Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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"In the Land of the Forgotten" by Aliyeh AtaeiStories of war and the fight for freedom
With a keen sense for nuance, Aliyeh Ataei describes a life between Iran and Afghanistan, one marked by resistance, a search for identity and constant confrontation with social norms.
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"Nostra Aetate" at 60A landmark for Muslim-Christian understanding
Six decades on, the message of mutual respect between faiths, enshrined in the Catholic Church's "Nostra Aetate", feels as urgent as ever. It's a reminder that dialogue is not naïve, but necessary.
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AlgeriaA DIY cultural renaissance
A new independent, youth-led movement is reshaping Algerian culture. Four young artists reflect on their experiences and efforts to carve out space outside of official frameworks.
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Art in IstanbulCurating on shifting ground
The art world came to Turkey in September for two high-profile events: Contemporary Istanbul and the 18th Istanbul Biennial. Against a backdrop of political crisis and growing censorship, organisers and artists found creative ways to stay relevant.
Politics
More about Politics-
Two years after October 7Making a case for a wide-ranging viewpoint
Two years after October 7, the need for honest analysis has never been more urgent. Real understanding can only emerge when we begin at the right place—by looking beyond recent events and the history of occupation of the Palestinian territories.
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Israel’s former intelligence chief on 7 October"Our actions are the result of fear"
Two years after the Hamas attack, Israel remains in shock, says Ami Ayalon. In this interview, the former intelligence chief explains why Israeli society has failed to learn the lessons of 7 October, why the Gaza war must end, and why he rejects allegations of genocide.
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Reporting on PalestineGermany cannot imagine the suffering in Gaza
For some, the widespread publication of images of starving children from Gaza is a sign of a major shift in the German political and media discourse. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul disagrees.
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Transitional justice in Syria"Accountability is more important than punishment"
Can there be justice after the horrors Syria has endured? Sociologist Mohammed Bamyeh sees signs that the country's new leadership wants to confront the past, but warns against the dangers of selective justice.
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New biography of Ali KhameneiThe man pulling Iran's strings
Ali Khamenei is one of the most powerful figures in world politics, with influence extending far beyond Iran. Who is the man who, since 1989, has steered the Islamic Republic with an iron grip? A new biography by Ali Sadrzadeh sheds some light on the mystery.
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Stateless in SyriaWill al-Sharaa naturalise foreign fighters and their children?
Thousands of children born to foreign militia members and Syrian mothers remain stateless. As the government considers granting citizenship to fighters, their families—including the widows of deceased fighters—wait for clarity.
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Political Islam in JordanWhat's next for the Muslim Brotherhood?
An official ban on the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has brought the movement to a critical crossroads. Its political arm is struggling to preserve its platform and avoid the fate of its counterparts in Egypt and Tunisia.
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Öcalan's call for disarmamentWhy the PKK failed
The Kurdistan Workers' Party has pursued multiple goals over the decades and failed to achieve any of them. Now the communist-nationalist movement is facing a turning point, and possibly its end
Society
More about Society-
Islamic education in GermanyUnder constant scrutiny
Islamic religious education is neither a threat to democracy nor a cure-all. What dedicated teachers really need is recognition of their role.
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Deported from GermanyYazidi survivors confront the harsh reality of return
Thousands of Yazidis fled IS genocide and found refuge in Germany. Now, many have been ordered to return to Iraq, where they face dire living conditions, shattered infrastructure and the threat of further violence.
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Sectarian violence in SyriaAssad's long shadow
In Syria, "minority protection" has long been used as a pretext for pitting religious and ethnic groups against each other. We Syrians must refuse the weaponisation of our identities, because the new government is counting on division.
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History and reconstruction in SyriaDictatorship, dispossession and a missing mosaic
A school, a military base, an archaeological site: from French colonial rule to Assad, this family home was seized and repurposed by successive regimes. Now, its owners are fighting to reclaim it.
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Iran's monarchistsProducing nostalgia, courting war
Through satellite TV, viral content, and alliances with Netanyahu and Trump, Iran's monarchist elites are staging a comeback. From exile they are attempting to co-opt Iran's opposition by recasting the Pahlavi dynasty as a golden age of freedom.
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Sudanese music in CairoFinding joy in the face of war
While war rages at home, for Sudanese wedding singers in exile in Cairo, celebration has become a form of resistance.
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"Christ in the Rubble" by Munther IsaacThe Christian case against the war on Gaza
Munther Isaac, a West Bank pastor, rejects Bible-based justifications for war and calls Gaza a "moral compass". In "Christ in the Rubble", he presents a view of the war that is polarising without being destructive.
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German academiaWhen neutrality becomes complicity
German scholars of the Middle East often wear the mask of political neutrality. But both Western philosophy and the classical Islamic tradition insist that knowledge carries an ethical duty. A call for moral responsibility.
Culture
More about Culture-
Jina Khayyer's "In the Heart of the Cat"The Iran that Germany wants to see
A novel about Iran, full of errors, clichés and exoticism—yet lauded in Germany. "In the Heart of the Cat" exposes how readily the German market embraces stereotypes, as long as they fit readers' expectations.
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Zia Qasemi's "The Midnight Collector"Afghanistan—a restless country
A short life that represents an entire country: in "The Midnight Collector", Zia Qasemi recounts the life story of a man with a physical disability and reveals why Afghanistan has much more to tell us than we often believe.
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Egyptian author Youssef Rakha"The Cairo I've known is being eroded"
Youssef Rakha revisits Egypt's 2011 uprising and its aftermath in "The Dissenters", the author's first novel written in English. The Arab Spring failed, he argues in this interview, because it was a neoliberal movement with no compelling vision for the future.
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"Live in the Khaleej!" by Boom.DiwanA love letter to an ancient tradition
Boom.Diwan's album with Arturo O'Farrill fuses Kuwaiti pearl diving music with jazz, shedding light on the Gulf region's complex musical and social history.
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Cairo's Jewish QuarterThe neighbourhood that shaped a nation
In his new book, Egyptian author Ahmed Zakaria Zaki explores the 19th-century history of Cairo's Jewish Quarter, tracing the social transformations within the city's Jewish community and its reaction to the emergent Zionist movement.
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New anthology "Imprisoning a Revolution"Egypt's political prisoners speak
A new anthology gathers the words, drawings and memories of Egyptian prisoners—some well-known, many anonymous—who document life inside the carceral state.
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"Khartoum" filmmakers"We have a responsibility to preserve Sudanese history"
"Khartoum" blends the work of four emerging Sudanese filmmakers. Its production was derailed by the outbreak of war in April 2023. Now displaced in Nairobi, directors Brahim Snoopy and Rawia Alhag explain why they were determined to finish the film.
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Jan Dost on writing in Arabic and Kurdish"Like being caught between two magnets"
"Safe Corridor" is Jan Dost's first novel translated into English. The prolific Syrian writer explores the hardening impact of war on children and discusses the key differences between writing in Kurdish and Arabic.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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