Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Syrians in TurkeyA home for Istanbul's refugees
Based in an inconspicuous room in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district, Addar offers Syrian refugees education, advice and community. But without proper funding, the initiative is struggling to survive.
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The murder of Ben BarkaNew revelations from Israel's archives
The book "L'Affaire Ben Barka" reveals new details about the assassination of Moroccan opposition leader Mehdi Ben Barka. Long-secret Israeli documents show the role of Mossad in one of the 20th century's most mysterious murders.
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Jafar Panahi's film "It Was Just an Accident"Humanism and humour
In the Iranian director's most critical film yet, Jafar Panahi presents a cross-section of society, takes aim at the practice of torture and shows fearless women claiming space. But there's still room for comedy.
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Historical photographs of SyriaAn obsessive archivist
Ahmed Hasan sold his house to pursue a passion for historical photographs. His collection traces Syria's history through everyday life.
Politics
More about Politics-
Syria's economyAusterity and liberalisation won't rebuild the country
Syria's government is pursuing economic growth through liberalisation, foreign investment and cuts to state spending. These moves benefit the new elite but won't lift the majority out of crisis.
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Religion in the armed forcesMilitary imams to be introduced in Germany
From 2026, Germany's Bundeswehr will recruit chaplains for Muslim soldiers, responding to calls from Islamic associations that go back over two decades.
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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
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Interview with former Tadmur inmate Bara SarrajSurviving hell
The city of Palmyra has been under the control of the self-styled "Islamic State" since mid-May. But for many Syrians, the city was a gateway to hell long before the arrival of the jihadists: Palmyra was home to the infamous Tadmur prison, where the Ba'ath regime tortured tens of thousands of people. When IS seized the city, one of the first things it did was to blow up the hated jail. Bara Sarraj, who now lives in Chicago, was one of its inmates. He told Fabian Kohler about his years in prison
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Erdogan and the Kurdish conflictA battle for votes
For a brief moment, NATO allies thought they were witnessing a major policy turnaround when Turkey finally joined the campaign against Islamic State. But in actual fact, Ankara's first priority appears to be to move against the PKK and the HDP, the pro-Kurdish party that prevented President Erdogan's party from retaining its parliamentary majority. By Markus Bernath
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Interview with journalist Chris Woods on drone warfare"It's not risk-free war, it's displaced war"
For more than a decade now, the US has been using drones in warfare. During this time, thousands of people, especially civilians, have been killed by the unmanned machines. In this interview, Chris Woods, one of the leading investigative journalists on drone warfare, explains to Emran Feroz why use of drones is on the rise and what the consequences are
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Suez Canal extensionA drop in the ocean?
The Suez Canal extension can be seen as a political success for Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. But Egyptian experts doubt that a single large-scale project such as this will be enough to power up Egypt's sluggish economy. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Druze in the Golan HeightsSqueezed between occupation and civil war
The Golan Heights were unilaterally annexed by Israel in 1981. At the time, many Syrian residents fled. Most of those who remained belong to the Druze community. In this article, Ylenia Gostoli takes a closer look at the situation for the Druze in the Golan Heights and shines a light on their relationship with both Syria and their co-religionists in Israel
Society
More about Society-
Education in SyriaReturning pupils face language barrier
Eleven-year-old Ali spent six years in Germany. Now back in Syria, he is struggling with Arabic, his native language, as the new government appears overwhelmed by the task of reintegrating returning schoolchildren.
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Egyptian feminist Nawal El Saadawi"Intersectional long before the term was coined"
A seminal feminist text by Nawal El Saadawi has been translated into English and German for the first time, over five decades after it first appeared in Arabic. Publisher and translator Sophie Haesen explains why it should be essential reading worldwide.
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Interview with the Islam scholar Lamya KaddorJihad as a form of youth protest
In her new book "Zum Töten bereit. Warum deutsche Jugendliche in den Dschihad ziehen" (Willing to kill. Why German youths are joining the jihad), religious education teacher and scholar of Islam Lamya Kaddor asks why some young Germans are attracted to the jihadi cause. Claudia Mende spoke to her about the radicalisation of young Germans
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Leslee Udwin's controversial documentary "India's daughter"Indian government ban causes uproar
The Indian government's ban on the broadcasting of "India's Daughter", a documentary about the fatal gang-rape of a woman in New Delhi in 2012, has reopened the debate about the attitude to violence against women in the country. In the wake of this dreadful crime, women and activists are resorting to new measures to create awareness and challenge sexual harassment in the country.
