Search | Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Sort by

10871 Results

Saudi Municipal Elections

Gradualism of Reform and Traditional Politics

Many commentators have criticized that municipal elections in Saudi Arabia were only a false front to appease calls for more democracy. But in his analysis, Amr Hamzawy argues that historical specificities must be considered
Saudi Arabia

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Recently there have been signs that Saudi Arabia has reached a historical turning point. Pressure from the international community but also from within has forced the Saudi royal family to cautiously introduce reforms. Joseph Croitoru reports
Literary Awakening in Saudi Arabia

A Distant Echo of 9/11

Close connections between the political system and the rigid religious authority of the Wahhabis have blocked Saudi Arabia's cultural and social development for a long time. But now, the fact that most of those responsible for the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 came from this country has had the effect of rousing its literary landscape. By Fakhri Saleh
Interview with the Saudi Arabian Writer Abdo Khal

The Discovery of Arabic Literature in the Gulf

In an interview with Qantara.de the winner of this year's Arabic Booker Prize Abdo Khal talks about the significance of this major award for the Gulf region, as well as the division of Arab culture into a centre and a periphery. Loay Mudhoon spoke to him
Islam and violence

Conservative Muslims refute the violence of IS

Does Islamic theology have the argumentative resources to counter the claim that violence perpetrated in the name of Islam is covered by verses from the Koran? Yes, says the Islam expert Katajun Amirpur, pointing to an open letter from Muslim scholars
Interview with Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth

"We urgently need reform within Islam"

What is the focus of a feminist Islamic theologian's work? And what is the best way to deal with controversial Koran verses in the modern day? Claudia Mende talked to Maha El-Kaisy-Friemuth, professor of Islamic Religious Studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Interview with Turkish theologian Ihsan Eliacik

The Koran and social justice

Ihsan Eliacik is the first proponent of an "Islamic socialism" in Turkey. In his teachings, he criticises the neo-liberal policies of the AKP and calls for a socialist reading of the Koran. Interview by Ceyda Nurtsch
"Open Forums" in Turkey

New Forms of Participation

The Gezi Park protests have led to the emergence of local grassroots committees or "Open Forums" in many Turkish towns and cities. Their goal: To preserve quality of life in residential areas and foster political dialogue and development. A commentary by Ceyda Nurtsch from the "Open Forum" in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Beyoğlu
Protests against Construction Projects in Istanbul

A Government Addicted to Superlatives

The unrest in Istanbul is not only an expression of resistance to a misguided urban development policy, it is also a protest against a government that seems to be determined to construct monuments to itself. By Marian Brehmer
Mass Protests against Erdogan

On a Knife Edge

Turkey's head of government is finding himself under more and more pressure: Protest against his policies and billion-dollar development projects continue, with sustained criticism even being levelled against him from within his own camp. But the "Sultan of Ankara" is allowing the situation to escalate, as Jürgen Gottschlich reports