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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Constitutional Reform in MoroccoI Am the Reform!
Over the past 25 years, Morocco has been through a remarkable political opening process and encouraged social pluralism. However, no limits have been set to the king's extreme authority. Despite this, the changes to the constitution made in 2011 are more than a short-term reaction to the revolutionary upheavals in north Africa. By Sonja Hegasy
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The Turkish Role in the Middle East and BeyondMoving Beyond the Dichotomy
The dichotomous perception of Turkish politicy as ‘pro-Western’ and ‘anti-Western’ or ‘pro-Muslim’ reflects a mental division of the world into Occident and Orient rather than the complex reality of 21st-century international politics. By Erik Siegl
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Nervousness in the GulfCarrot and Stick Diplomacy
Unlike much of the rest of the Arab world, the Gulf region has seen very little in the way of protests so far. Here, too, however, political relations are in flux and those in power are coming under increasing presssure to justify their role. Matthias Sailer reports
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Anxiety at the BorderTurkey Braces Itself for Another Wave of Syrian Refugees
The Syrian armed forces have started to move against more towns in the north of the country, sending panicked refugees, including children, rushing across the frontier to safe havens in Turkey. By Thomas Seibert
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Syrian Refugees in Turkey''Wait until Assad Falls''
Syrian refugees are arriving in their thousands in neighbouring Turkey. They regard Recep Tayyip Erdogan as their hero. He has in the meantime distanced himself from rulers in Damascus. Daniel Steinvorth reports from the border region
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Radical Islam in IndonesiaPluralism as Provocation
Indonesia's image as a poster child for pluralism has been tarnished – the actions of Islamic radicals are increasingly controlling the agenda. In the opinion of some observers, the moderate majority must display a greater sense of unity and overcome the authoritarian heritage of the country. By Anett Keller
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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Marrakesh Elects Its First Woman Mayor
Equal Rights and a Change of Generation
Last summer saw the election of the 33-year-old Fatima Azzahra al-Mansouri as the first woman mayor of the city of Marrakesh in the south of Morocco. As Alfred Hackensberger reports, she won the vote in spite of the warnings of conservative politicians
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Interview with Susan Schenk on Al Jazeera English
Not As One Might Expect
In her new study "The image of Islam in international television", the communications scientist Susan Schenk reaches the surprising conclusion that coverage of Islam-related issues on Al Jazeera English differs very little from that on other international news channels such as CNN or BBC. Interview by Loay Mudhoon
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Interview with Kay Sokolowsky
Racism Dressed Up As Criticism of Islam
Media critic Kay Sokolowsky warns against the negative consequences of rising Islamophobia for the co-existence of Muslims and non-Muslims and calls for dialogue and education. Interview conducted by Ramon Schack
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Cultural Policy in the Maghreb
Is Northern Africa Losing Its "Soul"?
Poor governance and the pressure of globalisation mean the Maghreb runs the risk of losing its unique character. Yet only a small minority seems to be aware that this development is destroying an irretrievable part of the Maghreb identity. An essay by Beat Stauffer
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Commentary by Aiman Mazyek
Putting Christian-Muslim Dialogue to the Test
Aiman Mazyek, media adviser and editor-in-chief of islam.de, criticizes the stagnation of Germany's dialogue between the religions and suggests practical ways for reviving it
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Media Critique on the Marwa El-Sherbini Case
Desperately Seeking Intercultural Sensitivity
Reporting on the murder of Marwa El-Sherbini in the German and the Egyptian media testifies to mutual misperceptions, ignorance and a lack of intercultural sensitivity in both countries. A critical analysis by Hanan Badr
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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Oday Rasheed's "Underexposure"
Blinking Incredulously at the Sun
"Oday Rasheed has taken the term 'guerilla filmmaking' to a whole new level," according to Variety Magazine. The film demonstrates, however, how difficult it is for Iraqi film to develop a genuine cinematic language of its own. By Silke Kettelhake
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Mobile Mini Circus for Children
Making Mullahs Smile
Started in the summer of 2002 in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the 'MMCC' aims to support traumatized children. Sponsored mainly from Denmark and the US, the circus pursues therapeutic as well as educational goals. Martin Gerner reports
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Ethnoah
Singing in Turkish and in Hebrew
A world music band from Dortmund, Germany, brings together 15 musicians from 12 nations and shows that combining different styles and traditions can be a musical advantage and a cultural model. By Nadja Baeva
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Marcel Khalifeh
"An Iconic Figure of Contemporary Arab Culture"
Considered the "Bob Dylan of the Middle East", the Lebanese Marcel Khalifeh is one of the few musicians of the region with a political message, writes Ala Al-Hamarneh. Khalifeh was recently named Artist for Peace by the UNESCO
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The Poetical Heritage of al-Andalus
"Come, Christian! Our Hearts Are Bound Together"
The period Al-Andalus was largely characterized by the peaceful coexistence of the Jewish, Islamic and Christian cultures - which bore fruit in the field of literature as well. Christoph Leisten reviewed a new publication on Al-Andalus literature
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Houda Youssef
Farewell to the Harem
How do Muslim women see themselves? How do they assess the position of women in Islamic society? An anthology edited by the Egyptian Islam scholar Houda Youssef, in which primarily Muslim women have an opportunity to speak, provides some answers. Fahimeh Farsaie introduces the book
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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Die Geschichte der Iran-Sanktionen
Die ewigen Geburtswehen der Islamischen Republik
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Die Sängerin Ayça Miraç
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Transgender-Aktivismus in Pakistan
Das dynamische dritte Geschlecht