Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Syrian activist The Darvish"Queerness is freedom and freedom is indivisible"
Belly dancer and queer organiser The Darvish arrived in Berlin in 2016, where they found a welcoming community and room for self-expression. But they warn that, as German politics shifts to the right, this community is under threat and its spaces are vanishing.
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Syria's shadow economySex work, captagon and currency
Having grown significantly during the war, Syria's informal market for sex, drugs and money continues to thrive. Meanwhile, weak regulation is discouraging investment in the formal economy.
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Sumud FlotillaTunisia at the forefront of global convoy to Gaza
More than 50 boats are set to sail to Gaza in an attempt to break Israel's blockade. While European activists dominate headlines, the mission unites participants from over 40 countries, including many from Tunisia, where solidarity with Palestine runs deep.
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New print issueWhat will become of Syria?
The question of Syria's future is the focus of the latest issue of Kulturaustausch, who we've partnered with for the first time. The answers come from our Syrian contributors. Articles are now available online in English.
Politics
More about Politics-
The new SyriaA history of violence
For the first time in eleven years, Yassin al-Haj Saleh returned to his homeland. The Syrian writer and dissident found a country torn apart by internal conflicts and beset by worries about the return of tyranny. A historical analysis.
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Tunisia under Kais SaiedCivil society in survival mode
Since his re-election last year, Tunisian President Kais Saied has consolidated his authoritarian rule, silencing dissent and attacking marginalised groups. The EU must support Tunisian civil society rather than reinforcing Saied's populist narrative.
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Western SaharaIs a gas crisis with Algeria on the horizon for Spain?
Madrid's about-face on the Western Sahara conflict has enraged Algeria. Trade relations have been frozen unilaterally and a cut in gas supplies to Europe could be in the pipeline. By Ralph Schulze
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Electioneering in TurkeyTurkish right-wing populists on the rise
Right-wing radicalism and nationalism have dominated Turkish politics for decades. Now a new right-wing populist grouping is stirring things up: enter the "Victory Party". By Elmas Topcu
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Middle EastIn Iraq, sectarian prejudice goes beyond the grave
The "Islamic State" group is gone, but many of their Iraqi victims are still missing. They may well be buried in mass graves the extremists left. But critics say exhumations are too slow, and possibly politically biased. By Judit Neurink
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Iraq bans contact with IsraelAnti-Semitism as state doctrine?
A law has been passed by the Iraqi parliament that criminalises any contact with Israel. In the midst of heated debates on the subject, one crucial aspect has been forgotten: the restitution of Jewish property. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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Siemens wins major contract in EgyptHigh speed up the Nile valley
It is the biggest order in the history of the Siemens Group: a 2,000-kilometre railway network for high-speed trains is to be built in Egypt. But the project raises numerous questions. By Karim El Gawhary
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Iran and the Ukraine warAli Khamenei prepares for the future
The Ukraine war is changing the global geopolitical landscape. Ali Khamenei, Iran's most powerful man, is already cosying up to Russia in anticipation of a harsh post-war reality. By Ali Sadrzadeh
Society
More about Society-
Egypt's TikTok crackdownSuzy el-Ordoneya and the politics of social media fame
A police crackdown in Egypt is targeting TikTok influencers. Among them is Suzy el-Ordoneya (Suzy the Jordanian), whose rapid rise has brought her into conflict with official state morality.
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Kafr Nabl, SyriaTraces of the revolution
When the Syrian revolution began in 2011, Kafr Nabl went from a sleepy, provincial town to a hub of resistance. Today, it resembles a ghost town. Its story may help ensure the revolution's original ideals are not forgotten.
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Syrian civil warBashar al Assad's killing machine exposed
A leaked video shows scenes of a grisly Damascus massacre by Assad forces. Six minutes of horror from the war in Syria that were never intended to be made public. By Luisa von Richthofen and Khaled Salameh
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Southeast AsiaIndonesia fights violence against women with new law
Indonesia has finally passed a bill, ten years in the making, stipulating tougher penalties for sexual violence. Yet activists maintain the country's conservative culture stifles awareness and prevents victims from speaking up. By Arti Ekawati and Betty Herlina
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Ukraine war and the Middle EastWill the wheat crisis bring more food independence?
Middle Eastern countries are boosting their food independence to counter the coming wheat shortfall. But despite some encouraging initiatives, existing challenges make food sovereignty almost impossible – for now. Jennifer Holleis reports
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Turkey's Syrian problemRefugees – a hot topic in Turkish politics
With tensions rising dangerously amid a burgeoning economic crisis, the Turkish government’s refugee policy – ad hoc, miscalculated and unclear – is making Syrians an easy target for the opposition. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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The killing of journalist Shireen Abu AklehThe face of a generation
Dalia Hatuqa is an experienced journalist who has reported on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from Ramallah, Washington DC and Amman. A writer for Time Magazine, Foreign Affairs, the Washington Post, CNN, and others, she first met Shireen Abu Akleh ten years ago in Washington. Most recently, they were colleagues at Al-Jazeera. Interview by Rene Wildangel
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Lebanon's chronic medicine shortageZero state support, much Lebanese solidarity
As the Lebanese economy has collapsed, so has the country's health system. Many medicines have become scarce or unaffordable. Confronted with a failing state, the Lebanese are helping each other. Zeinab Othman reports from Beirut
Culture
More about Culture-
Artists in SyriaReclaiming space, testing limits
Since Assad's fall, Syrian artists and intellectuals have been seeking ways to respond to a transformed reality. Four cultural workers reflect on the shape of the cultural sphere in the new Syria.
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Afghan poet Matiullah TurabA critical voice even the Taliban listened to
Afghan poet Matiullah Turab has unexpectedly died. Turab saw himself as the modest voice of a tormented people—and even the extremists listened.
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10 years of revolutionAlaa Al Aswany on Egypt – "The Republic of False Truths"
Ten years ago, Egyptians dreamt of change, they took to the streets against President Mubarak. But their hopes were dashed. A look back and forward with writer Alaa Al Aswany
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Art, life, and the New PatronsSartep's graphic journey to a better world
The New Patrons seek to sponsor art projects initiated by citizens in order to better dovetail art and life. Anyone can become their client. In Berlin, the impressive comic "Temple of Refuge" was created on behalf of the Iraqi-Kurdish refugee Sartep Namiq, describing the story of his flight and the hope for a better life. By Stefan Dege
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Beyond the hackneyed Syrian refugee tropeEngage with our work, not our biographies
Since 2015, interest in Syrian literature in German translation has risen sharply. Artists, translators and publishers talk about their experiences – and why the hype is not only beneficial. By Mari Odoy
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Iraqi women filmmakersThe power of stories and moving images
The four short films produced as part of the "Women Make Film" project are well worth seeing. They grapple with the ghosts that haunt Iraq: the horrors of IS rule, outdated gender roles and the aftermath of dictatorship. Christopher Resch spoke to the filmmakers
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Crossing cultural and political boundariesSinger Liraz Charhi's secret collaboration with Iranians
In an act of subversive diplomacy, Israeli singer and actress Liraz Charhi has recorded her latest album in secret collaboration with Iranian artists. By Carl Holm
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Interview with Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri"We are lucky to be alive today"
In August 1978, four men set fire to the Cinema Rex in the Iranian city of Abadan, killing more than four hundred people inside. The event is said to have started the Iranian Revolution to overthrow the Shah's regime. Forty years later, "Careless Crime" by Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri depicts four men planning to burn down a cinema in a contemporary Iran where ghosts of the past haunt the current society. Interview by Schayan Riaz
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