Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Syria's shadow economySex work, captagon and currency
Having grown significantly during the war, Syria's informal market for sex, drugs and money continues to thrive. Meanwhile, weak regulation is discouraging investment in the formal economy.
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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.
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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Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir PutinSunni Islam meets Russian orthodoxy
While the Turkish president is hoping his party will win an absolute majority in the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Russian head of state has long since eliminated all opposition in his country. There is much that unites these two men – but much that divides them too on a political and biographical level. By Cigdem Akyol
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Jihadism in TunisiaThe invisible enemy
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has established a base in Tunisia, from where the Okba Ibn Nafaa Brigade apparently planned the attacks on the Bardo Museum. Beat Stauffer paid a visit to the province and city of Kasserine, which are viewed by many as a hub of jihadism in Tunisia
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Interview with Middle East expert Michael Luders"Homs is likely to be IS's next target"
With the occupation of Ramadi and the ancient yet symbolic city of Palmyra, Islamic State (IS) now has control over about half of Syria. According to Middle East expert Michael Luders, an end to its advance is not in sight because IS knows that the US is reluctant to send in ground troops. Interview conducted by Peter Hille
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Saudi Arabia's nuclear plans and IranIs a nuclear arms race looming in the Gulf?
At the recent meeting with US President Barack Obama in Camp David, Saudi Arabia threatened to make use of all the same technology granted to Iran in the emerging nuclear deal with the West. Is this the start of the long-feared nuclear arms race in the Gulf region? Or is it an attempt to force the US to take a tougher stance on Iran? By Ulrich von Schwerin
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The Yemen conflictThe threat of a regional conflagration
It is not clear what Saudi Arabia hopes to achieve with the war in Yemen. In any case, the ongoing airstrikes are not going to solve any problems. On the contrary: many new ones are emerging, such as the strengthening of the al-Qaida network or a dangerous confrontation between Iran and Saudi Arabia. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Death sentence against Mohammed MorsiDemocracy is futile
The most problematic aspect of the death sentence handed down to the democratically elected former President Morsi is arguably the dangerous message it sends out to the Islamists, namely that there is no point participating in the democratic process. A commentary by Karim El-Gawhary
Society
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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.
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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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Resistance to Pegida"Intolerance must not be tolerated"
Against the backdrop of the Pegida protests, politicians in Germany must finally recognise that Islamophobia is a form of racism. Unfortunately, most decision-makers in this country are still a long way off doing that, says Armin Langer, co-ordinator of the Salaam-Shalom initiative in the Berlin district of Neukölln
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Syrian refugees in Lebanon"We will perish here!"
Fearing a terrorist attack, the Lebanese army has hermetically sealed off the town of Arsal. More than 100,000 Syrian refugees have been trapped there for months. They fear for their own security and the impact of winter. Juliane Metzker reports from Arsal
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Study on attitudes in "Post-migrant Germany"Do you love Germany?
A new study entitled "Post-migrant Germany" set out to investigate attitudes on national identity in Germany. According to the results, these attitudes are ambivalent: people in Germany are open-minded, yet many in mainstream society have major reservations with respect to Muslim immigrants. By Claudia Mende
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Qantara review 2014Your favourite articles of the year
This year, roughly 450 English-language articles were published on Qantara.de. These articles covered a huge variety of topics from the civil war in Syria, the rise of IS, and the Gaza conflict to elections in Tunisia, Turkey, India and Egypt. We also took a closer look at Islamophobia in Germany and worldwide, integration in Europe, and women's rights and freedom of speech in the Islamic world, not to mention a fascinating and colourful range of topics from the world of culture
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Interview with Zara Faris"Feminism is about stereotypes on how women should live"
Zara Faris is a British researcher and speaker of Kurdish/Pakistani descent. She has a quarrel with feminist theology, and her views on gender and Islam have provoked a lot of debate. Claudia Mende spoke to her about these subjects
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Research project into "spaces of participation"Hubs of political protest
From Casablanca to Manama, from Cairo to Istanbul: coffee shops, youth clubs mosques and public areas all play an important role in modern protest movements. A research project at the Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) in Berlin is now taking a closer look at such spaces of resistance and hope. By Jannis Hagmann
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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Alaa al-Aswani's "On the State of Egypt"''Democracy Is the Solution''
A selection of columns published before the revolution by celebrated Egyptian writer Alaa al-Aswani show that even if the West was turning a blind eye to imminent political change in Egypt, many writers and intellectuals were making clear predictions of the seismic eruptions to come. By Andreas Pflitsch
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Literature and the Arab SpringAn Uprising of Words
What subversive role did literature play in the run-up to the uprisings in the Arab world? And should prose, poetry and other literary genres devote themselves entirely to the "revolution" or maintain a critical distance? Answers from Stephan Milich
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Interview with Tunisian Photographer Selim Harbi''Now We're Protagonists, Not Just Subject Matter''
When the revolution took hold in Tunisia, Selim Harbi set out from Berlin to Tunisia to capture the historic moment. In conversation with Nader Alsarras, he describes his impressions and is cautiously optimistic about his nation's future
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Biennale in YogyakartaArt in the Dangerous Terrain of Religion and Politics
The Biennale in the Indonesian cultural centre of Yogyakarta is regarded as one of the country's most important art events. At this year's "Yogya XI", 40 artists are showing their work on the subject of "Religiosity, spirituality and belief". Christina Schott reports
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Multiculturalism in German CinemaWe Are Here and That Is How It Should Be!
In their films, German directors of Turkish descent no longer emphasise the feeling of being alienated and foreign, as was the case in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. There is now a trend towards a lighter and more optimistic approach when dealing with serious subjects. Margret Köhler reports
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The Sabha Bookshop in TripoliFilling the Intellectual Void
The Sabha bookshop in Tripoli has become a meeting place for intellectuals and former army dissidents. The stories they tell paint a heart-rending portrait of how tough life was under Gaddafi and how thorough and comprehensive the repression of Libyans was. Alfred Hackensberger spoke to the shop's owner and some of its regulars
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Prostitution, Drogen und Geldhandel in Syrien
Neuer Anstrich, alte Gebrechen
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Verfolgung von TikTok-Stars in Ägypten
Warum ausgerechnet Suzy?
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Protestflotte „Global Sumud Flotilla“
Kurs auf Gaza
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Islamische Mystik
Die Sufis verstehen
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Qantara-Printausgabe
Was wird aus Syrien?
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Islam und Künstliche Intelligenz
Die Unübersetzbarkeit des Heiligen