Authoritarianism
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Middle East conflictTwo peoples' experience of displacement
The Israel-Palestine conflict is multilayered and very complex. The greatest problem is that both sides have reason to believe the other wants to destroy them
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Egypt's New CapitalCounter-revolution completed
With Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's move into his new presidential palace and the inauguration of the new administrative capital, the Egyptian military's counter-revolution of 30 June 2013 is complete
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Elections in IndonesiaWorld's third largest democracy at a crossroads
On 14 February 2024, some 205 million Indonesians are going to the polls to choose a new president as well as new national and regional parliaments. Over the past 25 years, the nation with the world's largest Muslim population has evolved into a stable democracy. Yet observers now fear autocratic tendencies
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Turkey"Red Buds" – a TV series divides the country
The Turkish media authority has imposed a two-week broadcasting ban and fine on the series "Red Buds", in which religious and liberal worlds collide. The series is apparently too close to the bone
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Germany and the Gaza warArab criticism of German hypocrisy
Germany used to be a role model for the Arab world. That has changed since the Israeli army killed thousands of civilians in the war against Hamas – with barely a murmur of opposition from German politicians
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Germany's policy on EgyptNeither value-driven nor feminist
Germany's policy on Egypt is based on economic interests and a fear the country may collapse. As a result it contributes to stabilising Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's brutal regime
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Arab popular support for GazaHow pro-Palestinian protests threaten Middle East autocrats
In some Middle Eastern countries, pro-Palestinian rallies recall pro-democracy protests from 2011. Now, the region's authoritarian leaders are worried the conflict in Gaza could alter the political status quo at home
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RefugeesBattling public mood, Turkey quietly assimilates Syrians
Mahmud Abdi came to Turkey hoping to return once the bloodshed ebbed. Almost a decade later, the 30-year-old carpenter is looking to open his own workshop in the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa, where a quarter of the two million inhabitants are Syrian
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Christians in IraqThe demons of Karakosh
Christians in Iraq are under massive pressure. With the burning of a Koran by Christian Iraqi Salwan Momika in Sweden, the nationwide ban on alcohol, as well as the tragic fire at a recent wedding reception, life isn't getting any easier for them
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Turkey at 100What will become of Ataturk's legacy?
A century ago, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish Republic based on secular values. Today, many fear his vision is under threat by conservative President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
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The deserted villages of the soulYavuz Ekinci's new novel
Armenian genocide denial is a great and enduring lie by the Turkish state, characterised by ongoing violence and racism. Yavuz Ekinci takes up the subject in an unsparing and powerful novel: "Das ferne Dorf meiner Kindheit" – 'the distant village of my childhood'. Gerrit Wustmann read the book
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Abrahamic Family House in Abu DhabiReligious tolerance in UAE serves national interest
In March 2023, a synagogue was consecrated in Abu Dhabi – the first Jewish house of prayer to be built in the region for a hundred years. It is situated in an interfaith complex called Abrahamic Family House, which aims to present the Emirates as a tolerant, open country. Claudia Mende visited the centre