Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Historical photographs of SyriaAn obsessive archivist
Ahmed Hasan sold his house to pursue a passion for historical photographs. His collection traces Syria's history through everyday life.
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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.
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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.
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Literature in YemenThe last bastion of beauty
Yemen's cultural scene has been hard hit by years of war, but not completely silenced. While many writers and intellectuals have left the country, the small literary club Alamaqah remains active, a testament to the resilience of Yemeni culture.
Christmas between Christianity and Islam
To the archive
Politics
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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.
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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.
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Economic crisis in EgyptDebt on the Nile
For leading economist Yazid Sayegh, the cause of Egypt's current economic and financial crisis lies primarily in the government's policy of excessive borrowing. He also criticises the way German and European politicians handle the Sisi regime. Interview by Mahmoud Hussein
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Saudi-Iran dealNew hope for football in the Middle East
The re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran in March surprised many around the world. If relations improve, the hope is that football in both countries and the wider region will benefit. John Duerden reports
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'Maximum pressure' gears upProtests drive Iran's Saudi deal
On 10 March 2023, the world woke up to the breaking news that Middle East rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia had forged a deal to restore diplomatic relations within two months and refrain from interfering in each other's domestic affairs. Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Amin Naeni examine Iran's motivations
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'Witnessing catastrophe'Iraq preserves memories of IS reign
The horrors they endured under the Islamic State group may be in the past for the people of Iraq, but the traumatic memories remain. Now a research project is recording their witness testimonies for posterity.
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20 years after U.S. invasionYoung Iraqis see signs of hope
On the banks of the Tigris River one recent evening, young Iraqi men and women in jeans and sneakers danced with joyous abandon to a local rap star as a vermillion sun set behind them. It’s a world away from the terror that followed the U.S. invasion 20 years ago
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Israel's controversial judicial reformGaps in the system
For weeks, Israel has been rocked by mass protests against plans by Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the country's judiciary. The history of these proposed reforms, which have deeply divided the country, goes back much further than many people think. By Joseph Croitoru
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.
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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.
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Marking the anniversary of Rumi's death in KonyaFrom traditional to lifestyle Sufism
In 1925, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had the Sufi orders shut down. In modern-day Konya, the city council uses whirling dervishes in its marketing campaigns. Marian Brehmer on Islamic mysticism in Turkey
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Christmas in IsraelCulture war over the Christian holiday
Christmas is becoming increasingly popular among secular Israelis. It spreads a festive atmosphere that promotes understanding between people of different faiths. Orthodox Jews, however, view the holiday as a threat. By Joseph Croitoru
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FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022Did LGBTQ rights campaigns in Qatar help or hinder?
Protests by Western activists at the FIFA World Cup may have backfired and sparked a backlash against gay, lesbian and queer communities in Qatar, critics say. By Cathrin Schaer
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Best of Qantara.de 2022Our readers' favourite articles this year
At the end of every year, the team at Qantara.de gives you a run-down of the ten most-read articles on the site over the past 12 months. Here is a quick overview of the stories that attracted the most attention in 2022. Happy New Year to all our readers!
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Jesus and Mary in the KoranThe message of mercy
Jesus – Issa in Arabic – doesn’t merely enjoy the highest place among the prophets in the Koran. He is also revered in Islam’s mystical tradition for his message of love and mercy. By Aziz Fooladvand
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Women's rights in QatarDriving emancipation forward
During the World Cup in Qatar, much has been written about the role of women in the Gulf state, yet they themselves rarely get a word in edgeways. Karim El-Gawhary spoke to two Qatari women in Doha
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.
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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.
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Berlinale 2022: "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush"The Guantanamo mother
Andreas Dresen's Berlinale film "Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush" is the gripping portrayal of a mother determined to get her son released from Guantanamo. By Torsten Landsberg
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Michel Houellebecq's "Aneantir"Lonely white males
With his latest tome, French literary provocateur Michel Houellebecq completes his writer's quest: to portray a dying white patriarchy. The big surprise comes in the acknowledgements. Christine Lehnen read the book
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Palestinian-Israeli rappersDugri duo for dialogue
"We have had enough of hate and violence": when the situation between Hamas and Israel escalated again in May last year, a Jewish and an Arab Israeli sought an artistic and stirring response. They call themselves "Dugri" – straight talking for a better future. By Sarah Judith Hofmann
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"I am a stranger: a stranger twice over"Contemporary art meets early Islamic high culture
Running until 20 February 2022, Ali Kaaf’s installation "Ich bin Fremder. Zweifach Fremder" will be on show in front of the largest and perhaps most significant piece of Islamic art to grace any museum worldwide. In exhibiting his piece in this way, Kaaf draws it into a contemporary dialogue with the 1,300-year-old facade
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"Naga (Part II)" by Flèche LoveThe triumph of love and life over pain
"Naga (Part II)", on L-abe records, is the latest release from Swiss-Algerian performance artist Flèche Love (Amina Cadelli). Richard Marcus listened to the album and was struck by its emotional and intellectual honesty
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Fariba Vafi's "Die Reise im Zug"Portrait of a mother
Iranian author Fariba Vafi is adept at describing everyday scenes and concealing within them something ambiguous, in parts strange and grotesque. She writes novels – which have been translated into many languages and received numerous prizes (most recently the LiBeraturpreis Litprom for Tarlan) – and short stories. Vafi's skill for subtle understatement shines in her 'Train Ride'. Volker Kaminski read the book
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Islam als Feindbild
Wenn sich die Angst einschleicht
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Die Rolle der HDP bei den Wahlen in der Türkei
Hoffnungsträger für Frauen und LGBTs
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Politik und Religion im Islam
Getrennte oder vereinte Welten?
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Hybride Esskulturen
Hummus mit deutschem Kniff
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Interview mit Franz Magnis-Suseno
"Religionsfreiheit muss auch für Minderheiten gelten"
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HipHop und Islamismus
Rappen für den Heiligen Krieg