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Jihadism in DagestanA growing problem in the fight against terrorism
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia are known to be hotbeds of Islamist activity. For some time now, many young, radicalised Muslims have been leaving their homes in Europe and northern Africa to join the ranks of radical Islamist groups such as IS. However, little attention has thus far been paid to the number of jihadis coming out of the Russian Republic of Dagestan. By Kiran Nazish in Afghanistan
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Anti-Muslim sentiment in Canada and the USPlaying on people's fears
North America has seen an alarming number of anti-Muslim attacks in recent months. With elections coming up in both Canada and the US in the next two years, Richard Marcus takes a look at the context of these attacks and the reactions to them
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Anti-Semitism and IslamophobiaA third way, yes, but one that acknowledges the complexity of today's realities
Terrorist attacks, the rise of hate-crimes and extremism threaten the cohesion of European societies. All of these events underline the need for a "third way", one that neither strives for isolation nor promotes animosity. Yet a "third way" must not turn a blind eye to the impact of hate-speech and hate-crimes on the collective conscience of a targeted group. And it has to resist the temptation to exaggerate reality for the sake of its mission. By David Neuwirth
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Manifesto published by Muslim intellectualsFor Islam and democracy
Muslim intellectuals have called on their fellow believers to indentify the failures of Muslim societies and develop an Islam for the twenty-first century. Loay Mudhoon believes that Europe should unreservedly support this effort
Culture
More about Culture-
Literature in YemenThe last bastion of beauty
Yemen's cultural scene has been hard hit by years of war, but not completely silenced. While many writers and intellectuals have left the country, the small literary club Alamaqah remains active, a testament to the resilience of Yemeni culture.
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Architecture in LibyaReclaiming a vanishing colonial heritage
As Benghazi’s Italian-era architecture slowly disappears, an exhibition brings together architects and artists rethinking the city’s history — reassessing the colonial past without celebrating it.
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An Interview with the Palestinian Pastor Mitri Raheb''A closed off Islam is more dangerous for Muslims than for Christians''
Mitri Raheb is the founder of the Diyar Consortium, which has made a significant contribution to interreligious dialogue and culture as a means of promoting mutual understanding. Muhannad Hamed spoke with the pastor in Bethlehem about dialogue work and his new book about the Arab Spring
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The Multinational Project ''Music for the One God''Harmonious Triad of Religions
Under the direction of the Turkish composter and oud player Mehmet Yeşilçay, the multinational project "Music for the One God" unites the sounds of Islamic, Sephardic-Jewiosh and Christian music. Stefan Franzen reports
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First Congress of Arab Music in 1932A Richly Diverse Palette of Rhythm and Timbre
The first International Congress of Arab Music took place in Cairo 80 years ago. Intended as a means of preserving the Arab musical heritage, it actually led to a regeneration of classical Arab music. By Suleman Taufiq
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Interview with Nadine LabakiThinking Outside the Box
The film ‚Where Do We Go Now?‘ is set in a remote Lebanese village where Christians and Muslims live peacefully side by side. It tells the story of how the women of the village use cunning and imagination to prevent war from breaking out among their menfolk.
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The Road Movie ''Father Is Doing Fine''In a White Van to Ramallah
"Father Is Doing Fine" is a turbulent comedy about the complex relationship between two brothers and the first German movie to be filmed in Jordan. The film's international cast and crew's working language is however English, and this is spoken in many different accents on set. Amira El Ahl watched them at work
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International Book Fair in RiyadhTreading the Line between Censorship and Cautious Change
Just two years ago, the Riyadh Book Fair was derided for its presentation of harmless publications on cookery and faith. At this year's show, publishers showcased books exploring the challenges posed to the host nation by the Arab Spring. Ulrike Freitag with impressions from the trade event
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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