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Egyptian novel "The Passerby"Gender and society in transition
In Ibrahim Abdel Meguid's novel "The Passerby", the philosophy student Lamia becomes Hamza. His transition runs parallel to another: that of Egypt, caught between the brief freedom of 2011 and the grip of the security state.
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Hormuz and Bab al‑MandabCenturies of struggle for the Straits
Three colonial powers—the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British—gained, and then lost, control over the straits of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab. Today, as the US and Iran struggle over these vital chokepoints, history offers a warning.
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Anti-colonialism"Palestine reveals the limits of international solidarity"
Why do African publics stand so firmly with Palestine while many of their governments court Israel? Algerian researcher Raouf Farrah traces the answer to the continent's anti-colonial past, and to the gap between popular solidarity and state diplomacy.
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German state electionsMigrants face a shifting political reality
The far-right AfD made historic gains in September's state elections, while the Left Party came out on top in Berlin for the first time. Migrants across the country are now considering what the results could mean for their everyday lives and futures.
Politics
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Gilbert Achcar on the impact of 9/11"The Iraq War shattered the promise of a new world order"
The attacks of 11 September 2001 fundamentally altered US foreign policy and triggered a series of wars that have reshaped the Middle East. 25 years on, Gilbert Achcar reflects on the US response to 9/11 and its enduring impact on the region.
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Taliban in AfghanistanPower consolidated, society reshaped
In the five years since regaining power, the Taliban have cemented their rule in Afghanistan, bringing armed conflict in the country to a relative lull. Their ambitions go beyond maintaining control: they are seeking to transform the country from the bottom up.
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Court Case against Intellectuals in TurkeyMinority Issues a Taboo Subject
There is no end to the wave of court cases against Turkish intellectuals on the alleged grounds of denigrating Turkish identity. Immediately following the Pamuk case, two government advisors were also brought to court last week. Günter Seufert reports
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The Reconstruction in Afghanistan
The West's Mistakes and Shortcomings
In October 2001 the Afghanistan military campaign was launched. Today, critics refer to Afghanistan as a vast reeducation camp. Virtually all the moral concepts of the people have been up for discussion or questioned for five years, says Martin Gerner
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Islamic Association Milli Görüs
Dialogue with Extremists?
The Islamic Association Milli Görüs in Germany has been classified as extremist by the German intelligence agency, yet it presents itself as being open to dialogue. It is difficult to determine to what extent both claims are true. Report by Rainer Sollich
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Reconstructing Lebanon
High Expectations
Despite the stationing of UN troops in Lebanon the population still has no confidence in the peacekeeping capacity. And also the leadership in Beirut comes under increasing pressure since the Lebanese people are waiting for government action to rebuild the country. Bernhard Hillenkamp reports
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Shashi Tharoor's Nehru Biography
India's Secular Legacy
In his book "Nehru: The Invention of India", Shashi Tharoor, who has worked at the UN in New York since 1978 and was tipped as a possible successor to UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, goes in search of India's first prime minister. By Gerhard Klas
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Interview with Faleh Abdel Jabar
"Denominational Federalism Is Dangerous and Separatist"
Iraq is increasingly struggling with its centrifugal forces. In this interview, Faleh Abdel Jabar, head of the Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies, discusses the various concepts of federalism and how they might work for Iraq. Interview by Youssef Hijazi
Society
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Education and climate in YemenToo hot for class
In Houthi-controlled Yemen, the decision to schedule the school year by the Hijri calendar has pushed classes earlier into the harshest heat of summer. For students this has compounded the impact of climate change, posing health risks and driving up dropout rates.
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Turkish women's association Havle"White secular women do not have a monopoly on feminism"
The Muslim queer-feminist group Havle uses religious arguments to challenge discrimination. Facing growing hostility and, most recently, arrests, two members speak about the struggle for LGBTQ rights in the country.
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Headscarf Issue
Prominent Women Protest against Ban
"The decisive thing is not what's on the head, but what's in it," says a group of prominent German women who have launched a campaign against the government's headscarf ban for Muslim teachers.
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Interfaith holiday celebrations
Sugar Festival, St. Nicholas, Noel Baba
While politicians and experts are making urgent calls for a dialogue with Islam, children from Muslim and Christian families are a few steps ahead. They have long been celebrating the holidays together. Babette Braun reports
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Malaysia
Working for Reform
"Sisters in Islam" is a small but effective Malaysian women's rights organisation that uses their knowledge of the Koran to reform the situation of women in Islamic Malysia. Report by Charlotte Wiedemann
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Islam in Europe
The Headscarf Debate à la Française
In France as well as Germany, an argument has been raging in recent months on the wearing of the Muslim headscarf. The French government now plans to bite the bullet and pass a new law by Christmas to ensure the "preservation of secularism".
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Net Café Reconnects Refugees to Families
Unable to afford calls to their homelands, an enterprising group of asylum seekers in Potsdam set up their own Internet café. The project helps other refugees get in touch with their families and friends.
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Unofficial State of Emergency in Cairo
As in all predominantly Islamic countries, life in Cairo is turned on its head during the month of Ramadan. Jürgen Stryjak's report conveys the general atmosphere in the city.
Culture
More about Culture-
Arthouse film in MoroccoKeeping Tangier's cinematic history alive
20 years ago, the historic Cinema Rif in Tangier was renovated and reopened as the Cinémathèque de Tanger, one of the few arthouse cinemas in North Africa today. Elisa Pierandrei traces its history and place in Morocco's vibrant film culture.
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Remembering Sliman MansourThe artist behind a Palestinian icon
"Camel of Hardship" by Sliman Mansour, who died on 24 August, is one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Asmaa al-Ghoul tells how it came to appear on walls across the country and why it remains deeply embedded in collective memory.
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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