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
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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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Popular unrest in the Middle EastWho says popular demand for change is off the agenda?
Recent protests in Beirut against government corruption and incompetence highlight a growing revival of non-violent dissent across the Middle East and North Africa. As well as an end to corruption, protesters in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon have been taking to the streets demanding improvement in basic public services such as waste management, accountability and transparency. By James M. Dorsey
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Planned ″business amnesty legislation″ in TunisiaTunisia: sweeping history under the carpet rather than confronting the past?
A proposed law designed to provide amnesty for corrupt businessmen is causing uproar in Tunisia. Opponents accuse the government of subverting the reappraisal of the country's dictatorial past. Details supplied by Sarah Mersch in Tunis
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The responsibility of the wealthy in the refugee crisisPlea for a refugee solidarity tax
In view of the refugee crisis in Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel should enlist the services of high earners and the wealthy when addressing this acute issue of national importance. This would send both a necessary and shrewd political signal that could have immense significance for the preservation of social stability, says Stefan Buchen
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European refugee policy: a commentaryEurope needs common standards
The refugee crisis is a chance to revive Europe's humanitarian heritage. Germany and the German people are taking the lead, says Loay Mudhoon
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Civil war in SyriaFirst Assad, then "Islamic State"
If the self-styled "Islamic State" is to be successfully combatted, the Syrian conflict has to be resolved. And for this, one thing is necessary above all: an alternative to the Assad regime. This alternative can only be created in safe zones, writes Kristin Helberg
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Lebanon's "You Stink" protest movementRubbish knows no religion
Triggered by a waste disposal crisis, a new movement has formed in Lebanon. Yet the "You Stink" campaign is more than an initiative against unsolved rubbish problems; it is also a rebellion against Lebanon's family clans and confessionalism, a system that divides up political power among the country's religious communities in proportion to their percentage of the population. By Karim El-Gawhary
Society
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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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Recruitment strategies used by Islamic StateA mutation of religion
The crude promises of salvation and ideological constructs propagated by IS, and the apocalyptic fantasies it is spreading via films and magazines on the Internet make the terrorist militia attractive to radical forces not only in the Arab world but in Europe too. By Michael Kiefer
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The Palestinian village of SusiyaArchaeology of a dispossession
Susiya is a small Palestinian village in the West Bank. In 1986, when the remains of a synagogue were found in the village, the site was declared a national park and the land confiscated. Residents were relocated to nearby agricultural lands. Last March, the Israeli government sought permission from the High Court of Justice to demolish the village and relocate its residents again, claiming the land for further archaeological work. Ylenia Gostoli visited the village to find out more
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The headscarf in the colonial periodRemove your veils!
As far back as over 100 years ago, people were already arguing that the headscarf was a symbol of male oppression and therefore incompatible with Western civilisation and its system of values. In the French colonies, authorities actually followed through on these ideas, forcing women to take off their veils. Historical insights from Susanne Kaiser
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Interview with Fereshta Ludin"The decision for or against the headscarf is wholly a matter for the woman herself"
Fereshta Ludin is probably one of the most famous teachers in Germany. Her battle to be allowed to wear the headscarf in the classroom began in 2003 – initially without success. But she is optimistic following the latest ruling from the judges at Germany's Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. She spoke to Emran Feroz
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The headscarf ruling from Germany's Constitutional CourtHeated debate on all sides
The headscarf ruling handed down by the Karlsruhe judges on 13 March met with divided reactions. While some are calling it a landmark decision, others see it not as a solution but as a potential source of further problems. Canan Topcu outlines the various positions
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Interview with the political scientist Farid Hafez"An expression of institutional Islamophobia"
The most recent amendment to the Islam Law in Austria is also making waves in Germany. While some politicians at the conservative end of the spectrum would like to introduce a "German version" of the law, critics believe adopting it would be the wrong way to go. One of these critics is the Austrian political theorist Farid Hafez. Emran Feroz asked him about his objections to the new law
Culture
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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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Abdellah Taïa's Novel ''The Day of the King''The Bitter Taste of Injustice
In his most recent novel, Le jour du Roi (The Day of the King), which has just been published in German translation, the Moroccan author Abdellah Taïa once again takes the reader back to the "leaden years", Morocco's dark days under the former ruler Hassan II. Claudia Kramatschek sends us this review
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Interview with Etel Adnan''I React to What is Happening in the World''
Etel Adnan, the grand dame of Middle Eastern literature, is the epitome of cosmopolitanism: throughout her life, she has oscillated between one country, one language, and one genre and another. dOCUMENTA (13) dedicated an entire retrospective to this exceptional poet, writer, and painter. Vera Kern travelled to Kassel to meet the 87-year-old
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Cinema Jenin on the West BankBetween Hope and Reality
In his documentary film "Cinema Jenin," director Marcus Vetter portrays the revival of a run-down movie theatre on the West Bank. But a cinema is not enough to bring back normality. By Bernd Sobolla
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''Razor Film'' Production on the Middle EastExperts on Sensitive Issues and Taboos
For ten years now, Razor Film in Berlin has been producing films that have provoked audiences and intentionally broken political taboos. With the films "Paradise Now" and "Waltz with Bashir", the small production company achieved a cinematic breakthrough. It will soon release its first film from Saudi Arabia. By Andrea Horakh
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Aman Mojadidi on Afghan Contemporary Art''Solutions Don't Always Come from Elsewhere''
For the first time, Afghanistan takes centre stage at this year's Documenta 13. The world's most influential international art exhibition has recently opened its doors in Kassel, Germany. The affiliated Documenta event in Kabul is curated by Aman Mojadidi. In this interview with Martin Gerner, he talks about the challenges facing Afghan contemporary art
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"Mahatat" Dance Project in CairoStop and Dance!
Spontaneous flash mob art amid social upheaval and political turmoil – "Stop and Dance" is an ambitions intercultural dance project, which aims to promote mobile street art in Egypt. Amira El Ahl reports from Cairo
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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