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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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Syrian RefugeesDriven out of Egypt
The Egyptian authorities are taking a very heavy-handed line against refugees from the Syrian civil war. Amnesty International says Cairo is forcing those who have fled the violence and entered Egypt to leave the country again, thereby pushing them into a highly uncertain future. Andreas Gorzewski reports
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Russia, the US and the Syrian Civil WarA Bloody Game of Chess
The Assad regime has succeeded in turning Syria into a chess board over which Russia and the US have locked horns as the blood and tears continue to flow. The losers in this stalemate are undoubtedly the Syrian people, writes Elias Khoury in his essay
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Interview with Hani Shukrallah"Egypt's Media Are Propaganda Machines"
In this interview with Andrea Backhaus, the renowned Egyptian journalist and political scientist Hani Shukrallah criticises the way the Egyptian military is using the media to its own political ends and the blatant opportunism of many of the country's journalists
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Preaching Ban for Islamists in EgyptControlling the Message
The interim government appointed by the Egyptian army is banishing Islamist preachers from mosques. But imams who are loyal to the regime are still allowed to combine religion and politics. By Markus Symank
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Islamism and Politics in ZanzibarReligious Hatred in Paradise
For the some hundred thousand tourists that visit Zanzibar each year, the island is paradise on earth. Yet, beyond the calm of its tourist venues, religious tensions on the island have been increasing. The attacks on churches, hate tirades by preachers, and leaflets inciting violence are but mileposts of a growing religious radicalization. Danja Bergmann reports
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Open Letter to Europe"Tunisia Needs Help!"
In an open letter to José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, the well-known Tunisian journalist Soufiane Chourabi appeals to the EU to put pressure on Tunisia’s government because it tolerates the attacks by fundamentalist Islamic groups on Tunisians’ personal freedoms
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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The Uprising of Women in the Arab WorldFighting Patriarchal Tyranny
The group "The uprising of women in the Arab world" is taking a courageous stand for gender equality. However, the activists face significant resistance: from old ways of thinking, patriarchal chauvinism – and even from Facebook. Laura Overmeyer reports
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Interview with Father Paolo Dall'Oglio on SyriaHoping for a Victory without Revenge
Paolo Dall'Oglio has lived in Syria for over 30 years. Founder of the Deir Mar Musa monastic community north of Damascus, he has always been committed to interreligious dialogue with the Muslim world. Last June, he was banished by the regime. Father Paolo Dall'Oglio talks to Antonella Vicini
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10th Anniversary of the Death of Annemarie SchimmelSearching for the Inner Life of Islam
As one of the most eminent western scholars of Islam, Annemarie Schimmel is still held in high esteem in the Islamic world. But despite being a kind of a mystic herself, the German got entangled in the fraught relations between East and West. Ten years after her death, Stefan Wild takes stock of her life and work
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Interview with Doug Saunders''Muslim infiltration is a myth''
In his book "The Myth of the Muslim Tide", Doug Saunders puts theories from critics of immigration under the microscope. He talked to Aygül Cizmecioglu about extremism, xenophobia and successful integration
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Right-wing Extremism and Islamophobia in GermanySending out a Political Signal
In this essay, Aiman Mazyek, chairman of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, warns against the trivialisation of anti-Islamic tendencies and right-wing extremist violence, both of which are increasingly posing a threat to social peace in Germany
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John R. Bowen's ''Blaming Islam''Deconstructing Populism
John R. Bowen, anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis, is fed up with the myths, misinformation and cheap populism surrounding the issue of Islam and Muslims in the West. In his book, he debunks the falsehoods that have crept into the everyday political discourse about the religion and its adherents. A review by Paul Hockenos
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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Jordanian Cinema: "Captain Abu Raed"Short Getaways from the Daily Grind
"Captain Abu Raed" is the first feature-length film from Jordan. The debut film of the Jordanian-American director Amin Matalqa has been awarded numerous international prizes. Martina Sabra had a look at the film
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The "Green Memories" Project on Forugh Farrokhzad
Desperation and Hope Set to Music
During her short life, Iranian poetess Forugh Farrokhzad broke conventions and single-mindedly went her own way. One of her poems inspired three Iranian-American musicians to create an album dedicated to Farrokhzad's life and poetry. Richard Marcus reports
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Iraqi Theatre
The Arab Answer to 'Godot'
An Iraqi-German cooperative project has staged the drama "Waiting for Rain" after Beckett's "Waiting for Godot". It shows Iraqi society in search of itself. Leonie Kircher spoke with the project's initiators
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Portrait of Hilal Sezgin
"There's No Such Thing as a Typical Turkish Woman"
Hilal Sezgin is one of the few journalists of Turkish origin who reports intelligently and without bias on Islam, women's rights and integration in Germany– a boon for the features sections of German newspapers. Nimet Seker introduces the author
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Obituary: Tayeb Salih
Season of Literary Migration to the South
With the passing of cult Sudanese author Tayeb Salih on Wednesday 18 February, Arabic literature has lost its most significant writer since Naguib Mahfouz. Stefan Weidner pays tribute to an outstanding author
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The Libyan Writer Ibrahim Al-Koni
"The True Trade Is Life"
Ibrahim Al-Koni, scion of a Libyan Tuareg family, is regarded as the great writer of the Sahara. In his new novel "The Puppet" Al-Koni perceptively depicts the way in which the modern world intrudes into the Tuaregs' traditional society. Kersten Knipp presents the novel
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Frauen in Saudi-Arabien
Gefangen in einem System der Gender-Apartheid
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Ägyptischer Fotograf Roger Anis
„Der Nil ist Teil unseres kollektiven Bewusstseins“
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Religiöse Vielfalt in Tunesien
Maria in den Straßen von Tunis
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Gilbert Achcar über Folgen von 9/11
"Der Irakkrieg hat die Weltordnung zertrümmert"
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Ahmad Schah Massoud
Afghanistans Kalter Krieger
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer