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Gilbert Achcar on the impact of 9/11"The Iraq War shattered the promise of a new world order"
The attacks of 11 September 2001 fundamentally altered US foreign policy and triggered a series of wars that have reshaped the Middle East. 25 years on, Gilbert Achcar reflects on the US response to 9/11 and its enduring impact on the region.
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Faten HarbMediating family conflicts in wartime Gaza
Faten Harb is one of Gaza's first female mukhtaras, a mediation role traditionally reserved for men. As war has upended everyday life, she has found herself mediating disputes shaped by displacement, poverty and loss, helping families navigate a society under extraordinary strain.
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Algeria and France"We must deepen our understanding of the colonial era"
History weighs heavily on Algerian-French relations. Historian Benjamin Stora discusses the obstacles and progress made towards a shared culture of remembrance, and the threat posed by the French far right as elections approach.
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Remembering Sliman MansourThe artist behind a Palestinian icon
"Camel of Hardship" by Sliman Mansour, who died on 24 August, is one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Asmaa al-Ghoul tells how it came to appear on walls across the country and why it remains deeply embedded in collective memory.
Politics
More about Politics-
Taliban in AfghanistanPower consolidated, society reshaped
In the five years since regaining power, the Taliban have cemented their rule in Afghanistan, bringing armed conflict in the country to a relative lull. Their ambitions go beyond maintaining control: they are seeking to transform the country from the bottom up.
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Death sentence for Bashar al-AssadJustice cannot be rushed
The abrupt verdict against Bashar al-Assad is a missed opportunity for justice. A genuine trial could have documented the full extent of his crimes and given survivors a platform to tell their stories.
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Narendra Modi and the Indian MuslimsDivisive figure could become India's next PM
Narendra Modi was chief minister in the Indian state of Gujarat when anti-Muslim pogroms took place there 12 years ago. Today, he is the Hindu nationalist BJP party's candidate for the post of prime minister. Will this exacerbate India's inter-religious tensions? By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Power struggle in IranRouhani's balancing act
Hardliners in the Islamic Republic of Iran are intent on showing the president where the boundaries of his ambitious domestic reform agenda lie. By Marcus Michaelsen
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The Saudi blogger Raif Badawi600 lashes for expressing opinions
On 9 January 2014, a group of protesters organised a sit-in in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Rome, calling for the immediate release of blogger Raif Badawi. According to Elham Manea, he was imprisoned in 2012 on trumped up charges rooted in the ruling dynasty's fear of dissent and rebellion. He now faces the death penalty
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Al Jazeera journalists face terrorism chargesEgypt settles scores with Al Jazeera
Employees of the Al Jazeera news channel are currently on trial in Egypt. The prosecution has accused them of being members of a terrorist organisation. Markus Symank reports from Cairo
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Portrait of Pakistani politician Imran KhanFlirting with the Taliban
For several years now, support for cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has been growing in Pakistan. Nevertheless, opinion about one of the country's greatest sporting heroes is still divided. His supporters point to the progress made in the province ruled by his Movement for Justice Party, while liberal Pakistanis have criticised his opposition to military operations against the Taliban. By Shamil Shams
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Dispute over planned archaeological museum in JerusalemStrife at the foot of the Temple Mount
In East Jerusalem, a planned archaeological museum, which has already been approved by the building authorities, is causing controversy. The seven-story building is to be constructed on the outskirts of the Palestinian district of Silwan and only 20 metres away from the south wall of Jerusalem's Old City. By Joseph Croitoru
Society
More about Society-
Inequality in MoroccoCeuta was a referendum
Shortly before the general election, the mass crossing into Ceuta has shaken Morocco's image as a stable and thriving nation. The fact that so many people embarked on the journey reveals the depth of discontent in the country.
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Afghans in Germany"Most of us feel betrayed"
Five years on from the fall of Kabul, the German government is cooperating with the Taliban. Mitra Hashemi from the German-Afghan Friendship Society talks about the Afghan community in Germany, a lack of recognition and responsibility towards their relatives in Afghanistan.
