Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Interview with Sari Nusseibeh"Israelis and Palestinians will have to start thinking seriously about a one-state solution"
Sari Nusseibeh is a Palestinian philosophy professor and was president of al-Quds University in Jerusalem from 1995 to 2014, where he still teaches. For many years, he was the most senior Palestinian official in East Jerusalem. In this interview with Sabine Peschel at the recent Goethe-Institut conference "Dialogue and the experience of the other" in Berlin, he speaks about Israeli–Palestinian negotiations, the upcoming elections in Israel, the legacy of the Arab Spring and the rise of Islamic State
-
Iran's foreign policyAll options are open
Is Iran part of the problem or part of the solution to the conflicts in the Near and Middle East? There are actually good arguments for both points of view. By Bahman Nirumand
-
Offensive against IS in IraqSowing the seeds of the next disaster
With their keen fighting spirit, the Shia militias may well be an effective weapon in the fight against Islamic State in Iraq. However, this is quite literally a case of casting out the devil that is IS with the Beelzebub that is the Shia militias, says Karim El-Gawhary
-
General election in IsraelElections for nothing
Never before in the history of Israel have there been such empty and unnecessary elections. The elections of 2015 are about nothing; no real issues are being discussed. Most of the parties are not even bothering to present an agenda, and very few Israelis understand why they have to go to the polls on 17 March, two years after they last did so. By Gideon Levy
-
The Nazi glorification of AtaturkAnkara's shining star
The historian Stefan Ihrig's new book reveals the fascination that Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, held for Hitler and the National Socialists. Ihrig's book has caused a stir in the Turkish press. By Joseph Croitoru
-
"Islamic State" versus "Taliban Emirate"One caliph too many
The IS terrorists' self-proclaimed caliphate does not recognise borders. For some time now, the black flags of "Islamic State" have also been sighted in Afghanistan. This is a direct challenge to their rivals from the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan", better known as the Taliban. By Emran Feroz
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.
-
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.
-
The "Sharia Police" in WuppertalPlaying on a widespread fear of Islam in Germany
Eleven young Salafists in bright orange vests with the words "Shariah Police" written on the back patrolled the city of Wuppertal in early September, triggering outrage across Germany. Both politicians and leading Islamic associations have criticised their actions as "illegal parallel justice" and have warned of repercussions. By Stefan Dege
-
Interfaith dialogue in PalestineReviving a heritage of peaceful co-existence
In the village of Kafr Kana in Galilee, Mayor Mujahid Awawida wants to set an example and take a symbolic stand against IS terrorism and religious intolerance: he intends to construct a new complex that will house a mosque, a church and a park. Khaled Hroub has the details
-
Muslims who saved Jews during World War IIThe forgotten Schindlers
During the Second World War, Muslims like Si Kaddour Benghabrit and Abdul Hussain Sardari risked their lives to save many Jews from deportation. Sadly, however, their selfless actions have long been forgotten. By Emran Feroz
-
Israeli-Palestinian relationsDialogue in a time of conflict
Arab cities in Israel, such as Jaffa and Tira, illustrate that Jews and Arabs do live together as good neighbours. Since the Gaza War, however, positions have become more entrenched and mistrust has grown on both sides. Nevertheless, a number of NGOs insist on continuing with dialogue projects. Now more than ever. By Ulrike Schleicher
-
Interview with Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth"We urgently need reform within Islam"
What is the focus of a feminist Islamic theologian's work? And what is the best way to deal with controversial Koran verses in the modern day? Claudia Mende talked to Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth, professor of Islamic Religious Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
-
The Trojan Horse scandal in the UKClaims and counterclaims
Claims that Islamists were trying to Islamise secular state schools in Birmingham rocked the British education system to the core earlier this year. Extremist views in the classroom are a sensitive topic at a time when Britain is concerned about its citizens' reported involvement in jihadist activities in Syria and Iraq. Was there really an Islamist conspiracy? Was the whole thing blown out of proportion? And if so, what will be the consequences? Opinions differ. By Qurratulain Zaman
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.
-
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.
-
Radical Comedian Serdar SomuncuThe Right to Give Offence
Serdar Somuncu's shows have titles like 'The Hate Preacher', 'The Antiturk', or 'Hitler Kebab'. The German-Turkish entertainer demands a lot of his public, but what he's really aiming at is a kind of moral renewal, as Lewis Gropp reports
-
Intercultural DialogueGoethe Institute Supports Post-Arab Spring Cultural Work
Artists of all types have played important roles in the uprising that have swept across the Arab World. From its offices in Cairo, Alexandria and Tunis, Germany's Goethe Institute has been close to the action. The institute's President Klaus-Dieter Lehmann tells Aya Bach what the Arab Spring revolutions mean for Germany's foreign cultural policy
-
The Turkish Film MiracleSpirit of Optimism and a Lack of Craftsmanship
For years now, Turkish films have been winning prizes at international film festivals and are popular in European art house cinemas. The occasion of the mammoth 30th Istanbul International Film Festival is a fitting time to ask the question “What is with the Turkish film miracle?” An assessment by Amin Farzanefar
-
Arab Intellectuals and the Arab SpringThe Silence of the Thinkers
Many intellectuals in the Arab world had already made their peace with the autocrats and dictators. Few of them made an active contribution to the Arab Spring movements. A commentary by Mona Naggar
-
Interview with the Saudi Writer Badriya Al-Bishr''Anything You Write about Is Made a Scandal, Even Love''
In her novel "Hind and the Soldiers", Saudi author Badriya Al-Bishr focuses the daily struggle of women in her native country for a little more personal freedom. Christoph Dreyer interviewed the Dubai-based writer and columnist
-
The Jump Cut Film CollectiveA Spirit of Confidence in Kabul's Film Scene
Afghanistan is often regarded by those in the West as a cultural wasteland. Yet, there has been a growing spirit of confidence among cineastes in the Hindu Kush. The most recent example is the Jump Cut Film Collective. Martin Gerner reports from Kabul
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
-
Seelsorge bei der Bundeswehr
Erste Militärimame für die Truppe
-
Sufi-Musik
Auf der Suche nach Gottes Liebe
-
Interview mit Abolhassan Banisadr
Aufklärung im Dienste der jüngeren Generation
-
Mordfall Ben Barka
Neues aus israelischen Archiven
-
Reform des Familienrechts in Marokko
Das Ringen um koranische Prinzipien
-
Prostitution in der Islamischen Republik Iran
Aufgeschlossen, liebevoll - und verzweifelt