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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The Assad regime and the civil war in SyriaClash of barbarisms
Over the past four years, Assad has razed Syria to the ground. According to Lebanese intellectual Elias Khoury, Assad's regime has reached the end of the line, and the region finds itself in a situation similar to that at the end of the Ottoman Empire
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Interview with Turkish political scientist Gulistan GurbeyLitmus test for Turkish democracy
Political scientist Gulistan Gurbey sees two consequences of the electoral success of the pro-Kurdish HDP: firstly, it has prevented the introduction of a presidential system favoured by President Erdogan and secondly, it will have positive impulses for Turkish democracy. Nevertheless, she believes that turbulent times lie ahead. Interview conducted by Basak Ozay
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The case of Al Jazeera journalist Ahmed MansourA politically motivated incident?
German authorities have released the prominent Egyptian journalist Ahmed Mansour after three days in detention, despite a request by the authorities in Egypt for his extradition. The case has triggered a bout of angry questions concerning press freedom and German-Egyptian relations. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Profile: Sudanese opposition politician Hassan al-TurabiThe grand tactician
Hassan al-Turabi is a man of many faces and one of the most dazzling personalities active in the sphere of political Islam. Over the course of his more than 40-year-long political career, he has surprised both supporters and critics alike with his frequent policy shifts. By Claudia Mende
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One year of IS in IraqThe caliphate is a reality
One year ago, Islamic State began its triumphal march through Iraq. The capture of the province Anbar played a key role in this advance. Birgit Svensson in Baghdad looks back on a year of IS in Iraq
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Turkey after the general electionNo balcony speeches for Erdogan
The fact that a Kurd, of all people, has mounted a successful challenge to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is tantamount to a revolution. One thing is clear: the AKP can no longer continue deriding its critics as it has previously done. But what options are now open to the party? By Cigdem Akyol in Istanbul
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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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
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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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
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Contemporary Art in LebanonBetween Dreams and Violence
Lebanese artists seem to have only one theme in mind these days: war and violence. That comes as no surprise, seeing as most of those painting today grew up in one of the bloodiest chapters of Lebanese history.
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Portrait of Myriam BouchentoufThe Perfect Role Model for the Arab Spring
Myriam Bouchentouf is a young, passionate and creative Arab woman. She is a hip-hop musician with an envious educational record; she is politically aware and financially independent; she is brave and ambitious. Does this young Moroccan embody the future? Maybe so, but not necessarily in the way one might expect, writes Joseph Burke
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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Seelsorge bei der Bundeswehr
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Prostitution in Tunesien
Das Verdeckte offenlegen
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Irans Zurchaneh-Bodybuilder
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Interview mit dem iranischen Menschenrechtler Arsham Parsi
''Ich kämpfe für unsere Rechte''
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
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