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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After the election in IsraelPalestine's hope in Netanyahu
While many in Israel were hoping for Netanyahu's electoral defeat, Palestinians were more reserved. They now expect the international community to exert more pressure on Israel. René Wildangel reports.
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The geopolitical situation in the Middle EastBetween terror and the dissolution of order
Indifferent superpowers and old rivalries: the megatrend in today's Middle East is the dissolution of a regional order. An analysis by Volker Perthes
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Battles in YemenOpening Pandora's Box in Yemen
As the situation deteriorates almost by the hour in Yemen, the sheer uncertainty of what happens next could trigger a regional conflict, writes Adam Baron of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
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Anti-fracking protests in AlgeriaRevolution rising up from the desert?
Unrest is steadily growing in Africa's largest nation. The latest protests take aim at controversial fracking projects in the desert town of Ain Salah. Details from Susanne Kaiser
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NGO report on the Jasmine Revolution and security in TunisiaHow to make the transition from dictatorship to democracy
Reform of the security system is one of the biggest challenges facing Tunisia – one that the country has not yet undertaken. But now the non-governmental organisation "Le Labo' Democratique" (The Democratic Lab) has released the first comprehensive analysis of the Jasmine Revolution and the security challenges faced by the country. Sarah Mersch was at the launch
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Rising tension in BangladeshFundamentalists take centre stage amid political discord
The recent murder of prominent Bangladeshi-born blogger Avijit Roy has once again shone a spotlight on the state of freedom of speech in the country. Experts believe that fundamentalists are gaining ground as the country spirals deeper into a political crisis.
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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The jihadi fighters of IS"Jihadism has become a German phenomenon"
German jihadists are participating in Islamic State's war of terror. Security forces fear they could also pose a threat to the country. Guido Steinberg is an expert on Islam and Islamism. He has written a book about Germany's jihadi fighters. Bettina Marx spoke to him about the country's home-grown fighters
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Interview with Navid Kermani"One should take the religious façade seriously"
The writer Navid Kermani spent a week in mid September travelling through Iraq, visiting a number of different parts of the country. In this interview with Kersten Knipp, he speaks of his impressions of the country and some factors that have led to the rise of IS in Iraq
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On the death of the Egyptian activist Ahmed Seif al-IslamAn indomitable fighter and visionary
Ahmed Seif al-Islam was one of Egypt's most important human rights activists. He died in late August at the age of 63 following a heart operation. An obituary by Andrea Backhaus in Cairo
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Muslim boy and girl scouts in GermanyA commitment to peaceful coexistence
As part of an international youth movement, members of the Federation of Muslim Boy and Girl Scouts of Germany want to make their own specific contribution to peace and understanding. The organisation has existed since 2010. By Arnd Zickgraf
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Debate about the role of Muslims in fighting Islamist terrorismIS is not just a Muslim problem
Why do so many people in Germany assume that Muslims automatically sympathise more with the terrorists of IS than with those who are helping their victims? And why is so little notice being taken of the countless statements made by Muslim theologians and intellectuals who have distanced themselves from the terrorists' appalling acts? A commentary by Katajun Amirpur
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The Congress "Horizons of Islamic Theology"A disintegration of Islam?
Academics from all over the world met to debate Islam at the congress "Horizons of Islamic Theology" in Frankfurt in early September. But the event was overshadowed by the acts of terror being perpetrated in the name of the faith by Islamic State and other extremist organisations. By Claudia Mende
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 Sayed KashuaFor Absolute Equality in All Areas of Life
In his novels Sayed Kashua, a very famous author in Israel, talks about the lives of the country's Arab citizens. Nader Alsarras spoke to him about his new novel that deals with the co-existence of different nationalities and religions in Israel
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Arian Fariborz: ''Rock the Kasbah''Pop Music and Protests in the Islamic World
Music is playing a key role in the political upheaval in the Arab world because angry Arab youths are using it to spread their political message. In his book Rock The Kasbah, journalist Arian Fariborz has written about numerous young Arab musicians whom he visited in their native countries
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Interview with Omid DjaliliJokes about the Jewish–Muslim love-hate relationship
Omid Djalili started his stand-up comedy career with "Short, Fat Kebab Shop Owner's Son" in 1996. Now a successful Hollywood actor, the British-Iranian entertainer talks to Julia Grosse about his role in "The Infidel", British humour and jokes about Muslims and Jews
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Remarks on Sherif Arafa's ''Terrorism and Kebab''Conformist Provocations
Sherif Arafa's Terrorism and Kebab from 1992 is one of the few Egyptian film comedies to date to attract international attention. With the current upheavals in the Middle East, the film is now being touted in the press and elsewhere as an early critical work. An objection by Irit Neidhardt
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Daniel Schnyder, the Absolute Ensemble & Marcel KhaliféMarriage of East-West Music on the Hudson
Celebrating musical reconciliation at a place scarred by incredible pain requires a delicate touch and a musical tour de force if the result is to be convincing. New York's Absolute Ensemble and the Lebanese artist Marcel Khalifé took up this challenge. Stefan Franzen sends us this review of the resulting CD, Arabian Nights
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Tunisia's Art Scene after the Overthrow of Ben AliPolitics as Inspiration
Activism and art go hand in hand nowadays in Tunisia. The young and politicized artistic scene in the Mediterranean country has flourished since the dictator Ben Ali fled Tunisia in January. Sarah Mersch offers an overview from the capital Tunis
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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