Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-EnanyPolitics over preservation?
Khaled El-Enany has been appointed to lead UNESCO, sparking intense debate. Critics cite the former minister's role in controversial demolitions and redevelopment projects in Egypt, arguing that his approach to heritage was shaped by political considerations.
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Child labour in EgyptNew regulations won't end poverty
Whether in supermarkets, workshops or factories, child labour is ubiquitous in Egypt. A new law aims to curb it, but labour laws alone will not solve the structural problems that drive children to work.
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Rebuilding KhartoumThe same old tale of power and exclusion
While Sudan's de facto government focuses on reviving the capital, its reconstruction policies follow a familiar pattern: channelling resources to the centre while neglecting the marginalised, war-torn periphery.
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Islah HassniyyehGaza's feminist legal pioneer
Islah Hassniyyeh was the first woman to open a law firm in Gaza. In September, she died under Israeli blockade in Gaza City. A portrait of a trailblazing lawyer and lifelong advocate for women's rights in Palestine.
Politics
More about Politics-
50 years of occupation in Western SaharaThe "pearl of the south" is still not free
Morocco celebrates Sahrawi heritage through state TV, tourism campaigns and festivals. But self-determination for Western Sahara remains a distant prospect, while the central government deepens its hold on the territory through major development projects.
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Morocco protests"Gen Z has surprised the political elites"
For two weeks, a group called Generation Z 212 led mass youth protests across Morocco, demanding reforms in healthcare and education. Researcher Mohamed Sammouni says the movement lays bare a crisis of political legitimacy.
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Arab DespotsLike Father, Like Son
Arabs have known for years that their rulers were beyond reform. That is why, in order to have a chance to catch up with the rest of the free, developed world, many of them are now risking their lives to remove those regimes. By Omar Ashour
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Revolutions in the Middle East
Arab "Republics of Fear" at an End?
The recent protests in the Arab world have shown that military deterrence alone can no longer keep demonstrators at bay. Yet, how long can these autocratic systems remain in place? Birgit Kaspar reports from Beirut
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The Role of the Military in the Egyptian Power Struggle
Tipping the Scales?
President Mubarak tried to restore public order in Egypt with the military. However, soldiers were reluctant and in some places were greeted with enthusiasm. Loay Mudhoon analyses the role of the military in the ongoing power struggle
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Arab Protest Movements and the West
The Spectre of the Muslim Brotherhood
Faced with popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, Western politicians are having trouble ridding themselves of their black-and-white view of the Arab-Islamic world. Michael Lüders sends us this analysis
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Unrest in Bahrain
"We are all Bahrainis; Not Sunnis, Not Shiites!"
Relations between the opposition and the government, which is under the control of the Sunni royal family, continue to deteriorate. There have even been some calls for the overthrow of the monarchy. By Sabine Damir-Geilsdorf
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European Arms Exports to North Africa and the Middle East
Doing Big Business with Gaddafi & Co.
Could Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi be using weapons produced in Europe to crush the revolt against his regime? As governments grapple with this uncomfortable question, a new report details brisk weapons sales by EU states to Libya. By Sonia Phalnikar
Society
More about Society-
Syrian reconstruction"Debris isn't waste"
Concrete, brick, steel: Aref al-Swaidani wants to rebuild Syria from its ruins. In Weimar he’s conducting research on recycling building materials.
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"Nostra Aetate" at 60A landmark for Muslim-Christian understanding
Six decades on, the message of mutual respect between faiths, enshrined in the Catholic Church's "Nostra Aetate", feels as urgent as ever. It's a reminder that dialogue is not naïve, but necessary.
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Protest Movement in Iran
Fighting the Arrogance of Power
In Iran the talk is no longer simply of election fraud. The issue has long since become the regime's ignorance of the population and its contempt for their intelligence, writes the Iranian cultural journalist Parandis Ahmadi*
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Iran: the Veiled Civilisation
A Precise Look behind the Scenes
The people's protest which followed the recent elections in Iran has led to revision of the image which the world has of the country. In her new book, Andrea Claudia Hoffmann shows how varied and contradictory Iran really is. Claudia Mende has been reading it
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Islam in Sri Lanka
Peaceful Prospects for the Moors
Twenty-five years of civil war in Sri Lanka have also had an effect on the country's Islamic community: Muslims feel they have been victims of a conflict in which they had no part. With the end of the civil war, however, things are set to get back to normal again. Irfan Husain reports from Colombo
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Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo
Seat of Knowledge and Mediator between the Cultures
The Faculty of Islamic Studies in Sarajevo is the most important institute of Islamic higher education, research and teaching in Europe. It is the living proof that Islam has its place in the modern academic world. Stefan Schreiner reports
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Poems from Guantanamo
"Will Ya Ever Go Jihad Again?"
The book "Poems from Guantanamo" is a phenomenon: out of thousands of poems written by the detainees, 22 made it past the US censors. Now it's clear that the Islamists have also arrived on the Modernist poetry scene.
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Interview with Shaheen Dill-Riaz
Isolation as Driving Force behind Extremism
What happens behind closed doors at Islamic schools? Filmmaker Shaheen Dill-Riaz looks for answers to this question in Bangladesh in his new film, "Korankinder". Eren Güvercin spoke with the filmmaker
Culture
More about Culture-
"In the Land of the Forgotten" by Aliyeh AtaeiStories of war and the fight for freedom
With a keen sense for nuance, Aliyeh Ataei describes a life between Iran and Afghanistan, one marked by resistance, a search for identity and constant confrontation with social norms.
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AlgeriaA DIY cultural renaissance
A new independent, youth-led movement is reshaping Algerian culture. Four young artists reflect on their experiences and efforts to carve out space outside of official frameworks.
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Cairo International Book Fair
Reforms and Censorship
This year's International Book Fair has chosen as its motto "The Impact of the Arab Renaissance and Opportunities for Reforms." Some 610 publishers from 25 countries are taking part in this sales showcase. Mona Naggar reports
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Interview with Yamina Bachir-Chouikh
No Freedom of Expression without Funds
In her interview with Amin Farzanefar, Yamina Bachir-Chouikh – director of "Rachida" – talks about her work as a filmmaker, the social perspectives of her country and about the importance of funding for freedom of expression.
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Portrait Sudabeh Mohafez
Building Bridges between Teheran and Berlin
The stories in the volume "Wüstenhimmel, Sternenland" ("Desert Sky, Land of Stars") by the German-Iranian writer Sudabeh Mohafez are a poetic reflection of life in a strange world full of violence. Katrin Matthei profiles the stories and their writer.
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Arab Cinema
The Dawn of a New Documentary Film Culture
Whoever still thinks that film culture in the Arab World consists mostly of Egyptian soap operas or films for the intellectual elite has some catching up to do. During the past few years, Arab interest in documentary film has made significant strides. By Christina Förch
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Book Review
The 'Cinema of the Orient' Is Not a Hyped Illusion
For his book on 'Cinema of the Orient', film journalist Amin Farzanefar compiled interviews with film directors from the Arab world, Iran and Turkey. Film distributor Ludwig Ammann discusses the book.
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Cartoons from the Maghreb
Cunning, Clever, Critical
Cartoons hold up the mirror to society. In the Arab world as well, cartoons are a popular medium for criticizing the government and society. Liesel Schulze-Meyer reports on an exhibit of Maghreb cartoons.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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