Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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SuwaydaNot a local conflict, but geopolitics in disguise
Sectarianism in Syria is a longstanding political project. Institutionalised under colonial rule and exploited by Assad, it's now being weaponised by the new regime and Israel, as the massacres in Suwayda make brutally clear.
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Iran's monarchistsProducing nostalgia, courting war
Through satellite TV, viral content, and alliances with Netanyahu and Trump, Iran's monarchist elites are staging a comeback. From exile they are attempting to co-opt Iran's opposition by recasting the Pahlavi dynasty as a golden age of freedom.
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German foreign policyHunger in Gaza—made in Germany
Starving children in Gaza, growing criticism in Germany and political leverage that remains unused. Berlin must not stand idly by and watch this atrocious catastrophe unfold.
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Öcalan's call for disarmamentWhy the PKK failed
The Kurdistan Workers' Party has pursued multiple goals over the decades and failed to achieve any of them. Now the communist-nationalist movement is facing a turning point, and possibly its end
Politics
More about Politics-
Syria after AssadAl-Sharaa and the global jihad
Jihadist groups around the world are watching Syria's transitional government closely. Al-Sharaa's takeover and moderate strategy are inspiring for some, while others see his pragmatism as a betrayal and opt for violence.
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GazaCaught between starvation and deadly aid centres
In Gaza, survival now means facing not only bombs but also starvation. As some Palestinians risk their lives to receive aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, others turn to desperate measures to feed their children.
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Iran protestsWhat the Islamic Republic's propaganda tells us
Challenging one of the Islamic Republic's most identifiable symbols – the hijab – with some breathtaking, iconographic feminist art, Iran's activists have wrested ownership away from the clerics with regard to who represents the nation, defines its present and shapes its future. Essay by Kevin L. Schwartz & Olmo Goelz
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Resurgence of Pakistan's TalibanTerror returns with the TTP
When the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan just under two years ago, analysts warned that their return would also mean a return of the threat posed to neighbouring Pakistan by offshoot Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). By Mohammad Luqman
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Identity politics in Modi's IndiaThe need to prove you're Indian
Nearly 2 million people in India's Assam state – over 5% of the region's population – are staring at a future where they could be stripped of their citizenship if they are unable to prove they are Indian. Sheikh Saaliq and Shonal Ganguly report
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Israel at 75A nation more divided than ever
As Israel prepares to mark Independence Day, the country is at a crossroads. A planned judicial reform by the far-right government has led to deep divisions. By Tania Kraemer
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Power struggle in SudanConcern mounts among Sudan's neighbours
South Sudan, Chad and Egypt all depend on stability in their neighbour Sudan, whether for economic, humanitarian or security reasons. All the more reason to hope that the current ceasefire holds. Martina Schwikowski reports
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Sudan's ongoing hostilitiesA disaster waiting to happen, says expert
Fierce fighting is continuing between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary RSF. With so many proxy interests playing into the current situation, the outcome of the conflict is wide open, says Marina Peter of the Sudan Forum
Society
More about Society-
Sudanese music in CairoFinding joy in the face of war
While war rages at home, for Sudanese wedding singers in exile in Cairo, celebration has become a form of resistance.
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"Christ in the Rubble" by Munther IsaacThe Christian case against the war on Gaza
Munther Isaac, a West Bank pastor, rejects Bible-based justifications for war and calls Gaza a "moral compass". In "Christ in the Rubble", he presents a view of the war that is polarising without being destructive.
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Detention in EgyptCairo's model Badr prison rife with abuse
A new prison, touted by Egypt as a model for reform, that holds some of its most prominent prisoners denies inmates healthcare and subjects them to punitive treatment including isolation, relatives of those inside and rights groups say.
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Germany's culture of remembranceAn exercise in empathy
Holocaust, Nakba and the German culture of remembrance: the Einstein Forum in Potsdam facilitated a discussion banned in Tel Aviv. Inge Guenther attended
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Afghan diasporaRefugee from Taliban offers virtual tours of homeland
Forced to flee by the Taliban, Fatima Haidari now offers virtual tours of Afghanistan from her new home in Italy – with the proceeds funding secret English classes for women there
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Earthquake in TurkeyGermany’s Turkish community sends aid
Germany is home to more than three million people with Turkish roots. Many of them are worried about loved ones affected by the devastating earthquake in southern Turkey – and they want to help. Peter Hille reports
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Wretched life of migrants building Senegal's city of the future
When Mohamed was hired at the construction site for the United Nations' new West Africa headquarters in Senegal, he was proud to say he would be working "not only for Africa, but for the world"
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France24 earthquake reportIn Syria’s rebel zones, volunteers dig mass graves
As rescue workers continued to search for survivors of the earthquake that happened on 6 February, residents of Syria’s northwestern opposition-controlled territories were forced to start digging mass graves to bury victims
Culture
More about Culture-
Books on Israel-PalestineThe perennial question of the West
New publications on the Israel-Palestine conflict: Alena Jabarine writes about inequality and arbitrary violence in the West Bank, Omar El Akkad settles scores with the West and Gilbert Achcar analyses the ideological roots of Hamas and Zionism.
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Moroccan Gnawa festivalA Sufi tradition on the world stage
A festival in Morocco is bringing Gnawa music to the mainstream. Shaped by migration, slavery and a long struggle for recognition, the once marginalised Sufi tradition is now internationally renowned.
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The Jerusalem Youth ChorusBuilding bridges with song
Every week, Jewish, Christian and Muslim youths meet to sing together. And they do so in the middle of a city where Israelis and Palestinians are often at loggerheads. Anja Koch reports from Jerusalem
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Khaled Khalifa’s “No One Prayed Over Their Graves”The maelstrom of Aleppo
Longlisted for the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction and now available in German translation, Khaled Khalifa’s novel “No One Prayed Over Their Graves” details lives and loves lost against the backdrop of a city undergoing seismic change. Joseph Croitoru read the book
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Egypt's tanoura puts kaleidoscopic spin on dervish tradition
In a 500-year-old stone theatre in the Egyptian capital, two young dervishes spin ceaselessly. Slowly, then all at once, they are consumed in a flurry of vivid fabrics
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Arooj Aftab's "Vulture Prince"Coping with pain in Urdu
The first musician with Pakistani roots to win a Grammy, Arooj Aftab has been recognised for her third album Vulture Prince – a meditative, moving song cycle in which she captures loss and pain using poetry in Urdu and guest collaborators from all over the world. By Stefan Franzen
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Abu Dhabi Book FairArabic literature, criticism and commerce
These days, at the Abu Dhabi Book Fair, the problems of the Arab book market and Arab literature are discussed with astonishing frankness. It has also become an international event – on a scale not seen since the Arab revolutions. Stefan Weidner reports from Abu Dhabi
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Musica Sequenza Chamber Music EnsembleSpanning times and cultures
Berlin-based international chamber music ensemble Musica Sequenza is known for its modern interpretation of baroque music. With his latest project, the opera "Kassia", composer and ensemble director Burak Ozdemir transcends temporal, cultural and geographical boundaries. By Ceyda Nurtsch
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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Deutsche Nahostpolitik
Hunger in Gaza – Made in Germany
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Öcalans historischer Appell
Warum die PKK gescheitert ist
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer
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Sufismus in Deutschland
„Papa, mit 14 werde ich Muslim“
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Bücher über Israel-Palästina
Immer wieder die Frage nach dem „Westen”
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„Christ in the Rubble“ von Munther Isaac
Christliche Argumente gegen den Gazakrieg