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Saudi sports policyThe limits of Saudi Arabia's football ambitions
Saudi Arabia has emerged as an influential player in the politics of international sports, particularly football. The 2034 World Cup will be hosted by the Kingdom, but war in the Gulf could be jeopardising its ambitious goals.
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Israeli filmmaker Netalie Braun"There's room for everyone between the river and the sea"
What does it take to make anti-militarist cinema in a country where, as Netalie Braun puts it, the army "resides in the DNA of society"? In this interview, she discusses navigating censorship, boycotts and the challenges of imagining peace amid violence.
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Tunisian gender scholar Amel Grami"Arab culture's flexibility distinguishes it from others"
Concepts of gender are shifting across the Arab world. Tunisian writer and academic Amel Grami reflects on emerging approaches to gender analysis in the region and examines how colonial legacies have shaped existing perceptions.
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Israel and PalestineHow to talk about Zionism
Criticism of the ideology underpinning Israel's foundation remains contentious in Germany. In the US, however, a significant shift is taking place. The Zionist consensus within the Jewish community is fracturing and debate is opening up.
Politics
More about Politics-
Clan electionsHow families are filling Gaza’s leadership void
Amid a catastrophic institutional vacuum, extended families are assuming an unprecedented role in Gaza. Across the Strip, Palestinian clans are holding elections to ensure they are taken into account by aid organisations. Meanwhile, some have political ambitions.
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Syria after AssadPromises of the revolution remain unfulfilled
Since December 2024, Syria has been oscillating between euphoria and disappointment. The British-Syrian analyst Robin Yassin-Kassab sees optimism as a resource, but the new government’s focus on stability as a potential pitfall.
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Yemen, Ukraine, the worldFighting fake news and disinformation
Sidq Yemen, an independent online platform, specialises in fact-checking viral Yemeni news stories and countering mis/disinformation. Hannah Porter spoke to its head of communications about fake news in Yemen
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Pakistan's troubled provinceBalochistan – tradition versus globalisation
Attacks by separatist groups in Balochistan, Pakistan's largest province, have increased recently. Mohammad Luqman looks into what is driving the flare-up in this frequently overlooked region
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East Jerusalem decisionSheikh Jarrah at a crossroads
A surprise ruling by Israel’s Supreme Court earlier this month produced a rare sigh of relief from Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, but the struggle isn’t over. Reporting from Jerusalem, Noam Yatsiv describes the implications of the recent ruling and where things could go from here
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Ukraine warLearn from Israel and you learn how to beat Putin
Across the political divides, Ukrainians regard the Jewish state as a model of both defensible strength and modern nation-building. The war is now putting this admiration to the test, reports Joseph Croitoru
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War in UkraineStress test for the Arab world
It’s unusual for the troubled Middle East to be looking at a war in Europe. And in that unfamiliar situation, Arab nations are jostling to adopt a position on the issue – as was evidenced by the show of spectacular shilly-shallying by the wealthy United Arab Emirates in recent days. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Arms to UkraineHow useful are Turkish-made drones fighting in Ukraine?
Propaganda videos boasting of the successes of the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones in the Ukraine war are popular on social media. Elmas Topcu asks what role these drones are really playing in the conflict
Society
More about Society-
Alcohol ban in SyriaWill Damascus soon sober up?
In June, a ban on serving alcohol is due to come into force in Damascus. Bar owners are worried, while the population remains divided. Some consider the ban necessary, others see it as a serious infringement on personal freedoms.
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Discrimination in GermanyWhen racism is hard to name
In Germany, discrimination is often subtle enough to go unchallenged. For many migrants, experiences of exclusion are marked not by open hostility, but by pauses, implication, and casual remarks. Such moments are difficult to prove as racism—yet impossible to forget.
