Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Nahid Siamdoust on Iran's protests"Revolution has become more conceivable today"
Is Iran's regime at a breaking point? Nahid Siamdoust assesses the significance of the recent uprising, examines its potential leaders and outlines five possible scenarios for what comes next.
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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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On the Death of Pope Shenouda IIIA Pragmatist Who Was Not Afraid to Take a Stand
Pope Shenouda III, the head of the Christian Coptic Church, passed away last weekend. Throughout his time as Coptic spiritual leader, he faced a variety of challenges from all sides: Islamisation, dictatorship and even revolution. His successor has yet to be named. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Interview with Samar YazbekConveying the Suffering of the Syrian People
In her "Damascene Diaries", the Syrian writer and journalist Samar Yazbek documents the first months of the revolution. Since she has been in exile, she sees how Syrians have been left utterly alone. She has made it her task to give them a voice. Susanne Schanda met the author for an interview in Zurich
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SyriaPlea for a Humanitarian Intervention
The urgently needed humanitarian intervention in Syria will only become reality if there is consensus between the five veto powers in the UN Security Council. As impossible as it seems – it can be done, says Andreas Zumach
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The Presidential Election in FranceFlirting with the Political Right
In the run-up to next month's presidential election in France, the country's conservative politicians are trying to attract the attention and the support of right-wing voters by using right-wing populist rhetoric in the debate about immigration and integration. Bernhard Schmid reports from Paris
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Middle East Peace ProcessPalestinian Unity Required to Move Forward
Palestinian analysts doubt that the recent deal between Fatah and Hamas will help overcome the Palestinian division. Still, people are demanding that both political camps put their differences aside and reach solutions. Bettina Marx reports
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After Yemen's Presidential ElectionA Herculean Task
Militia in the north, separatists in the south, al-Qaeda and the return to the country of the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh ... the challenges facing Yemen's interim government on the road to democracy are staggering. From Sanaa, Birgit Svensson explains that the country's new leadership is actually fighting a war on four fronts
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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Religion in AzerbaijanBetween Tolerance and Repression
The majority of Azerbaijan's population is Shiite - alongside dozens of religious minorities. Even though the country prides itself on its reputation for tolerance, the threat of repression is never far away for practising Muslims. By Klaus Heymach
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Synod of Bishops for the Middle East
Arab Christians for Church Reforms
A Vatican Synod of Bishops on the Middle East is currently taking place in Rome. It aims to draw international attention to the difficult situation of Christians in the region. By Mona Naggar
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Tidiane N'Diaye's "The Veiled Genocide"
Selective Theses on the Arab Slave Trade
Tidiane N'Diaye accuses Arabs of not acknowledging their responsibility for the slave trade. He demands an explanation, yet sheds very little new light on the situation himself. A review by Moritz Behrendt
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The Kashmir Conflict
A Clash of Nationalisms and Religions
Violence in Muslim-dominated Kashmir and anti-India protests has recently been flaring up again. The decades-old conflict is based on two factors: claims of nationalism and of religion, says Yoginder Sikand
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Interview with Mohamed El-Moctar
Wars over Symbols
The face veil stirs up many controversies – also within the Islamic world. For Mohamed El-Moctar, however, it's a practice that has nothing much to do with Islam. Stephanie Doetzer met him in Doha
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Religious Television Channels the Middle East
Prime Time for Islamic Television
Between 60 and 80 Islamic satellite television broadcasters have been launched over the last decade. Their aim is to proclaim the "true" Islam. But which one is the right one? Mona Sarkis reports
Culture
More about Culture-
"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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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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Goethe in the Emirates
Culture as a Peace-Building Measure
Recently, the first joint office of three German cultural organisations was opened in Abu Dhabi. The region has become more important and Germany intends to strengthen its traditionally good relations to the Arab world. Loay Mudhoon reports
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Draupadi Publishing House for Bengali Literature
Filling the Gap
Two years ago the Bengali translator Christian Weiss founded the Draupadi Verlag, which concentrates on short stories and novels from India. He is one of the few publishers who make the effort to have works translated from the original Bengali. Golrokh Esmaili introduces the publisher
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India's Regional Literature
A Tough Sell at Frankfurt
India wants to use the Frankfurt Book Fair to promote its varied body of literature produced in its 24 official languages, not counting English. But that's easier said than done. Sonia Phalnikar reports
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"International Photography Gathering" in Syria
The 9/11 Pietà
The International Photography Gathering in Aleppo, Syria is featuring an exhibition called "Encounters with the Middle East". Gabriela M. Keller has been taking a look at how the international artists have approached the Orient - and why the curator of the exhibition has incurred the displeasure of the Syrian regime
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Interview with Renate Elsässer
Culture Work for Democratisation
The Goethe Institute in Kabul became the first foreign cultural institute to be re-opened in the city. The Institute was closed in 1992 because of the turmoil of the civil war. Stefan Weidner spoke to Renate Elsässer, director of the institute, about her work
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Urban Planning in Cairo
Cultural Sustainability for Egypt's Capital
Cairo's inhabitants respectfully call their city the "Mother of the World". The megacity, however, is bursting at the seams and about to explode. Now an ifa Gallery exhibition is showcasing five projects that offer ambitious solutions to the city's problems. Abdul-Ahmad Rashid reports
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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Neue Filme über den Sudan
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Islamische Geschichte
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