Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Sudanese music in CairoFinding joy in the face of war
While war rages at home, for Sudanese wedding singers in exile in Cairo, celebration has become a form of resistance.
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Syria after AssadAl-Sharaa and the global jihad
Jihadist groups around the world are watching Syria's transitional government closely. Al-Sharaa's takeover and moderate strategy are inspiring for some, while others see his pragmatism as a betrayal and opt for violence.
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"Christ in the Rubble" by Munther IsaacThe Christian case against the war on Gaza
Munther Isaac, a West Bank pastor, rejects Bible-based justifications for war and calls Gaza a "moral compass". In "Christ in the Rubble", he presents a view of the war that is polarising without being destructive.
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GazaCaught between starvation and deadly aid centres
In Gaza, survival now means facing not only bombs but also starvation. As some Palestinians risk their lives to receive aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, others turn to desperate measures to feed their children.
Politics
More about Politics-
Morocco-Algeria arms race"The solution requires political courage"
Tensions between Morocco and Algeria are fuelling a frantic arms race. Moroccan researcher Hicham Mouatadid traces the roots of the rivalry and calls for a solution that goes beyond the Western Sahara conflict to address regional security as a whole.
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Lebanese Civil WarThe postwar that never was
Fifty years since its outbreak, Lebanon's Civil War continues to shape its society and political system. The postwar era has been marked by violence, foreign occupation, political paralysis and economic crisis—raising the question: did the war ever truly end?
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COP28 in the United Arab EmiratesHow will the Israel-Hamas conflict impact the UN climate summit?
As the UN's annual climate conference convenes, the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza is casting a long shadow. Observers suggest the conflict will impact regional cooperation and the future of Middle East environment policies
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Israeli plans for GazaA Palestinian exodus to Egypt?
Is the entire population of Gaza to be relocated to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt? This is what a strategy paper by the influential Israeli Misgav Institute envisages. In interview with Qantara.de, German-Israeli economist Shir Hever explains what the plan is all about
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Germany’s stance on the Middle East conflictWhat does 'never again' actually mean?
History puts Germany on Israel's side. For the same reason, Germany must defend international and human rights. This is now a dilemma. A value-driven foreign policy would do well to remember the universalist understanding of 'never again'
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Israeli hostages held by HamasWhat can Germany do?
Weeks of tough negotiations have led to an initial hostage deal between Hamas and Israel with Qatar playing a leading role in the mediation process. Bearing in mind Germany’s historic debt towards the Jews, what part could – or should – Germany play?
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Israel's war against Hamas"The Middle East conflict must be resolved at the roots"
Leading Palestinian intellectual Sari Nusseibeh on the Hamas massacres, Israel's war in Gaza and the distant dream of equal coexistence
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A different take on GazaGlobal South criticises Israel
Germany, the USA and the UK have stood firmly behind Israel following the Hamas attacks. The Global South, however, sees the Gaza conflict differently. Pro-Palestine voices can be heard across the region. By Kristin Palitza and Denis Duettmann, dpa
Society
More about Society-
German academiaWhen neutrality becomes complicity
German scholars of the Middle East often wear the mask of political neutrality. But both Western philosophy and the classical Islamic tradition insist that knowledge carries an ethical duty. A call for moral responsibility.
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Iran at warThe scapegoating of Afghan refugees
Amid conflict with Israel, Tehran's regime is fuelling mistrust of Afghan refugees. Yet they are among those most vulnerable to Israeli air strikes.
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Iran protestsTehran dismisses university lecturers
University lecturers critical of the regime are being dismissed, while those loyal to the regime are being rehired: Tehran's Islamic regime is apparently reshaping the country's universities even more strictly according to its own ideas. By Iman Aslani
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Libya flood victimsDerna – difficult search for missing migrants
Around 10% of the victims of the recent devastating floods in Libya were from other countries. Some were working there, others likely trying to leave for Europe. By Islam Alatrash in Libya and Cathrin Schaer
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Human rights in AsiaTajik women turn to polygamy to survive
Dire economic conditions are spurring an increasing number of women in Tajikistan to enter polygamous marriages. But it comes at a price. With few rights to underpin their existence, they bear a burden of social stigma that taints not only their lives but those of their children too. Madina Shogunbekova reports
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The Armenian genocide"Genocide is a feminist issue"
Dots, crosses, lines: tattoos like these were inked on surviving Armenian women after the genocide in the Ottoman Empire. Historian Elyse Semerdjian uses the tattoos to tell their story. Interview by Anna-Theresa Bachmann
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Financial crisis in LebanonBeirut's bank robber folk heroes
Desperation is driving some Lebanese to take matters into their own hands. These days, robbing a bank to access your own money is likely to make you a folk hero. Karim El-Gawhary met two such 'criminals' in Beirut
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Climate change in BangladeshThe sinking of a city
Chittagong in Bangladesh is one of the ten fastest-sinking coastal cities in the world. Many people moved there fleeing climate disasters elsewhere in the country. With large parts of Chittagong under water for several hours a day, they are likely to be displaced again. Rafiqul Islam Montu reports
Culture
More about Culture-
Moroccan Gnawa festivalA Sufi tradition on the world stage
A festival in Morocco is bringing Gnawa music to the mainstream. Shaped by migration, slavery and a long struggle for recognition, the once marginalised Sufi tradition is now internationally renowned.
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"Carmen" on the Egyptian stageRewritten to fit the patriarchal script
A stage production of "Carmen", adapted from Prosper Mérimée's French novella, has captured the attention of audiences and critics in Cairo. While the French novella portrayed Carmen as a free-spirited rebel, the Egyptian adaptation tells a different story.
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Istanbul's 42nd Film FestivalBetween two quakes
Other high-profile film festivals would be hard pushed to match the intensity with which cinematic art collides with reality at the Istanbul Film Festival. Stefan Weidner attended for Qantara.de
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Khaled Jarrar's documentary "Notes on Displacement"Putting faces to the nameless
Many films exist about the dangerous escape routes people have been taking to reach Europe since 2015 to escape war, conflict and precarious living conditions. In this very personal documentary, Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar accompanies an old lady from Yarmouk, Syria, who was driven out of Nazareth as a child. By Rene Wildangel
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"Women Defining Women in Contemporary Art of the Middle East and Beyond"LA art exhibition on Middle East women opens
An exhibition of work by 42 female artists on women in the Middle East has opened in California. Challenging stereotypes about the region, it depicts what curators say are the personal and universal stories of women in Islamic societies.
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Golnar Shahyar's 'Tear Drop' and the Iran protests"A revolution of culture and thought"
Raised in Iran, Golnar Shahyar studied in Canada and has lived in Vienna since 2008. The singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist combines jazz, song-writing and Persian roots with strong lyrics. She talks to Stefan Franzen about her debut solo album "Tear Drop" and the Woman, Life, Freedom movement
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Middle EastWhy are Ramadan TV specials so controversial?
Every year, new TV series are released during the Muslim religious holiday. And every year, some cause controversy, upsetting clerics, governments or activists. Media analysts in the Middle East say they know why. Cathrin Schaer reports
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Art and the Iran protests"Painting is like breathing for me"
Iranian artist Raoof Haghighi's latest exhibition, including works in support of the women of Iran, presents an intriguing range of styles and media. From stark, striking pencil sketches to lush portraits in oils, the art show from 7-16 April promises to be visually, intellectually and emotionally stimulating. Interview by Richard Marcus
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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