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Saudi Arabia's urban developmentThe Crown Prince's bulldozers
Entire neighbourhoods in the Saudi coastal metropolis of Jeddah are being razed to the ground. Tens of thousands of people are losing their homes. With a marina and Saudi Arabia's first opera house, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hopes to create a global urban brand worthy of Dubai or Singapore. By Jannis Hagmann
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Women in EgyptOngoing crackdown stokes solidarity
Persecution, prosecution and public shaming have led to a new wave of solidarity among women in Egypt. Could this kind of grassroots movement gain enough power to change the difficult situation on the ground? By Jennifer Holleis
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Egypt – a human rights crisisNo more "quiet diplomacy"
For years, EU states have held back from criticising Egypt’s military regime for its human rights crimes. NGOs and a European parliamentary initiative are now seeking to change that, urging the UN Human Rights Council to act. By Sofian Philip Naceur
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Iran's zurkhaneh bodybuildersPraying in the house of strength
In Iran, a centuries-old form of strength training that combines athletics and religious ritual is still practiced to this day. Reporting for Qantara.de, Marian Brehmer paid a visit to one of these ancient "houses of strength" in Shiraz
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AfghanistanA brief history of Afghan women's rights
For over a century, Afghanistan's rulers and ethnic groups have been arguing about what women should do and how they should be. Women haven't had much say. By Manasi Gopalakrishnan
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America and the War on TerrorGuantanamo's "forever prisoners"
The notorious U.S. prison camp is 20 years old. Over the years, several plans to close it have been rejected. For the detainees, little has changed in the last two decades. Oliver Sallet reports from Guantanamo Bay
Culture
More about Culture-
"Palestine 36"A film tracing the roots of colonial violence
"Palestine 36" depicts the 1936-1939 revolt against British Mandate rule. It recreates an often-forgotten turning point in Palestinian history in vivid detail.
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Berlin-based rapper Siba"Rage can be very constructive"
With "Dounana", Siba has struck a chord. Rapped in Arabic, the track takes aim at colonialism and imperialism and is spreading rapidly online. A conversation about anger, injustice and empowerment.
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Confronting social taboos in the GulfEmirates talk show host Anas Bukhash lays it on the line
Emirati talk show host Anas Bukhash has struck a chord with his programme "ABtalks" which probes social questions that others fight shy of. In the Gulf, "nobody wants to talk about the elephant" in the room, he says. By Diana Hodali
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Aziz Binebine's "Tazmamart: Eighteen years in Morocco’s secret prison"We were robbed of our health, our youth and our innocence
Spring 2020 finally saw the publication of Aziz Binebine's Tazmamart memoir in English, translated by Lulu Norman. While it has now been nearly 30 years since the prisoners left their underground cells, Tazmamart remains synonymous both with hidden military prisons and with the terrors of Morocco’s Years of Lead. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the book
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Album review: Misagh Joolaee's "Ferne"Expanding the horizons of the kamancheh
German-Iranian Misagh Joolaee was recently recognised for widening the scope of playing the Persian spiked fiddle with the German Record Critics’ Award. Mariam Brehmer listened to his new album
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Remembering Mohammed DibThe grand seigneur of French-language Algerian literature
21 July marks the centenary of the birth of Mohammed Dib, one of the founding fathers of French-language Algerian literature. Born in 1920 in Tlemcen, Algeria's national writer spent the greater part of his life in exile. He passed away on 2 May 2003 in the Parisian suburb of La Celle-Saint-Cloud. By Regina Keil-Sagawe
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Book review: Amir Hassan Cheheltan's "Der Zirkel der Literaturliebhaber"A literary cocoon
For decades, lovers of literature would gather at the house of writer Amir Hassan Cheheltan's family to debate classical Persian works – until politics forced its way into the readers' cocoon. By Gerrit Wustmann
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Album review: Groupe RTD's "The Dancing Devils of Djibouti"Foot-tapping fusion
Blending East African, Bollywood and Arab music traditions, Groupe RTD's "The Dancing Devils of Djibouti" is not only a stunning album, it is also the first internationally-released recording of music from this small and isolated country. By Richard Marcus
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Israel und Palästina
Wie über Zionismus sprechen?
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Israelische Regisseurin Netalie Braun
„Zwischen Fluss und Meer ist Platz für alle“
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Gender-Forscherin Amel Grami
„Die islamische Kultur kannte auch nicht-normative Identitäten“
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Wahlen in Gaza
Wie Großfamilien das Machtvakuum füllen
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Frauen in Saudi-Arabien
Gefangen in einem System der Gender-Apartheid
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer