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Palestinians in EgyptTime to return to Gaza?
In Egypt, Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza face a painful dilemma: return to their families and a devastated homeland or remain in limbo without residency. Medical needs, financial hardship and border fears make the decision fraught.
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Syed Muhammad Naquib al-AttasA life rethinking the foundations of knowledge
Malaysian philosopher and polymath Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas has died aged 94. A lifelong critic of Western intellectual dominance, his work has shaped debates on modernity and education across the Muslim world.
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Ramadan TV specialsSyrian drama after Assad
Television dramas are a Ramadan staple in Syria. This year, for the first time, viewers watched series written in a post-Assad era, some confronting past trauma, others offering satirical critique, sparking fierce debate over how the country's stories should be told.
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Culture in GermanyThe politics of neutrality
This year’s Berlinale highlighted the tensions between art and supposedly neutral institutions. But state-funded cultural bodies don't operate outside politics; they set the terms of debate. Greater transparency about how boundaries are drawn could strengthen trust.
Politics
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Iran WarWill the Gulf states stand together?
Hard hit by Iranian attacks, the business model of the Gulf states is under attack. Yet they are far from defenceless: with coordination—and unity—they could establish themselves as powerful agents of change.
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Attacks on IranDid the Saudis want this war?
Saudi Arabia's calculations in the Iran war may be different from what many assume. Rockets and drones are flying towards Doha, Dubai and even Riyadh—yet the kingdom could still see opportunities in the conflict.
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Interview with Nader Hashemi''The War of Ideas in Iran Is Over''
The ideological support for the Iranian regime is waning – liberal and democratic ideas have triumphed within civil society, says political scientist Nader Hashemi in this interview with Lewis Gropp
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Demonstrations against the Military Council in EgyptThe Revolution Comes First
"The military council is not cooperating with the revolution; it is trying to control it." This is the kind of thing that demonstrators are saying in Cairo. Once again, they are flocking to Tahrir Square in their thousands; only this time, they are protesting against the military council and the transition government. Amira El Ahl sends us this report
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Egypt after Mubarak
Revolution without Change of Power
The euphoria over the ouster of Hosni Mubarak has died down, and Egypt's transitional government is increasingly coming under criticism. Many people ask themselves whether a new democratic order is really being set up. By Andreas Jacobs
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Iran's Green Movement Two Years after the Protests
Simmering beneath the Surface
While Iran's revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei reinterpreted the fall of Mubarak as an Islamic rebellion, the protagonists of the 2009 Green Movement looked to Cairo in frustration: Why was there no Tahrir Square phenomenon in Tehran? By Marian Brehmer
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Critical Reflections on the Arab RevolutionsProfiteers from Authoritarian Decay
Khalil al-Anani, an Egyptian political scientist at Durham University in England, laments in his essay that, after the fall of the autocratic rulers of Tunisia and Egypt, sweeping social change has yet to come about, as the political realm is still dominated by the same old men
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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
Society
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Damascus book fairA new benchmark for freedom
Syria has held its first book fair since the fall of Assad. The landmark event sets a new standard against which the government and its cultural policy will be judged.
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Research on Jew-hatred in Germany"Antisemitism cannot be deported"
The concept of "imported antisemitism" is widespread in German politics but remains poorly researched. A new study provides nuance, context and data on antisemitism among both migrants and non-migrants. An interview with co-author Neta‑Paulina Wagner.
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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
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Interview with Shadi Sadr
Collecting Evidence for Crimes against Humanity
The Iranian women's rights activist and lawyer Shadi Sadr was imprisoned for over ten days during the protests following the recent Iranian presidential election. Ariana Mirza spoke to her about the current human rights situation and the reform movement in Iran
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Cultural Relations Crisis
What Went Wrong with the Dialogue between Cultures?
We have a common language for universal values, but we do not have a common language for cultural differences, writes Traugott Schoefthaler. We need to work on such language, he says in his essay, in order to provide instruments for coping with critical moments of confrontation
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Wilfried Murad Hofmann Honoured
"Islamic Personality of the Year"
Wilfried Murad Hofmann, a former German diplomat and a convert to Islam, has received one of the most important prizes in the Muslim world. He's been chosen as "Islamic Personality of the Year" in Dubai. A portrait by Ulrike Hummel
Culture
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Author Taleb AlrefaiA window into the Kuwaiti soul
Does the German literary scene have a blind spot when it comes to Arabic literature? Abdulrahman Afif makes the case for the works of Kuwaiti writer Taleb Alrefai, whose socially critical literature deftly side-steps orientalist expectations.
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Mukabela in Bosnia and HerzegovinaA distinctive and enduring Ramadan tradition
For Bosnian Muslims, mukabela, the daily communal recitation of the Qur'an, is an essential part of Ramadan. The tradition dates back to the Prophet Muhammad, was popularised under Ottoman rule and has survived dictatorship and war.
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"Oriental Garden" in Berlin
Visitors Flock to Garden of Paradise
In Berlin's local recreation area known as "Gardens of the World," traditional Islamic garden art is drawing visitors in record numbers. Already shortly after opening, the "Oriental Garden" is a magnet for tens of thousands of curious guests. Ariana Mirza reports
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Copyright and the Arab Publisher
A Catch-22 Situation: Caught between Censorship and a Weak Book Market
What drives Arab publishers and cultural institutes to book piracy? Do they want to give Arab readers access to international literature or is it all just about the bottom line? Khaled Al-Maaly, a publisher who lives and works in Germany, relates his experiences
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Book Review Bernard Lewis
"The Anger of the Arab World"
Bernard Lewis is one of the most highly-respected Western scholars of Islam. In his latest publication, he makes a further attempt to answer the question posed by the New York Times: "Why do they hate us so much?". Review by Lewis Gropp
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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
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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