage. By Juliane Metzker in Beirut
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Converts to IslamGerman Islam
Germans who adopt Islam not out of frustration but out of a sincere passion for the religion are often disappointed by those born into the Muslim faith, finding that they insufficiently embody the beauty of Islamic doctrine and spirituality. By Charlotte Wiedemann
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Life in the West BankThe changing face of Ramallah
After the signing of the Oslo I Accord in 1993, Ramallah, the de-facto capital of the Palestinian Authority, became the biggest per-capita recipient of aid in the world. This, coupled with the influx of investment, turned the city into something of a boomtown. Ramallah's vibrant nightlife and work opportunities with international organisations have attracted many young people from the periphery of Palestine, but also criticism from those who ask how an occupied city can be so seemingly oblivious to what is happening just a few kilometres away or so willing to build over the city's heritage. By Ylenia Gostoli
Culture
More about Culture-
Afghan poet Matiullah TurabA critical voice even the Taliban listened to
Afghan poet Matiullah Turab has unexpectedly died. Turab saw himself as the modest voice of a tormented people—and even the extremists listened.
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Books on Israel-PalestineThe perennial question of the West
New publications on the Israel-Palestine conflict: Alena Jabarine writes about inequality and arbitrary violence in the West Bank, Omar El Akkad settles scores with the West and Gilbert Achcar analyses the ideological roots of Hamas and Zionism.
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Qalandiya International – the first Palestinian BiennaleAgainst the Flow
In today's Palestine, art does not reflect politics – art is politics. That, at least, is the conviction of Qalandiya International – the first Palestinian Biennale. Alia Rayyan shares her impressions from this unusual art event
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Interview with Iraqi author Hadiya Hussein''I feel closer to my country when I'm away''
Iraqi author Hadiya Hussein has been away from Iraq for more than a dozen years, yet her fiction is still filled with its concerns. Her 2004 novel "Beyond Love", recently published in English translation, is full of exile, separation, and love. Hussein talked with Marcia Lynx Qualey about home, memory, and how living outside the country affects her writing
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Interview with the Algerian Singer Houria AïchiAmbassador of Chaouia Culture
Houria Aïchi comes from a family of Berbers. They are known as Chaouia and live on the Aurès plateau in North-Eastern Algeria. She is now a renowned singer and lives in Paris. Suleman Taufiq spoke to her
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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 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
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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