Society

Syrians in Lebanon

Not safe to stay, not safe to go home

Desperate Syrians are weighing up whether to stay in an increasingly hostile Lebanon or risk a precarious existence in areas held by the Syrian opposition. The return journey is deadly and conditions in Syria are tough
By Cathrin Schaer
Muslim month of pilgrimage

Hajj – a vision of interfaith solidarity

When Muslims turn to the Kaaba as a common centre point, they are reminded of their sacred bond with the entire human race and their special relationship with the other Abrahamic religions
By Zeyneb Sayılgan
Women's movements in Turkey

"We women have learned a lot from each other"

From the Kurdish women's movement to the labour movement and Muslim feminists: the German anthology "Women's Movements in Turkey" builds a bridge between activism and academia. A conversation with the editors Iclal Ayse Kucukkirca and Handan Caglayan
By Ceyda Nurtsch
Cinema in Iran

Unveiled women conquer the silver screen

More and more Iranian films are breaking taboos – the results are being met with amazement both in and outside Iran. "My Favourite Cake", which premiered at the Berlinale in February, is just the latest example
By Nasrin Bassiri
Germany, the Holocaust and colonialism

Controversy over 'culture of remembrance' reform

Germany's coalition government wants to expand its remembrance culture to include the country's colonial history. Initial proposals have been met with criticism, in particular from heads of Holocaust memorial sites
By Helen Whittle
One family's flight from Gaza

"We escaped hell"

Bombs, destruction, hunger: the situation of the people in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic. Those who can afford to flee to neighbouring Egypt. Mohamed Isbitah managed to do just that. He speaks to Qantara.de about his dramatic escape
By Andrea Backhaus
Press in Pakistan

Students switch off from media careers

Journalism schools in Pakistan have been reporting low enrolment. Teachers say poor job prospects and industry issues are discouraging students from pursuing media careers
By Jamila Achakzai
Palestinians in Germany

End of the Berlin Spring

The German capital has attracted many Palestinian artists and intellectuals in recent years. Yet since the war in Gaza began, a sense of disillusionment has set in within the community
By Daniel Bax
The quagmire of historical responsibility

Germany's misguided fight against anti-Semitism

Assessing Israel more critically than other nations is considered anti-Semitic. Yet treating Israel more favourably is problematic too. Philo-Semitism – the unquestioning endorsement of anything Jewish – does not help in the fight against anti-Semitic prejudice
By Hans Dembowski
The Middle East's cosmopolitan tradition

Back to a Levantine future?

As regional and global problems rise, the once mixed cities of the Eastern Mediterranean may offer ideas for how we can escape our distress
By Michael Young
Women in Yemen

War and the transformation of Yemeni women's social roles

The war in Yemen, which has been raging since 2014, has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises and cost many lives. Since the outbreak of war, many Yemeni women have taken full responsibility for supporting their families. For some, the prolonged conflict has opened up new career prospects.
By Sarah Al-Kbat
The Iranian theologian and feminist Sedigheh Vasmaghi

A revolution in Islamic law

With her work, Iranian feminist and legal scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi is putting an end to male dominance in Islamic jurisprudence, striking at the very heart of the Islamic Republic.
By Ali Sadrzadeh