Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
One year after AssadThe road to a new Syria
A year ago, rebel forces ousted Syria’s Assad regime. How has the country changed since? Leading experts weigh in.
Politics
More about Politics-
Assad's Syria"Our documents reveal how state terror was organised"
Human rights activist Hassan al-Hariri risked his life to gather evidence of the atrocities committed by the Assad regime. One year after Assad's fall, he still sees major shortcomings in Syria's process of coming to terms with its past.
-
Palestinian journalist Plestia Alaqad"Our very existence is seen as a provocation"
Plestia Alaqad’s reporting from Gaza in 2023 reached millions worldwide. Now based in Australia, she reflects on fleeing her home and living with survivor’s guilt while representing Palestine to the international media.
-
Political Islam in JordanWhat's next for the Muslim Brotherhood?
An official ban on the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has brought the movement to a critical crossroads. Its political arm is struggling to preserve its platform and avoid the fate of its counterparts in Egypt and Tunisia.
-
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
-
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.
-
Suwayda, SyriaNot 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.
-
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.
-
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.
Society
More about Society-
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.
-
War crimes in SyriaThe starvation of Yarmouk on trial
A new trial of Syrian war crimes suspects has opened in Koblenz, Germany. It's the first since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, and the first ever to charge starvation as a war crime.
-
Iran at warThe scapegoating of Afghan refugees
Amid conflict with Israel, Tehran's regime is fuelling mistrust of Afghan refugees. Yet they are among those most vulnerable to Israeli air strikes.
-
Syria after AssadTo stay, to leave, to return
As many refugees return to Syria, queues are forming outside passport offices as people try to leave. Four personal stories reflect the hopes, fears and unresolved questions of a country in transition.
-
Islam and AITranslating the sacred
Technology can make life easier for believers, but its relationship with religion has fundamental limits. Artificial intelligence may be able to translate the Qur'an, but can it grasp its meaning?
-
Islamic theologyAgainst toxic masculinity
Islamic and Christian theologians at the University of Münster are analysing concepts of masculinity. Their research brings together religious and social scientific findings, ensuring the conversation isn't left only to social media influencers.
-
Journalists in GazaA new generation bears witness
A new cohort of young Palestinian journalists has emerged in Gaza, reshaping the narrative and exposing the failures of Western media. This influence has come at a cost: 232 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
-
Afghans in PakistanRuthless displacement
Pakistan's border with Afghanistan is the site of one of the largest mass displacements in modern times. Since 2023, more than a million Afghans—many of whom lived in Pakistan for decades—have been forced to return to a country where they face few prospects.
Culture
More about Culture-
Architecture in LibyaReclaiming a vanishing colonial heritage
As Benghazi’s Italian-era architecture slowly disappears, an exhibition brings together architects and artists rethinking the city’s history — reassessing the colonial past without celebrating it.
-
Cherien Dabis's "All That's Left of You"Palestinian identity on screen
In "All That's Left of You", Cherien Dabis intertwines a three-generation family saga with the history of Israel and Palestine, placing her within a growing movement of filmmakers negotiating Palestinian identity through cinema.
-
TV series "Muawiya"Historical Ramadan drama fuels controversy
The Saudi-produced television series “Muawiya” emerged as a talking point during Ramadan, sparking debate throughout the Middle East. Both Iran and Iraq have banned the show which charts the life of one of the most controversial figures in Islamic history.
-
Stefan Weidner on pre-Islamic poetry"Poetry in its true fullness"
Stefan Weidner has gathered pre-Islamic poems and translated them into German. His new book "The Arabic Divan" revisits these centuries-old works and explores how their verses serve as a vibrant predecessor to today's social media.
-
New books on GazaTurning point, failure, moral abdication
Four well-known authors address the global consequences of Gaza's destruction and Western support for Israel, or as one frames it: the "world after Gaza". Charlotte Wiedemann takes a look.
-
New album "Ajdad" by Amir Amiri EnsembleEchoes of a shared past
On the album "Ajdad", Montreal-based Iranian composer and santur master Amir Amiri seeks to reunite Arabic and Persian musical traditions, historically divided by repression and conflict.
-
Gaza documentary "Yalla Parkour"It all started with a smile
The documentary "Yalla Parkour", which held its European premiere at the Berlinale, is a tribute to Gaza before 7 October—and an urgent appeal to support the survivors of the war.
-
Documentary on racist attack in GermanyFighting for the truth in Hanau
Director Marcin Wierzchowski has been following the families of the victims in Hanau since the day after the shootings. His new documentary, "Das Deutsche Volk", premiered last week, marking the fifth anniversary of the racist attack.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
-
Seelsorge bei der Bundeswehr
Erste Militärimame für die Truppe
-
Wirtschaft in Syrien
Neue Elite, neuer Kurs, alte Muster
-
Sturz des Assad-Regimes
Ein Jahr neues Syrien
-
Prostitution in Tunesien
Das Verdeckte offenlegen
-
Neuer Unesco-Chef Khaled El-Enany
Umstrittener Kulturerbe-Schützer
-
Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer