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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Politics and religionThe instrumentalisation of religion
Since time immemorial, religion has not only been used as an inspiration and a guide for life, but also as a way of furthering interests and achieving specific political ends. This instrumentalisation can be either intentional or unintentional. In this essay, Hakim Khatib looks at a number of countries where Islam has been instrumentalised in the recent past and examines the various different forms this instrumentalisation can take
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Islamism in eastern AfricaNot immune to terror
Somalia, Kenya and their neighbouring countries are increasingly being haunted by extremist violence. This essay assesses why this region has become a hotbed of Islamism and why one-dimensional military interventions by external forces have not delivered the desired results. By Emmanuel Kisiangani
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Interview with a survivor of the Suruc attack"All we want is freedom"
The faces of the 31 members of the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF) killed in the attack on 20 July still gaze down from banners strung around the courtyard of the Amara Culture Centre where the bomb was detonated. Inside, surrounded by broken windows, sits Adnan, a 25-year-old Kurd, who describes the IS terrorism that drove him out of Kobani, only to catch up with him across the border in Suruc. Fabian Kohler spoke to him about the attack
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State and religion in Iran"Shias tend to support the underdogs"
The Shia faith has always been a defining aspect of Iranian nationhood. In the twentieth century, the pro-Western regime of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi silenced critics and was eventually toppled by a popular revolution with strong religious dimensions in 1979. Tehran's stance has since been basically anti-Western, but that may now be changing. Maysam Behravesh, a political analyst with Tehran Bureau, assessed the nature of the Shia regime in an interview with Hans Dembowski
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Interview with Wilfried Buchta on the rise of IS and the fall of Iraq"Iraq is irreversibly split"
In his new book, "Terror vor Europas Toren" (Terror at the Gates of Europe), Wilfried Buchta analyses the reasons for the rise of the jihadist militia of the self-styled "Islamic State" and the disintegration of the Iraqi state. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to Buchta, a scholar of Islam, who worked as a UN analyst in Baghdad for many years about the future of the nation
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Social justice and political reforms in IranA ticking time bomb
While the nuclear agreement with Iran may have opened the gates for oil exports and the import of European goods, the door to greater human rights, a pluralistic political party system and social justice in Iran remains firmly closed. Nevertheless, these central demands, which are made by large swathes of Iranian society, could soon come to the fore again. An analysis by Faraj Sarkohi
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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Women's magazine "Zhin" in Iraqi KurdistanChallenging traditions
A number of female journalists in Iraqi Kurdistan are shaking up a male-dominated domain with a magazine that aims to highlight the problems and abuse many women still face. They are reporting on women's success stories and addressing controversial issues such as female genital mutilation. Melissa Tabeek visited the editorial team in Sulaymaniyah
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Interview with Ronja von Wurmb-Seibel"My life in Afghanistan is more normal than people assume"
Ronja von Wurmb-Seibel is a German journalist and author of "Ausgerechnet Kabul" (Kabul, of all places). Her book is an account of her time in Afghanistan and provides an insider's perspective on the country, going beyond the subjects of burqa, Taliban and the role of the German Army in the country. Roma Rajpal Weiss spoke to her about the war-torn country and the situation for women in Afghanistan
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Interview with Martha NussbaumOvercoming narcissistic fears
Martha Nussbaum is one of the best-known American philosophers of our time. Her book: The New Religious Intolerance. Overcoming the Politics of Fear in an Anxious Age was recently published in German. Ceyda Nurtsch spoke to her
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Young Islam ConferenceHeadscarves not an issue for young people
Germany's Young Islam Conference has existed for five years, holding its national congress in Berlin recently. Participants say they are working towards a diverse and tolerant Germany. By Bettina Marx
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Sufis in AfghanistanThe forgotten mystics of the Hindu Kush
Sufism has shaped Afghan society and politics for much of the country's history. Today, very few are aware of this legacy. Might the Sufis now provide an important contribution to the stability of the country? By Marian Brehmer
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The Taybeh Vinfest, West BankTurning water into wine
Taybeh, the last Christian village in the West Bank, is well-known for its brewery and annual Oktoberfest. Late last year, the family that owns the brewery launched a winery. The first Taybeh wine festival (the Taybeh Vinfest) was held at the end of February. The Khoury family has always claimed that developing the local economy is their way of putting up peaceful resistance and encouraging Palestinians to stay in – or return to – their native home instead of going abroad in search of better opportunities. 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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The Film ''Tracks of Cairo''An Audio Diary of the Revolution
In January 2011, the German filmmaker Alexander Brief set off for Cairo to document the city's current music scene together with the ethnologist Johannes Roskamm. Shortly after arrival, the first popular protests broke out on Tahrir Square. Quite unintentionally, "Tracks of Cairo" turned out to be a musical as well as political diary
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Nabil Ayouch's Film ''God's Horses''Ostracised and Forgotten
God's Horses was the only Arab entry in the "Un Certain Regard" section of this year's Cannes Film Festival. In it, the Moroccan film director Nabil Ayouch investigates the reasons why young people turn to terrorism. Sonja Hegasy went to see it
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Ravid Kahalani's Yemen Blues''Your Language Is My Language''
Ravid Kahalani is Israeli, but his family originally hails from Yemen. He and his group, Yemen Blues, explore the richness of Jewish and Arab-Muslim music, transcending national, ethnic and religious boundaries in the process. Lewis Gropp reports
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The Khoury Trio''Our Art Is Not Politicised''
Elia, Basil and Osama Khoury have been performing together as a trio for a decade now. Each a virtuoso on his own instrument with a firm grounding in both western and oriental music, the Palestinian-born brothers seek to develop new musical ideas by merging different types of music. Suleman Taufiq spoke to the Khourys in Paris
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Daniel Barenboim and Arab Anti-Israel SentimentA Classic Example of Political Naivety
The Israeli star conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra were invited to perform in Qatar. Then, following pressure from Arab opponents of a normalisation of relations with Israel, the invitation was withdrawn. As far as the Jordanian author Fakhri Saleh is concerned, this is evidence of political naivety
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The Iranian Writer Amir Hassan CheheltanThe Loyal Dissident
Amir Hassan Cheheltan is one of a group of internationally known Iranian artists who have no intention of turning their backs on their country, and who will not allow themselves to be sidelined or frozen out by the regime. Stefan Buchen met him in Berlin
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Protestflotte „Global Sumud Flotilla“
Kurs auf Gaza
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Verfolgung von TikTok-Stars in Ägypten
Warum ausgerechnet Suzy?
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Islam und Künstliche Intelligenz
Die Unübersetzbarkeit des Heiligen
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Islamische Mystik
Die Sufis verstehen
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Journalist*innen in Gaza
Eine neue Generation erobert das Narrativ zurück
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Qantara-Printausgabe
Was wird aus Syrien?