Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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"Archiving Gaza" anthologyA vivid record of life before the war
"Archiving Gaza in the Present" brings together essays on Gazan art, literature, music and archaeology. By preserving the memory of a once-vibrant cultural world while confronting the scale of its loss, it stands as one of the most important recent books on Gaza.
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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.
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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Debate about Günter Grass's PoemThe Best of Intentions, the Worst of Outcomes
Günter Grass is not an anti-Semite, as his critics and the politically conservative media are claiming; however, for an objective discussion about the dangers of a possible military strike against Iran, his poem is counterproductive, says Stefan Weidner
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Conspiracy Fears in SyriaThe Power of the Big Story
One of the most effective weapons in President Assad's arsenal is what Jan Kuhlmann refers to as "the big story", the conspiracy theory peddled by the regime that foreign powers are behind the uprising in Syria. In this essay, Kuhlmann takes a closer look at this and other "big stories" circulating in the Arab world and examines their roots and their consequences
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Interview with Hazem SaghiehBeyond the Authority of Religion and the Rule of Family Clans
The Lebanese political analyst and opinion-maker Hazem Saghieh is one of the foremost liberal thinkers in the Arab world. He has just published a book in which he analyses why democratic modernisation has failed to make much headway in Arab countries so far. Rachid Boutayeb spoke with him on the subject
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Debate on Günter Grass's Israel-Iran PoemThe Old Man and the Stereotype
It is devastating to see an internationally renowned German literary figure like Günter Grass bandying about anti-Semitic clichés. A commentary
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President Gauck and Germany's MuslimsA Certain Distance to Islam
The interviews and speeches given by Germany's new president, Joachim Gauck, show that he is putting a clear distance between himself and Islam. But as German president, his job is not to polarise, but to differentiate. By Jan Kuhlmann
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Arab League Summit in BaghdadReconciliation with Kuwait, Discord over Syria
The first Arab League summit in Baghdad in 22 Years showed that the country is back in the lap of the Arab community. And yet the glory that this summit was to bring in the shadow of a serious government crisis failed to materialise. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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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The Babri Mosque Controversy in IndiaSacred Ground for Muslims and Hindus
For centuries, Hindus have claimed the Babri Mosque as the birthplace of their god Ram. Now a court has ruled that the site can be used by both Hindus and Muslims. By Qurratulain Zaman
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Islamic Cultural Centre in Warsaw
Building Religious "Bridges" in Poland
An Islamic cultural centre is being built in Warsaw, next to the city's new mosque. Its construction initially sparked protests, but now some are hoping it could be a sign of integration for Muslims. By Rafal Kiepuszewski
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The Egyptian Dominican Priest Georges Anawati
A Christian and Islamic Scholar in the Service of Dialogue
Georges Anawati, an advocate of Christian-Islamic understanding, could finally receive the attention he deserves thanks to the Anawati Foundation and his biography. By Martina Sabra
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Joint History School Book for Israelis and Palestinians
Difficult Times for a Visionary Project
A history book that tried to be fair to both sides in the Middle East conflict has had trouble gaining the approval of either side, says Joseph Croitoru
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Interview with Amr Khaled
A Call for Muslims in the West to Serve Their Societies
Amr Khaled is one the best-known TV preachers of the Arab world, reaching millions of mostly young Muslims. In an interview he talks about the role faith and activism can play for Muslims' integration into Western societies
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Afghan Refugees in Iran
The Lowest of the Low
Afghans in Iran constitute one of the largest refugee populations in the world. It was recently reported that thousands have been executed. Iran and Afghanistan are arguing about this. By Iason Athanasiadis
Culture
More about Culture-
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.
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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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Joachim Helfer / Rashid al-Daif
"The Homosexualization of the World"
An essay entitled "The Homosexualization of the World" by the German author Joachim Helfer and the Lebanese author Rashid al-Daif has recently been published in Germany. Volker Kaminski describes the results of a dialogue of opposites
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Arabic Documentary Cinema
The Individual and His State of Mind
Arabic documentary cinema was one of the focal points for this year's International Leipzig Festival of Documentary Cinema. Seventeen films from Morocco to Saudi Arabia gave insight into new trends – and an answer to the question of what distinguishes Arabic documentary film. By Martin Gerner
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"Al-Tarab" – The Muscat Oud Festival
The Non-Pop Side of Arabic Music
When Issam El-Mallah was commissioned by Sultan Qaboos of Oman to organize a music festival in Muscat, he made a conscious decision to concentrate on the traditional, "old-school", Arabic musical traditions. Stefan Franzen reports
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Orient Photography by Hermann Burchardt
Far from Pathos
The newly rediscovered and reprinted Orient photographs by Berlin photographer Hermann Burchardt from around 100 years ago appear startlingly unstaged and free of the embarrassing voyeurism demonstrated by some of his contemporaries. Andreas Pflitsch reports
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The Socio-Cultural Project "Santé Sidi El Houari"
Uncovering Algeria's Buried Identities
An open debate about the decade of terror in Algeria is virtually unthinkable. Nonetheless, many Algerians are trying to deal with their country's history in another way. In Oran, for instance, a socio-cultural project seeks to combine community work with the search for a new identity. By Beat Stauffer
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Interview with Altaf Tyrewala
"Bombay is a City of Extremes"
The new novel of the famous Muslim Indian writer Altaf Tyrewala "No God in Sight" is an unconnected narrative account of the life of ordinary people in Bombay. Sonia Phalnikar spoke with Altaf Tyrewala about his book and the social realities in Bombay
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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