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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Interview with Nader Othman, deputy PM of the Syrian interim governmentPeople want professionals, not Facebook heroes
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and the interim government it has formed have been subject to international criticism. They are regarded as ineffective, disunited and lacking support in Syria. Kristin Helberg spoke to the deputy prime minister of the interim government, Nader Othman, about elected provincial councils, progress and why Syria now needs engineers, not heroes
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Islam in PakistanThe myth of the Muslim monolith
In Pakistan, a radical minority of Muslims has usurped the definition of "Islam". Since the 1980s, government policies have supported their radical and violent ideology, and the judiciary confirmed that trend. The bitter irony is that the militant groups that benefited from state action are now not only terrorising the people, but rising up against the state itself. By Maryam S. Khan
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The Druze in the Syrian conflictPotential to tip the scales
For many years, Syria's Druze community was regarded as a loyal ally of Assad. Yet their pleas to Damascus to protect them against extremist groups fell on deaf ears. Now, on account of their increasing distance to the Baath regime, the Druze are at risk of getting caught in the crossfire. Details by Firas Maksad
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Nuclear negotiations with IranNetanyahu down a diplomatic cul-de-sac
Israel's head of government has lambasted the framework agreement with Iran concerning Tehran's nuclear programme. He is convinced that the deal is a threat to Israel's security. But he is wrong, says Bettina Marx
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Saudi Arabia and the conflict in YemenSaudi actions backfire
Saudi Arabia bears the greatest responsibility for the triumphant advance of the Houthi militia in Yemen, says Birgit Svensson: the leading Sunni power in the Gulf simply stood by while a Shia counterbalance emerged virtually on its doorstep, thereby creating an opportunity for Tehran
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The Tunisian judiciaryPiecemeal change as reform stalls
The reform of Tunisia's judiciary has not progressed since the political upheaval of 2011. According to the constitution passed a year ago, however, new institutions are planned for the future. The constitutional court soon faces a mammoth task. By Sarah Mersch
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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Afghan idioms and proverbs"The arrival of the king leads to the downfall of the village"
Afghanistan is a multi-ethnic nation with language rich in idioms and proverbs. These are an integral element of the country's culture, although less familiar to young Afghans these days. The German-Afghan Noor Nazrabi has collected many idioms and published a reference book in German and Dari. Kathrin Erdmann met the author
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The death of Abdelwahab MeddebA proponent of disloyal loyalty
The renowned Tunisian-French writer and Islam expert Abdelwahab Meddeb died of cancer in Paris on 6 November 2014. He was 68. Obituary by Bettina David
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Interview with Egyptian philosopher Hassan HanafiFrom Velvet Spring to military despotism
Renowned Egyptian philosopher Hassan Hanafi believes it is too early to declare the Arab Spring revolutions a failure. In an interview with Moncef Slimi, he explains why fundamental religious reforms are now necessary in the Arab world
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Sixty years since the beginning of the Algerian warNational fronts?
The Algerian War began 60 years ago. Some eight years later, a new Arab nation came about – and a million Algerians of French origin fled to France. The recent successes of the extreme-right Front National have made these "pieds-noirs" a political factor again, as the fronts of the Algerian War retain contemporary relevance. By Jakob Krais
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Women's dress code in IslamNo compulsion to wear the headscarf
The Becharis, a Moroccan family from Frankfurt am Main, place great emphasis on respect and tolerance, an attitude that is illustrated by the fact that mother and daughter each accept that the other has chosen a different path when it comes to the issue of the headscarf. By Canan Topcu
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Culturally sensitive care for the elderlyA little bit of home in an adopted country
A number of German retirement homes have discovered that the cultural diversity of their residents and staff is a bonus: people from a number of different cultures can live and work together very happily under one roof. Annalena Junggeburth visited the Haus Andreas retirement home, which is run by the Clarenbachwerk social welfare service in Cologne
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 the Syrian Poet Adonis''I'm One Hundred Percent on the Side of the Syrian Revolution''
The Syrian poet Adonis was recently accused by Syrian opposition circles of not distancing himself clearly enough from the Assad regime. Khaula Saleh talked to him on the subject
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Goethe Prize Awarded to Syrian Poet AdonisHonouring Condescending Scepticism
It's the wrong time for the Goethe Prize winner Adonis to be criticizing the protests in his homeland, writes Stefan Weidner, Adonis's German translator, in his commentary
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Libyan Writers in ExileActive in Support of the Uprising
Due to the well-nigh total oppression of cultural life during 42 years of Gaddafi's dictatorship, Libyan literature has for decades been produced abroad. But with the uprising, everything has changed for them, too. Susannah Tarbush reports
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Ibn Rushd and Maimonides in ''Out of Córdoba''The Muslim-Jewish Heritage of Islamic Spain
Lewis Gropp reviews a documentary that shines the spotlight on two 12th century philosophers – one Muslim, one Jewish – whose messages of positive coexistence resonate very strongly even today, refuting the "Clash of Civilizations" theory
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''The Hangar'' Gallery in BeirutA Bus as Symbol of Death and Loss
Exhibits at "The Hangar" gallery in Beirut attempt to grapple with the history of Lebanon, and are thereby helping to process the collective trauma of the Lebanese people. Kersten Knipp went to take a look
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Massive Scar EraWomen's Heavy Metal from Alexandria
Massive Scar Era, or Mascara – that's the name chosen by the first successful Egyptian Heavy Metal band with almost exclusively female members. In this interview with Kristin Jankowski the band talks about their music and prejudices against female heavy metal musicians in Egypt
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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