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Ramadan TV specialsSyrian drama after Assad
Television dramas are a Ramadan staple in Syria. This year, for the first time, viewers watched series written in a post-Assad era, some confronting past trauma, others offering satirical critique, sparking fierce debate over how the country's stories should be told.
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Syed Muhammad Naquib al-AttasA life rethinking the foundations of knowledge
Malaysian philosopher and polymath Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas has died aged 94. A lifelong critic of Western intellectual dominance, his work has shaped debates on modernity and education across the Muslim world.
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Culture in GermanyThe politics of neutrality
This year’s Berlinale highlighted the tensions between art and supposedly neutral institutions. But state-funded cultural bodies don't operate outside politics; they set the terms of debate. Greater transparency about how boundaries are drawn could strengthen trust.
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Iran WarWill the Gulf states stand together?
Hard hit by Iranian attacks, the business model of the Gulf states is under attack. Yet they are far from defenceless: with coordination—and unity—they could establish themselves as powerful agents of change.
Politics
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Attacks on IranDid the Saudis want this war?
Saudi Arabia's calculations in the Iran war may be different from what many assume. Rockets and drones are flying towards Doha, Dubai and even Riyadh—yet the kingdom could still see opportunities in the conflict.
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German legal expert Kai Ambos on Iran war"International law is not a suggestion"
The attack on Iran by the US and Israel violates the UN Charter, says Kai Ambos. He argues that European powers cannot preach a rules-based order while failing to denounce clear violations, and warns of a slide towards global lawlessness.
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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
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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
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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
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"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
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Investigations into the 2014 Israel–Gaza conflictWhat prospects for accountability in Gaza?
Half a year has passed since the end of the hostilities between Israel and Hamas. Both NGOs and international organisations are now investigating the events of summer 2014. Ylenia Gostoli reports on these investigations and the reactions to them on both sides of the divide
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India's anti-corruption champion Arvind KejriwalDelhi's new broom very nearly makes a clean sweep
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a landslide victory in the Delhi State elections earlier this month, dealing a heavy blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The capital's Muslim community in particular welcomes the change of power and hopes that communal politics will now finally take a back seat.
Society
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Damascus book fairA new benchmark for freedom
Syria has held its first book fair since the fall of Assad. The landmark event sets a new standard against which the government and its cultural policy will be judged.
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Research on Jew-hatred in Germany"Antisemitism cannot be deported"
The concept of "imported antisemitism" is widespread in German politics but remains poorly researched. A new study provides nuance, context and data on antisemitism among both migrants and non-migrants. An interview with co-author Neta‑Paulina Wagner.
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Book review: Christoph Bangert's "War Porn"We must not look away
The simple, unassuming cover of this book belies its explosive content: in his latest photobook, "War Porn", photojournalist Christoph Bangert shows the true, ugly face of conflict in all its horror. He presents the reader with an unfiltered selection of images from his photographic archive, documenting the brutality of war, predominantly in the Arab world. By Felix Koltermann
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Anti-Muslim violence in Myanmar and Sri LankaSurge of radical Buddhism in South Asia
Nationalist Buddhist monks in Myanmar and Sri Lanka are playing a key role in instigating hatred and provoking violence towards the Muslim minorities in both countries, claiming that such action is necessary in order to protect Buddhist race and culture. By Roma Rajpal Weiß
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Interview with the French Islam expert Gilles KepelPassion and suffering
For three decades now, the renowned French sociologist and political scientist Gilles Kepel has been monitoring the development of Muslim societies. He sees a close connection between the developments in the French suburbs and the events in the Arab world. Beat Stauffer spoke to him in Paris
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Persecution of the Yazidis in IraqDon't abandon us!
In Iraq, not only are the Yazidi people being persecuted by IS, their sacred sites are also being destroyed by the jihadists. The Yazidis are now responding by forming troops of fighters to protect these sites. By Joseph Croitoru
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The Arabic languageA better understanding
Arabic is spoken in 22 countries, but people from different countries don't necessarily understand each other. The language is split up into numerous dialects, some of which are mutually unintelligible. The Arab spring went a long way towards unifying the way Arabic is used in everyday life. Translators are working on an online dictionary to help standardise the language for business purposes. By Charlotte Schmitz and Guido Zebisch
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Interview with war photographer Christoph BangertThe naked brutality of war
The photographer and journalist Christoph Bangert has published a book of photographs that his editors refused to use. All of them highlight the horror of war. His book, "War Porn", is an appeal not to look away from the brutality of armed conflict. Monika Griebeler spoke to him about his work and his book
Culture
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Author Taleb AlrefaiA window into the Kuwaiti soul
Does the German literary scene have a blind spot when it comes to Arabic literature? Abdulrahman Afif makes the case for the works of Kuwaiti writer Taleb Alrefai, whose socially critical literature deftly side-steps orientalist expectations.
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Mukabela in Bosnia and HerzegovinaA distinctive and enduring Ramadan tradition
For Bosnian Muslims, mukabela, the daily communal recitation of the Qur'an, is an essential part of Ramadan. The tradition dates back to the Prophet Muhammad, was popularised under Ottoman rule and has survived dictatorship and war.
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Tariq Ali: ''The Night of the Golden Butterfly''Shimmering Prose against the Clash of Civilisations
Tariq Ali has written a multi-faceted picaresque novel about Pakistan and the West. In "The Night of the Golden Butterfly", the Pakistani-British intellectual lays bare the cynical bigotries of both the western and the Muslim world, writes Claudia Kramatschek
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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