Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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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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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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Palestinian podcast hosts"No peace without justice and collective liberation"
Amira Mohammed and Ibrahim Abu Ahmad launched "Unapologetic: The Third Narrative" after 7 October to platform both Palestinian and Israeli voices. Now, ahead of season two, they explain why nonviolent activism remains at the heart of their work.
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Economic hardship in SudanWar demands unconvential strategies
As the war continues in Sudan, survival has become a daily test of resilience for millions in the country. Business has to adapt and focuses on necessities: food, electricity, fuel and internet.
Politics
More about Politics-
Political scientist Rahaf Aldoughli"Al-Sharaa must be put under pressure"
Ahmed al-Sharaa promised a peaceful Syria, but violence continues to shape the country's transition. A genuine national dialogue, political participation and a strategy to integrate former fighters into the army are essential, says political scientist Rahaf Aldoughli.
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Reporting on PalestineGermany cannot imagine the suffering in Gaza
For some, the widespread publication of images of starving children from Gaza is a sign of a major shift in the German political and media discourse. Palestinian journalist Asmaa al-Ghoul disagrees.
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Kuwait’s political futureCan semi-democracy survive?
Six months after Kuwait's new emir dissolved parliament, its members have yet to resume their work. Still, there are strong indications that the country’s unique parliamentary system will prevail.
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Syrian-Kurdish politician Elham Ahmed"Syria should be governed federally like Iraq or the UAE"
Elham Ahmed, the foreign representative of northeast Syria, voices concern for minorities in Aleppo following the city’s recent capture. In an interview with Qantara, she outlines her vision of a decentralised Syria and comments on the German debate over the deportation of criminal refugees.
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Support for Palestine in GermanyA nation gripped by moral panic
The Bundestag has passed a new resolution against antisemitism, which critics warn could endanger freedom of expression. Sociologist Donatella della Porta examines recent debates on antisemitism in Germany, arguing that a moral panic has resulted in the construction of an administrative apparatus that suppresses progressive voices.
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German resolution on antisemitism in educationA brazen act of state repression
German lawmakers are considering a new draft resolution that claims to combat antisemitism in educational institutions. Instead, it presents a one-dimensional view of Jewish life and erases crucial space for debate on Israeli politics and Germany's role in Gaza.
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Turkey's Gülen movementThe promise of Islamic moral governance
Though often portrayed as unique, the teachings and tactics of the Gülen movement have generally aligned with those of Turkey's Sunni mainstream. The movement's fraught relationship with the AKP reveals deeper tensions within the country's religious-political landscape. With both camps failing to establish a more ethical, Islam-based politics, a critical reassessment is overdue.
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US election 2024What Trump's victory means for Iran
Donald Trump has won the US presidential election. Many Iranian opposition members hope that this will lead to the overthrow of the Islamic regime. But Trump's actions, especially in foreign policy, are not always predictable.
Society
More about Society-
Public space in EgyptCairo is becoming unwalkable
Cairo's footpaths are disappearing, its public spaces are shrinking and its trees are being uprooted to make way for car-focused infrastructure and urban sprawl. For pedestrians, the city has become a hostile place.
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Public space in SyriaWhere Damascus goes to breathe
Before the war, Mount Qasioun was a refuge for the people of Damascus, a rare space for freedom and intimacy. After Assad's fall, it was briefly reclaimed as a public space, but now large-scale private developments threaten to take it over.
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Iranian civil societySilenced under the pretext of war
Iran and Israel are engaged in an unprecedented open military conflict. The regime is using the threat of war as a weapon against its own population. Activists from the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement are branded "soldiers of Israel".
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Palestinian critique of HamasReclaiming the narrative of resistance
Palestinians have the right to defend themselves against Israel's occupation. But that doesn't have to mean following Hamas—a group whose political vision has resulted in Gaza's systematic destruction. It's time to envision a different future.
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Sudanese refugees in ChadAn uncertain future
More than half a million people have fled war in Sudan into neighbouring Chad. Humanitarian workers are scrambling to provide support amid overcrowding, limited funding and widespread trauma.
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Northern Gaza under siege"Either we survive together or we all die together"
As the Israeli encirclement of North Gaza continues, the humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly dire. Trapped residents share their stories of daily life under siege.
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Reform of Iraq's Personal Status LawAre Shiite forces on the verge of victory?
The Personal Status Law in Iraq encompasses regulations on marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance and more. It could soon be amended, with dramatic consequences for women's and children's rights. Feminists and left-leaning political parties have mobilised to defend it.
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Tareq Sydiq’s book “The New Protest Culture”Can protests transform society?
From Iran to the Last Generation, citizens in democracies and dictatorships alike are taking to the streets. Tareq Sydiq analyses these uprisings and asks why some fail while others dramatically change the system.
Culture
More about Culture-
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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Books on Israel-PalestineThe perennial question of the West
New publications on the Israel-Palestine conflict: Alena Jabarine writes about inequality and arbitrary violence in the West Bank, Omar El Akkad settles scores with the West and Gilbert Achcar analyses the ideological roots of Hamas and Zionism.
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Nathan Thrall's book "A Day in the Life of Abed Salama"What a bus accident can tell us about the occupation
At once empathic and analytic, Nathan Thrall’s “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama” shines a light on life in Palestine under Israeli occupation. Highly recommended.
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Short stories by Moussa AbadiMulti-religious life in the Jewish Quarter of Damascus
Syrian author Moussa Abadi depicts peaceful coexistence in the Jewish Quarter of 1920s Damascus in ‘The Queen and the Calligrapher’. The characters may be quirky and the stories bizarre, but they show us that the Damascus of yesterday could be a model for our own time.
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Restoring the IS-destruction of cultural heritageKey to overcome the past
A decade after Islamic State militants tried to destroy the rich history of Iraq and Syria, the hard work to rebuild the nations' cultural heritage continues. The ancient city of Hatra succumbed to an attack by Islamic State fighters. It’s now being repaired.
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30 essays trace a problem that affects society as a wholeEveryday Anti-Semitism in Turkey
What is the origin of anti-Semitic ideologies in politics, media and society in Turkey? And what impact does this have on today's politics? A new book provides answers.
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New Choukri translationThe absurdist frame
In Mohamed Choukri's varied and experimental collection "Tales of Tangier" the hyperreal meets the bizarre. The off-kilter stories put forward by the late author seem to be set spinning on their edges, so fast and wild they might just fly off the page
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The animals of Istanbul – a literary homageA dog barks, a seagull mews
Istanbul's kings and queens are its seagulls, the cats and dogs in its alleyways, the pigeons on Taksim Square. The city's animals are also an essential component of its literature. A new anthology of short stories by Turkish-language authors offers up a narrative tribute to the city's non-human inhabitants
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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Podcast „Unapologetic: The Third Narrative”
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
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Den Lebensunterhalt improvisieren