Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Iran protestsMass anger in a political void
From bazaar strike to national revolt: Iran's current protest wave has achieved unprecedented social and geographic reach. But without a unifying programme or cohesive demands, can it withstand the regime's brutal response?
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Films on SudanStories from elsewhere
The war in Sudan has made displacement a fact of life for millions. Two new films, with Sudanese women at their core, reflect this reality through very different lenses. A review of "Aisha Can't Fly Away" and "Cotton Queen".
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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.
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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Interview with Hélé Béji"Ennahda has an unbelievable capacity to adjust"
Hélé Béji is an independent Tunisian writer and literary scholar. She is related to Habib Bourguiba, the founder of the Tunisian republic and its first president, and is part of a rather progressive intellectual scene. Béji has been watching the Islamists closely since they took power two years ago and is one of the few people who considers Ennahda capable of learning and becoming a major democratic people's party. Christina Omlin spoke to her about recent developments in Tunisia
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Tunisia three years after the Jasmine RevolutionLearning how to deal with freedom
Three years after the overthrow of President Ben Ali, Tunisians are still waiting for their new constitution. Quite a few empty promises have been made since 2011, but there has also been some progress. By Ute Schaeffer in Tunis
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Interview with Turkish theologian Ihsan EliacikThe Koran and social justice
Ihsan Eliacik is the first proponent of an "Islamic socialism" in Turkey. In his teachings, he criticises the neo-liberal policies of the AKP and calls for a socialist reading of the Koran. Interview by Ceyda Nurtsch
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Fighting in the Iraqi province of Anbar"Maliki is the new Saddam!"
The images coming out of the Iraqi province of Anbar shocked the world: masked fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were seen patrolling the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, waiting to take them over. Baghdad's central government seems to be losing its grip on the country's largest province. From Birgit Svensson in Fallujah
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Georges Corm on the conflicts in the Arab worldForget religion!
In his new book, the Lebanese historian Georges Corm criticises the tendency in the West to see the conflicts in the Arab world almost exclusively in a religious context. In reality, he says, the struggles in the states of the Arab Spring are for the fair distribution of economic power and democratic participation. By Kersten Knipp
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Tunisia and the European UnionLast chance
The Arab Spring seems to be over, but democracy could yet prevail in Tunisia. The EU should promise privileged trade relations on the condition that the country does not return to authoritarian rule. By Markus Loewe
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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Islamic Streetwear from the German ''Styleislam'' LabelModern, Rebellious, and Pleasing in the Sight of God
Melih Kesmen designs Islamic fashion, which has brought him a great deal of international success. Laura Overmeyer relates how Kesmen, a German Muslim, developed his spontaneous idea into a successful concept and how fashion can be used to promote interreligious dialogue
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''Islamofascism''A Brief History of a Controversial Term
In recent years, use of the term "Islamofascism" has spread. Yet as new as this term may seem to some, it has in fact been in use for well over a century. The journal Die Welt des Islams recently dedicated an entire issue to the subject. Joseph Croitoru has the details
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Interreligious Dialogue in MoroccoPeaceful Co-existence between Divine Religions
Before the founding of the state of Israel in 1948, about a quarter of a million Jews lived in Morocco. In the 1950s and 1960s, many emigrated to the new Jewish state, leaving a diminished Jewish community behind. Hind Al-Subai Al-Idrisi takes a closer look at interreligious dialogue in Morocco, a predominantly Muslim country that is now ruled by a moderate Islamist party
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Interview with LGBT Rights Activist Arsham Parsi''Rights are never given; we have to fight for them''
Arsham Parsi is an Iranian LGBT human rights activist who lives in exile in Canada. In this interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, he speaks about the situation for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBTs) in Iran and his work to support LGBT refugees who flee the country for the West and explains why he is so optimistic about it all
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Debate about Female Genital Mutilation in EgyptThe Ongoing Battle for the Female Body
Although the forbidden practice of female genital mutilation has nothing to do with Islam, Egypt's Islamists are determined to have it legalised once again. The consequences for Egypt's women would be disastrous. By Margot Badran
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Memorial to the Dersim Rebellion in TurkeyApologies and Forgiveness
A major Kurdish uprising took place 75 years ago in what was the province of Dersim (now the Turkish-named Tunceli Province). It was brutally crushed and ended with the death or deportation of thousands of villagers. Today, cautious steps are being taken to address this painful chapter of history. By Ekrem Eddy Güzeldere
Culture
More about Culture-
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.
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Driss ben Hamed Charhadi and Paul BowlesA Life Full of Holes
Driss ben Hamed Charhadi was an illiterate Moroccan servant and street vendor, Paul Bowles was a renowned American novelist and essayist. In 1964 they published "A Life Full of Holes" – a congenial project of literary cooperation. Richard Marcus reviewed the new edition of the book
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Parastou Forouhar
Art as a Political Weapon
The Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar's parents were murdered eleven years ago. She has been fighting ever since, for a conviction of their killers and against the system in Iran – including through her art. Werner Bloch on a courageous artist
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Israeli-Palestinian Dialogue
Art and the Right to Freedom of Movement
An exhibition in a small Arab-Israeli town. With artists from Germany, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Can a project like this be a success? It can indeed! Cornelia Rabitz reports
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Sinan Antoon's "I'jaam: An Iraqi Rhapsody"
A Literary Daring Deed
Sinan Antoon is an Iraqi-American author and his novel tells the story of an Iraqi literature student under Saddam Hussein who is suddenly sent to the security service prison, where he begins to write subversive texts. This review is by Mahmoud Tawfik
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Interview with Art Historian Salwa Mikdadi
Palestinian Independence on the Venice Lido
This year, for the first time, Palestine will be showcasing its artistic talent at the Venice Biennale, the world's biggest and liveliest contemporary art extravaganza. Palestinian curator and art historian Salwa Mikdadi managed to put the exhibition together exclusively with Palestinian funding. Interview by Irmgard Berner
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F.M. Esfandiary: "Identity Card"
A Persian Parable of Losing One's Homeland
Iranian writer F.M. Esfandiary was born in 1930 in Brussels. Although his novel "Identity Card" was published over 40 years ago, this story of the absurdities of bureaucracy and a desperate search for identity is a timeless work of literature with universal pertinence. A review by Volker Kaminski
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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