Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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Refugee rights in Egypt"We are in a legal vacuum"
Egypt hosts more than one million registered refugees, most from Sudan. Recent legislation has stripped away protections, creating chaos in the country's asylum system and violating international law, says Nour Khalil, director of Refugees Platform Egypt (RPE).
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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.
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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France's anti-separatism bill may increase discriminationMuslims are not the problem, they are part of the solution
Critics of France's draft law to combat "radical Islamism" say the proposed measures are inefficient and will further stigmatise Muslims. They assert that involving Muslims in the process of addressing radicalisation is essential. Lisa Louis reports
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Turkey expert Gunter Seufert"Turkey is aware of how dependent it is on the EU"
Sanctions against Ankara are being considered at the EU summit. The number of those in favour has risen. It remains unclear how Germany will behave. But would such measures have any impact on Turkey?
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Highlighting Sisi's systematic crackdownLawyers detained in Egypt receive CCBE Human Rights Award
The CCBE – European Council of Bars and Law Societies – recently honoured seven Egyptian lawyers with its prestigious Human Rights Award to draw attention to the Egyptian regime's ongoing repression of civil society. By Sofian Philip Naceur
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Turkish ultranationalist, right-wing extremistsGermany's mission to muzzle the Grey Wolves
The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution classes them as "far right" and politicians want to ban them: the ultranationalist Grey Wolves movement. It originated in Turkey, where it is the secret power in the country and a political kingmaker. Marion Sendker reports from Istanbul
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U.S.-Turkey relations in 2021Biden and Erdogan – how much carrot, how much stick?
Initial statements by the Biden administration indicate it will follow a carrot and stick policy towards Turkey. Ankara believes its role in negotiations on various issues could strengthen its hand when it comes to ties with the new man in the White House. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Arrest of EIPR human rights activists in EgyptMy friend Gasser Abdel Razek, the "terrorist"
In Egypt, several human rights activists working for the EIPR – Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights – were arrested recently following a meeting with EU ambassadors. One of them is Gasser Abdel Razek, a long-time friend of Middle East correspondent Karim El-Gawhary. In this highly personal report, El-Gawhary writes about his friend’s detention
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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Best of Qantara.de 20202020 in review: Qantara's 'Top Ten'
Last year was one of a kind. 2020 saw the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, putting a stop to the hajj. Though peace in the Middle East remains a pipedream, there was something of a diplomatic thaw. At the same time, human rights across the region remain under attack. Here are Qantara.de's ten most read articles of 2020
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Migrants and entrepreneurship in GermanyUğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci – a rare success story?
When news broke that a vaccine against COVID-19 developed by a Turkish-born couple in Germany had promising results, many media reports placed the ethnic background of these scientists above the importance of the story itself. While migrant entrepreneurship might still be regarded as something rare in Germany, research shows that more and more migrants are launching their own businesses. By Sertan Sanderson
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Teenage pregnancies in PakistanWhat sex education is really about
Young people in many developing countries are not systematically taught about reproductive health and the psychology of intimacy. It is harmful to keep all things sexual shrouded in secrecy – as is evident in Pakistan, for example, where many girls are still married off in their teens. By Mahwish Gul
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IT in the Occupied TerritoriesSoftware developers at coding boot camp in Silicon Wadi
A German IT company has started an academy to train Palestinians in software development. Despite the pandemic's challenges, it has managed to run its first boot camp in Ramallah in the West Bank. Tania Kraemer reports
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Ankara School pioneer and reformist Islamic theologianThe resignation of Turkish Koran exegete Mustafa Ozturk
Professor of theology and Qantara interview partner Mustafa Ozturk has resigned from an Istanbul university after immense pressure from certain segments of the Islamic community, having advocated a version of Islam they deemed "blasphemous". Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Spotlight on bridge builders: Comedian Idil BaydarCounting up the cliches, Jilet Ayse tells it like it is
Comedian Idil Baydar may have received numerous awards, but she has also been the recipient of death threats from right-wing extremists. Her comic characters Gerda Grischke and Jilet Ayse hold a mirror up to German society and encourage audiences to take a closer look. Ceyda Nurtsch introduces her for Qantara.de
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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"Human Cargo" art projectPlumbing the depths of refugee pain
Can art help individuals process the experience of fleeing across the Mediterranean? Sponsored by Malteser International, the art project "Human Cargo" in Ahaus, Germany, is helping refugees come to terms with the horrors they experienced on their odyssey. By Wolfgang Dick
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Album review: Gaye Su Akyolʹs "Istikrarl Hayal Hakikattir"Singing the revolution
Influenced by everything from California surf music of the 1960s to the songs of Anatolian singer Selda Bagcan and a hearty dose of 1990s grunge music, the thought behind Turkish singer-songwriter Gaye Su Akyolʹs latest album, "Istikrarl Hayal Hakikattir" (ʹconstant fantasy is realityʹ), is a little more ethereal. By Richard Marcus
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Algerian film-maker Drifa Mezenner on the generation gap"Inshallah, if God lets us live that long"
For young women throughout the Arab world, everyday life is fraught with tension. In this piece Algerian writer and film-maker Drifa Mezenner presents her own take on conflicting generational expectations, societal pressures and the deeply felt desire to live a self-determined existence
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Ziad Doueiriʹs film "The Insult"A microcosm of Lebanese society
In Ziad Doueiri’s "The Insult", a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian foreman in Beirut have an argument that lands them in court, and ultimately triggers civil war-like clashes between the two ethnic groups. By Schayan Riaz
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Book review: Ahmet Altanʹs "Like a Sword Wound"The rotten Empire
Ahmet Altanʹs "Like a Sword Wound", translated into English by Brendan Freely, reads like a grand adventure story: intrigue, suspense, romance and politics. Yet, each little incident, from the in-fighting in the palace to the conditions aboard Ottoman naval vessels, reveals a deep current of rot. Richard Marcus read the book
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Interview with literary translator Nabil Al Haffar"Always distance yourself from the original text"
Considered one of the most renowned and experienced literary translators in the business, Nabil Al Haffar has received numerous awards for his work. He began translating from German into Arabic in 1974. Here he discusses his work as a translator and the challenges it presents
750th anniversary of Rumi's death
750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
Most read articles
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Fatima Daas' preisgekrönter Roman "Die jüngste Tochter“
Bekenntnisse einer Muslimin
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Doku „Die Möllner Briefe“
Anklage gegen das Vergessen
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„The Darvish“ aus Syrien
„Queerness bedeutet Freiheit“
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
Braut für einen Sommer
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Protestflotte „Global Sumud Flotilla“
Kurs auf Gaza
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Verfolgung von TikTok-Stars in Ägypten
Warum ausgerechnet Suzy?