Qantara Startseite Englisch - Dialogue with the Islamic world
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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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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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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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Science fiction from TurkeyA spark of reality in literary dystopia
Above the clouds lies not just boundless freedom, but also dystopian visions of the future. With his collection "Über den Wolken und andere Geschichten" (Above the Clouds and Other Stories), editor Ünver Alibey shows that science fiction is no longer a solely Western genre.
Politics
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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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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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Germany and its Afghan interpreters"Why are you leaving me behind?"
I regret very much that I worked for the Bundeswehr. If the Taliban knock on my door, I hope they shoot me right away. Guest article by Ahmad Jawid Sultani
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Erdogan's NATO peace offeringCan Turkish forces tame the Taliban in Afghanistan?
Almost all NATO troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan. Turkey is looking to fill the gap and is offering itself as a new protective power. But the Taliban are sending clear threats in the direction of Ankara. By Hilal Koylu
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Pimping the parliamentary facadeNarendra Modi's Potemkin democracy
India's prime minister has an "edifice complex" that has given rise to grand new government buildings, including a planned new parliament. Sadly, the spirit of deliberation and debate that animated the old parliament building risks being left there. By Shashi Tharoor
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Interview with Afghanistan expert Ahmed Rashid"The Americans were completely devoid of any strategy"
The West is pulling out of Afghanistan after 20 years, but the conflict remains – and the Taliban are stronger than they have been for a long time. And now? The renowned Taliban expert Ahmed Rashid talks to Tobias Matern about mistakes made by the West and the future role of the Taliban in Afghanistan
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Reuters special report: U.S. enemy and friend of Iran?Muqtada al-Sadr, the most powerful man in Iraq
Popular support for Muqtada al-Sadr, progeny of the famous Sadr political dynasty, is on the ascendant in Iraq. Leader of the main opposition Shia faction, Sadr is also no stranger to the corridors of power within the country. A man of many facets, dogmatic and pragmatic by turns. By John Davison & Ahmed Rasheed
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Cyber disinformationHow dangerous are the Middle East's "electronic armies"?
The Middle East is plagued by electronic armies working at the behest of one regime or another. Long used by those in power as a weapon in the fight against activists and dissidents, such operations can have deadly consequences for those caught in the crosshairs. Cathrin Schaer has the details
Society
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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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Yemen's civil warUnderage "martyrs": child soldiers in Yemen
In Yemen, families send their children to so-called summer camps. There, adolescents are given combat training and taught why they should fight for God. Both government forces and Houthi rebels use child soldiers. By Ahmed Imran and Emad Hassan
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On the death of Indian photojournalist Danish SiddiquiThe man who captured humanity
In India and beyond, there has been great sadness at the loss of the renowned Reuters photographer Danish Siddiqui, whose images captured the human face of South Asian news. He died while on assignment in Afghanistan. By Natalie Mayroth
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Moosa Raza's "In Search of Oneness"What do the Bhagavad Gita and the Koran have in common?
Despite over a thousand years of co-existence, India's Hindus and Muslims often know little about each other's religious traditions. In an effort to promote understanding and reconciliation among the two communities, Moosa Raza, an Indian scholar of Islam, compares the sub-continent’s two most important sacred scriptures. By Marian Brehmer
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Amina Wadud's "Qur'an and Woman" revisited"Inequality between men and women is contrary to Islam"
Penned by pioneering American female imam and champion of gender equality within Islam, Amina Wadud, "Qur'an and Woman: Rereading the Sacred Text from a Woman's Perspective" (1999) had a huge impact on academic thought across the Muslim and non-Muslim world. Now it has finally been translated into French – reason enough to re-examine her groundbreaking premise. By Malika Hamidi
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Pakistan, India, BangladeshThe ordeal of "abandoned wives" left behind by UK families
Many marriages to British Asian men are accompanied by false promises of improved finances. Later when the men abandon their wives to return to the UK, some brides' families find themselves saddled with debt. By S. Khan
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Richard W. Bulliet's "Methodists and Muslims: My life as an Orientalist"The agency of historians. Or what Edward Said missed out on
Is it legitimate for a historian to compare 11th century Nishapur with 20th century Rockford, Illinois? What possible motive can there be for studying Middle Eastern societies if you have no biographical ties with the region? Eminent Middle East historian Richard Bulliet answers these and other questions in his witty memoir "Methodists and Muslims: My life as an Orientalist". Sonja Hegasy read the book
Culture
More about Culture-
Çiğdem Akyols's novel on Germany’s guest workersClear-eyed and unsentimental
In her debut novel, Çiğdem Akyol tells the story of a family caught between Germany and Turkey. The journalist offers an unvarnished portrait of the guest-worker generation and their children and sheds light on their ruthless exploitation in Germany.
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Jewish composer Brigitte SchifferFleeing the Nazis and thriving in Cairo
Many Jewish musicians fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. Composer Brigitte Schiffer was one of the few who put down roots in Egypt. In this interview, the German music professor Matthias Pasdzierny charts her unusual story.
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Interview with Iranian author Amir Hassan Cheheltan"Literature is based on politics and eroticism"
Amir Hassan Cheheltan has not published a novel in Iran in 15 years. The 62-year-old author does intend to refrain from writing either about politics or eroticism, as censorship in Iran prescribes. In Europe, meanwhile, his works are enjoying increasing popularity. Eight books by Cheheltan have already been published in German. Interview by Nasrin Bassiri
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Interview with the artist Kaya BehkalamPreserving the memory of the Egyptian Revolution
With his digital art project Augmented Archive, the artist Kaya Behkalam has created a subversive archive that describes the history of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 from the perspective of the citizens. With the help of the app, users can visit the sites of the protests and learn about their history. Interview by Eslam Anwar
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Book review: Charlie Englishʹs "The book smugglers of Timbuktu"Of myths and heroes
Timbuktu, the ancient desert city in Mali, has always been shrouded in myths. Charlie English’s "The book smugglers of Timbuktu" proves that the city has not lost its magic. By Dagmar Wolf
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Interview with Carlos Spottorno and Guillermo Abril"The Crack": Europe's identity crisis
In their field journal “The Crack” photographer Carlos Spottorno and journalist Guillermo Abril report the unfolding of Europeʹs migrant crisis from Africa to the Arctic over the course of three years. Their aim? To identify the causes and consequences of Europeʹs identity crisis. Interview by Naima Morelli
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Nathan Englander’s novel "Dinner at the centre of the earth"Caught in limbo
Nathan Englander, an author of novels and short stories and a man who knows Israel very well, has written a fast-paced spy novel in which lovesick spies, dubious businesspeople and a virtually immortal general in a coma fail to bring about a workable solution for peace in the Israel-Palestine conflict. By Volker Kaminski
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Interview with Iranian percussionist Habib MeftahAnalogue "electrofolk" from southern Iran
Percussionist Habib Meftah has made an international name for himself with clubbable, acoustically altered folk music. But he also works with dancers and musicians from other genres. His versatility is based on the traditional musical culture of his southern Iranian origins. Interview by Bernd G. Schmitz
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Qantara.de: Building bridges to the Islamic world
Building Bridges Across Religions
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750th anniversary of Rumi's death - Qantara.de
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Zivilgesellschaft in Iran
Jede Opposition zählt als Israel-Unterstützung
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Sex-Tourismus in Ägypten
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