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IslamophobiaEvidence Does Not Support Fears of Islam in the West
Why has a dichotomy persisted between Muslim and Western societies despite the bulk of academic research dispelling any notion of incompatibility? Director of the Islam in the West program at Harvard University Jocelyne Cesari explains
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German Wehrmacht Document on IslamIdeological Vacuum
If it were not for the fact that the author of a code of conduct for Wehrmacht officers in Muslim countries – the army doctor Ernst Rodenwaldt – was a proven Nazi sympathiser, those in today's anti-Islamic milieu would most certainly hold him for a Muslim sympathizer. Stefan Weidner on an unusual historical manuscript
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Dilwar Hussain on Reform IslamGoing beyond Literal Interpretation
In order to retain the values of the Koran, one must go beyond the literal meaning of the text, says British Islam scholar Dilwar Hussain. Instead, Muslims should try to interpret the dynamic of change of early Islam and apply that to modern times and conditions. An interview by Jan Kuhlmann
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Freedom of the Press in TurkeyTied to the Leash of the State
According to information from "Reporters without Borders", there are more journalists imprisoned in Turkey today than there ever have been since the end of the military regime in 1983. The freedom of the Turkish press is kept within very narrow limits. Yet, is this really such a new phenomenon? Fatih Cicek offers some answers
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Jews in TunisiaA Shrinking, Vulnerable Community
Jews lived in North Africa before the arrival of Christianity or Islam. On the eve of Tunisia's independence from France, there were more than 100,000 of them in the country. Half a century later, as few as 1,500 remain. Naomi Scherbel-Ball reports from Tunis
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Forced Marriage in AfghanistanSuicide as a Final Resort
Up to 80 per cent of marriages in Afghanistan take place without the consent of the bride, who is often a minor. Many of these brides – particularly those who live in cities – see killing themselves as the only way out. Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi reports on this tragic state of affairs
Culture
More about Culture-
Egyptian photographer Roger Anis"The Nile is part of our collective consciousness"
Egyptian photographer Roger Anis has spent nearly a decade documenting the world's longest river. In 2024, he revived an ancient Nile procession with local fishermen, turning their boats into a moving celebration of the river and its communities.
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Miss Syria 2026"For me, beauty is self-confidence and presence"
At this year’s Miss Arab World pageant, which took place in Cairo, Syria was represented by Muna Almohamad, who was born and raised in Germany. She wants to encourage women to be true to themselves and become more visible.
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Elsa Sophia von KamphoevenerPrussia's Scheherazade
She lived in the Ottoman Empire for 20 years, and as the daughter of a Prussian officer serving at the Sultan's court, she discovered the eastern art of storytelling for the West. Sonja Hegasy profiles Elsa Sophia von Kamphoevener, the headstrong exponent of the German romantic image of the East
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Interview Nouri Al Jarrah
What Distinguishes the West from the Arab World?
Nouri Al Jarrah heads a research centre in Abu Dhabi whose employees browse through libraries worldwide in search of old Arabic travellers' tales that the institute then publishes in new editions. Julia Gerlach spoke to Al Jarrah
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Interview with Ulrich Schreiber
Visions for the Future of Arab-Western Dialogue
According to the head of the 'international literary festival berlin', Ulrich Schreiber, this year's event aims to be a milestone for literary communication between Europe and the Arab world. Mohamed Massad talked to Ulrich Schreiber
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Muhabbet
Rehabilitated Crooner
The man is a star in the Turkish-German community, German foreign minister Steinmeier's integration poster-boy – and has been suspected of Islamism. The R'n'B singer Muhabbet has just released his third album. By André Tucic
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Intercultural Music Projects
Building Bridges of Mutual Understanding
Artists of various ethnicity are pooling their musical forces in some German cities, tapping into Germany's cultural diversity to produce world music. While integration has become an ongoing issue in current-day Germany, they're a significant stride ahead of society. Ayla Yildiz reports
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William S. Borroughs' "Naked Lunch"
American Literature from Morocco
Naked Lunch is William S. Burroughs' most famous novel. First published in Paris 50 years ago, the book was written in the Moroccan port of Tangier – in the company of drug dealers and pimps. Alfred Hackensberger picks up the trail
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Ägyptischer Fotograf Roger Anis
„Der Nil ist Teil unseres kollektiven Bewusstseins“
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Gilbert Achcar über Folgen von 9/11
"Der Irakkrieg hat die Weltordnung zertrümmert"
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Religiöse Vielfalt in Tunesien
Maria in den Straßen von Tunis
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Jüdische Wallfahrt in Tunesien
Djerbas einzigartige Feierlichkeiten
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Libyens "Great Man-Made River"-Bewässerungsprojekt
Fluch oder Segen?
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Nachruf auf Sliman Mansour
Sein Bild hing überall in Palästina