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
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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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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
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Political prisoners in SyriaAround-the-clock torture
More than 215,000 Syrians are languishing in the prisons of the Syrian regime. But despite a UN resolution, it seems that hardly anyone is interested in their fate. Unless one of the victims receives a prize, that is: for example the journalist and lawyer Mazen Darwish, who was recently awarded the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize 2015. By Kristin Helberg
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The Syrian conflictThe illusion of a political solution
There is much discussion in the West about a political solution to the conflict in Syria. But the reality is that the world is looking the other way, continuing to nurture the illusion that something is being done at international level and that the Syrian people have not been abandoned. A critical contribution to the debate by Burhan Ghalioun
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Dam treaty between Egypt, Ethiopia and SudanWho owns the Nile?
After years of conflict about control over the Nile, Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan have now apparently chosen the path of co-operation over open dispute. Politicians are demonstrating unity, but observers warn that not all differences have been resolved. By Ludger Schadomsky
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Interview with Iraqi political scientist Ghassan Al-AttiyahA nation torn apart
According to Ghassan Al-Attiyah, Iraq's political elite failed to develop an interdenominational understanding of the state after the end of the Baath dictatorship. Mulham Al-Malaika spoke to the renowned Iraqi political scientist about the country's future and the fight against IS
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The Moroccan thinker Abdallah LarouiA modernist who defends theocracy
Abdallah Laroui has always been one of the people who advocated a break with the spiritual heritage of the Arab world and saw the values of Western modernity as the basis of a rational humanity. In a recent interview, however, he began defending theocracy, arguing that the Arab world had not succeeded in making a democratic system take root. By Ali Anouzla
Society
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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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Female genital mutilation in EgyptUsing comedy to combat a cruel tradition
The group "HaraTV" in Egypt uses theatre to try to enlighten people about female genital mutilation. Elisabeth Lehmann attended one of their performances
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Exhibition: "SNIP IT! Stances on Ritual Circumcision"An objective examination of a controversial issue
With its exhibition "SNIP IT! Stances on Ritual Circumcision", the Jewish Museum in Berlin offers surprising and diverse insights into the significance of a ritual about which few people in Germany know very much at all. Igal Avidan went to see the exhibition
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The emergence of Islamic State in Pakistan"They don't negotiate, they don't make partners"
Islamic State (IS) has shocked the world with its bulldozer-like advance over Sunni-dominated areas of Iraq and Syria. Ever since it declared a caliphate, there have been fears that the group may supersede al-Qaida as the vanguard of global jihadist movements. According to Kiran Nazish in Pakistan, IS has been trying to recruit from the jihadist stream in South Asia
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Saudi authorities crack down on bloggersAssault on the freedom of expression
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes by a Saudi court. His crime: using the freedom afforded by the Internet to express his opinion on the religious authorities in his country. He is not the only one in Saudi Arabia to fall foul of the authorities. In general, the crackdown on freedom of expression has been in full swing for quite some time. By Kersten Knipp
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Interview with Asma Jahangir, winner of the Right Livelihood Award"Every restriction is based on religion"
This year, activist and human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir became the first woman from Pakistan to win the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the "alternative Nobel Prize"). She spoke to Roma Rajpal Weiss about the difficult circumstances facing human rights activists in Pakistan
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The papal visit to TurkeyA message of peace and dialogue
Pope Francis' three-day visit to Turkey was the first papal visit to that country in eight years. The pontiff made a lasting impression on the Turkish people. By Luise Sammann in Istanbul
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 Mohammad Reza Shajarian''Humanity is what art is all about''
For Iranians around the world Mohammad Reza Shajarian is the embodiment of classical Persian culture. In the summer of 2009 his support of the Iranian reform movement made him vastly popular among the young generation. An interview by Marian Brehmer
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Omar ''Bombino'' MoctarRebel Music from the Sahara
After years of struggle, many of the Tuareq rebels have switched to making music in order to promote their people's cultural identity. One of the most remarkable "former rebel musicians" is Omar "Bombino" Moctar. Richard Marcus introduces the man and his music
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Mohammad Ali Talebi's Film ''Bad o Meh''Childhood during the Iran-Iraq war
"Bad o Meh – Wind and Fog" is the latest film by Iranian director Mohammad Ali Talebi. The story revolves around children who have suffered traumas as a result of the Iran-Iraq war. Rachel Y. Baig/André Leslie introduce the film and its director
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Contemporary Art in Saudi ArabiaImages of a Changing Society
For a long time, there has been a great deal of scepticism towards art in Saudi Arabia. The main reason has been the state religion of Wahhabism, which offers a particularly strict reading of Islam. Yet, a small but dynamic art scene has since emerged. Kersten Knipp reports
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The Comic World of Marjane SatrapiYearnings for a Lost Homeland
Published 11 years ago, Marjane Satrapi's comic "Persepolis" on her youth in Iran caused a sensation. Millions of people loved the eponymous film based on the comic book. Satrapi has been busy making other films since, and talks to Kathrin Erdmann about homesickness and freedom
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The Cultural and Literary Scene in MoroccoFrom the Caravan of Books to the Literary Café
Morocco has not bothered to wait for the Arab Spring to revolutionise its cultural scene. It took off in the 1990s and is showing no sign of stopping – Moroccan artists exhibit in beauty salons, tennis clubs become impromptu literary cafés and a hotel sponsors the country's most prestigious literature prize. By Regina Keil-Sagawe
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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