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Israel's high-tech warfareA new era of automated violence
In Gaza, mobile phones are both a lifeline and a threat, feeding algorithmic targeting systems while remaining essential for survival. Researcher Gihan AbouZeid examines how AI-driven surveillance technologies are reshaping the experience of war.
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Iran's Gulf regionMore than a strait
The Strait of Hormuz is at the centre of geopolitical tensions. But a closer look at the cultural landscape reveals a different picture: on Iran's southern coast, African, Indian and Arab influences converge, creating a cultural tapestry far removed from the image of a homogeneous theocratic state.
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Reconstruction in SyriaWhose land will major investors build on?
Syria is relying on competition and foreign investment to fund its reconstruction efforts. In Damascus, citizens are being asked to sell their land for a multi-billion property project. Yet many long to rebuild their own homes.
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Egyptian film "Asad"Slave drama sparks debate on national identity
In Egypt, a historical film has sparked a present-day controversy, with critics accusing "Asad" of distorting the past and promoting Afrocentric narratives. Beneath the political rhetoric, however, lies a deeper cultural dispute.
Politics
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Syria after AssadStriking deals with the old elites
The HTS regime presents itself as the "liberator of Syria" while collaborating with key figures from the Assad era. Instead of conducting a thorough reckoning with the past, the new elites are consolidating power with the help of the old.
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Saudi sports policyThe limits of Saudi Arabia's football ambitions
Saudi Arabia has emerged as an influential player in the politics of international sports, particularly football. The 2034 World Cup will be hosted by the Kingdom, but war in the Gulf could be jeopardising its ambitious goals.
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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
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250 years of the USAHow enslaved African Muslims resisted bondage
The history of Islam in the U.S. does not begin with voluntary immigration. It can be traced back to the country's formative years, and to the millions of enslaved Africans, up to a third of whom are believed to have been Muslim.
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Femicide in TurkeyWhere is Gülistan Doku?
Years after a young Kurdish woman's femicide, new probes have led to arrests. The suspects are sons of civil servants. The case ignited a Turkish debate on state failure and alleged cover-up. Yet the wider issue of anti-Kurdish violence remains sidelined.
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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
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Documentary: "The Green Prince"A friendship that inspires hope
Green is the colour of Hamas. The documentary "The Green Prince" tells the story of a Palestinian who turned informer and worked for the Israeli secret service for years. Igal Avidan watched the film and spoke to its director, Nadav Schirman
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Launch of the digital television channel AlchemiyaA dose of positivity in dark times
A new London-based media start-up seeks to counter the warped portrayal of Islam. The digital television channel Alchemiya intends to showcase only positive content. Sounds a bit cheesy? Perhaps it is, says Jannis Hagmann, but it just might be a smart business idea and one that will catch on
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Nobel Peace Prize 2014Serving stereotypes about the subcontinent?
According to Florian Weigand, Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi richly deserved to win the Nobel Peace Prize this year. However, he adds that the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to honour a Pakistani and an Indian is symbolic politics; the international community has no idea how to achieve sustainable peace in South Asia
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The sudden rise of Germany's Islamophobic Pegida movement"The product of a nervous society"
In the past week, there have been a number of well-attended marches against the "Islamisation of the West" in German cities. These marches were organised by supporters of Pegida (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West). Why has the Pegida movement in Germany grown so much so fast? In this interview with Dennis Stute, sociologist Oliver Nachtwey says that political parties are a key factor and warns against the wrong knee-jerk response
Culture
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Iranian author Shahrnush ParsipurWriting in defiance
With the death of Shahrnush Parsipur, Iran has lost one of its most indomitable literary voices. The author of "Women Without Men" confronted censorship and oppression throughout her life. Most recently, she refused to glorify the war against Iran as a liberation.
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Lebanese literature in translationThe rediscovery of Alis al-Bustani
Published in 1891, Alis al-Bustani's only novel "Sa'iba" dismantles the comforting assumptions of Arab modernity. A new translation restores to view a woman writer long consigned to obscurity.
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The Iranian Graphic Novel "Zahra's Paradise"An Artistic Insight into a Sinister World
More than two years after the Green Movement's protests, a graphic novel has captured the political and social state of the Islamic Republic in graphic images. The book's anonymous authors, Amir and Khalil, portray Iran as a sinister country full of darkness and contradictions. Marian Brehmer read the book
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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
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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