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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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Democracy and Rule of Law in EgyptMomentum towards a ''Revolution of Reason''
In the same way that the Egyptian revolution of 1919 initiated an epochal transformation, this year's popular revolt of 25 January provides an opportunity to raise public awareness in Egypt on how important it is for a modern culture to uphold the rule of law, says the Egyptian journalist Azmi Ashour
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Algeria and Gaddafi's LibyaCordial Relations
Algeria has not only offered a safe haven for members of the Gaddafi clan, but also been openly critical of the rebels in Libya. Jefferson Chase investigates the relationship between two dictatorial neighbouring states
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Interview with Mustafa el-Labbad''Turkey Regards the Assad Regime as Finished''
The visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to Syria has shown that Turkey is attempting to increase pressure on the Assad regime. Abduljamil Mikhlafi spoke with Mustafa el-Labbad, an expert on Turkish-Arab relations, on the thinking behind the Turkish position with respect to the current uprising in Syria
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Iraq on the Eve of American WithdrawalDiscord in Kirkuk
What began in 2003 as "Operation Iraqi Freedom" seems to be ending in Kirkuk in an operation to restore security. Eight years after American troops invaded, the city has become the centre of a divisive internal struggle for control. A report by Rigien Bagekany
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The Battle for TripoliLibya's Zero Hour
As rebels secure military control of Gaddafi's compound in the capital, Tripoli, the fate of the old regime would appear to be sealed. Among the Libyan people, joy at the now very real prospect of an end to the dictator's reign of terror is great. Alfred Hackensberger reports from Tripoli
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Relations between Christians and Muslims in the New EgyptCivil Society Instead of Confessionalism
The epochal transformations in the Arab world offer a historic opportunity for Muslims and Christians in these countries – and especially in Egypt – to establish a new, constitutional foundation for their relations. A commentary by Loay Mudhoon
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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Integration of Muslim Citizens in Germany
Respect for One Another – Respect for Democracy
A greater understanding of Islam and of Islamic culture on the part of the majority society is the key to successful integration of Muslim fellow citizens in Germany, writes Stephan J. Kramer, Secretary General of the Central Council of Jews in Germany
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Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Minorities
Learned Intolerance
With his hostility towards religious minorities in the Islamic world and his wholesale dismissal of Muslim life in Europe, the Islamic scholar and television preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi is damaging dialogue and interreligious communication. A commentary by Khaled Hroub
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Islam in Bosnia
Ground-Breaking Concepts of Secularization
Islam has been practiced in Bosnia for centuries. Claudia Mende asked Armina Omerika, an expert in Islamic studies, whether the Bosnian Islamic tradition could serve as a model for the integration of Muslims in other European societies
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Islam and Democracy
The Acceleration of History
Contrary to the European experience, secularization in the Islamic world preceded a religious reformation – with profound negative consequences for political development in Muslim societies. An essay by Nader Hashemi
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Germany's Current Debate on Islam
The New Cold War
Germany's debates on Islam are becoming ever more caustic and confusing. Islamic Studies expert Stefan Weidner explains the background to the debates, to help neutral observers to find their way around
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Corruption in the Arab World
Bought Loyalties
Corruption and nepotism are widespread in Arab nations. Large-scale bribery is not uncommon, even among leading politicians, as Birgit Kaspar reports from Beirut
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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Museum without Borders
Islamic Art in the Mediterranean
The aim of the unusual projects launched by the initiative Museum without Borders is to create a whole new way of experiencing art. One such project is the publication of books on Islamic art in the Mediterranean. Petra Tabeling reports on a borderless cultural dialogue
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Book Review Stefan Weidner
Mohammedan Temptations
Stefan Weidner's "Mohammedan Temptations" is a book in which subjectivity is underpinned by and based on a profound knowledge of that cultural and religious terrain that is in the West so often grossly oversimplified and called the "Arab world". By Heike Friesel
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Modern Film and Video Art
Dis-Illusions in the Near and Middle East
Far from festival trends and officially-dictated cinema, the Near and Middle East is developing a modern film and video culture which calls clichés into question and emphasizes personal points of view. Amin Farzanefar presents several of these filmmakers
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West-East Tightrope Act
Cultural Exchange at the Crossroads That Is Cairo
The German Academic Exchange Service recently published a multilingual collection of texts from a broad cross-section of literary genres. These texts do away with the myths surrounding both the Orient and Occident. By Harald Loch
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Leopold Carl Müller
Sand in the Bristles
European painting took to the Orient in the nineteenth century. Egypt in particular was considered the dreamland of many artists. An exhibition in Vienna is now showing the work of the prodigious painter of the Orient, Leopold Carl Müller. Niklaus Maak took a look at the exhibition
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Trio Joubran
Modern Palestinian Oud Music Goes Abroad
The oud trio only recently recorded its first album, and already the three Palestinians play their modern Arabic music at major jazz festivals worldwide. Max Annas has their story
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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"Let’s Talk About Sex, Habibi" von Mohamed Amjahid
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Interview mit Fatma Aydemir
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Der Neuköllner Förderverein "Morus 14"
Gemeinsam gegen Ausgrenzung und Feindbilder
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Wehrpflicht für Drusen in Israel
"Verweigerung ist nicht illegal"
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Neue Bücher zum Gazakrieg
Wendepunkt, Versagen, moralische Abdankung
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Menschenrechtsverletzungen und Folter in Syrien
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