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Iraq's Anfal campaignThe survivor who brought her torturer to justice
After decades in hiding, the head of a notorious prison during the 1988 campaign against Iraq's Kurds has been sentenced to death. For survivor Fazila Mohammad, who helped identify him, the verdict is a milestone, but not the end.
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Libyan commander at the ICCThe "angel of death" on trial
The ICC has confirmed charges against Khaled El Hishri, accused of crimes against humanity at Tripoli's Mitiga prison. The first Libyan suspect to appear before the court, his trial could expose a wider system of abuse affecting Libyans, migrants and refugees.
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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.
Politics
More about Politics-
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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Radical Islamist groups in TunisiaTunisian-style jihad
The recent high-profile attack on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis shines a spotlight on the radical Islamist network that has emerged in Tunisia since the fall of the Ben Ali regime. An analysis by Hanspeter Mattes of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
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Iranian foreign policyIran, Assad and the endless war
A nuclear agreement with Iran could also mean hope for the settlement of the Syrian conflict. An essay by Charlotte Wiedemann
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Nuclear talks with IranThe long hoped-for breakthrough
The framework agreement reached at the end of the long negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme in Lausanne goes much further and is much more specific than latterly expected. Iran has pledged to drastically reduce uranium enrichment and made clear concessions concerning the duration of the planned deal and in the phased lifting of sanctions. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Interview with Rami G. KhouriFragmentation of the Arab world
The Palestinian-Jordanian political scientist and writer Rami G. Khouri sees links between increasing religious fanaticism and the reinvigoration of the old elites after the Arabellion. In an interview with Juliane Metzker, he looks back at four years of transformation, stagnation and instability in the Arab states.
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The crisis in YemenHistory can help us to understand
Yemen continues to struggle with its worst crisis in years, as conflicting parties fight for control of the nation. The UN's special advisor says the country has been pushed to the brink of civil war, in a tussle that has serious implications for the region and the security of the West. By Elham Manea
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After the attack on the Bardo MuseumTunisia's darkest hour
The attack on the Bardo Museum has put Tunisia's young democracy to a crucial test. Conservative forces demand a severe crackdown against Islamists and thereby threaten to limit basic rights and freedoms. Attempts to address the real causes of terrorism are increasingly being overlooked in the process - with devastating consequences. By Ilyas Saliba
Society
More about Society-
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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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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The abduction of women by ISTraded like cattle
Amsha is a young Yazidi woman and mother who was abducted by IS and sold to an armed fighter from the city of Mosul. She told Qantara.de the horrific story of her 25-day captivity at the hands of IS and her successful escape. By Karim El-Gawhary in Dohuk
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Interview with Yasmine Merei from the women's magazine "Saiedet Souria"A new, more self-confident Syrian woman
The magazine "Saiedet Souria" would like to be the mouthpiece for a new generation of Syrian women. Juliane Metzker spoke with editor-in-chief Yasmine Merei about the battle for equal rights under the Assad regime before and after the uprisings in 2011
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Syria's cultural heritage under threat"Virtually nothing is left"
It is now plain for all to see that the destruction of Syria's cultural heritage is far worse than anyone expected. Michel al-Maqdissi, director of the Archaeological Excavations Department at the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums from 2000 to 2012, tells Mona Sarkis how dire things really are and of the mistakes made by UNESCO
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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
Culture
More about Culture-
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.
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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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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
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The Iranian ''Encyclopaedia for Children and Young People''Re-Appropriating a Problematic Persian Heritage
In Iran, most of the encyclopaedias are translated from foreign languages. Touran Mirhadi therefore decided to publish an encyclopaedia with a decidedly Persian perspective. But there are no plans to include a chapter on the Holocaust. Alessandro Topa visited Mirhadi and her team in Tehran
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Social Protest and Young Arab ArtWinds of Change
The output of young artists in the Arab world is clear evidence that young people here have for a long time been grappling with prevailing social conditions in their particular nations. Observations by Charlotte Bank
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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