Rebetiko is a musical genre that describes the emotionally charged songs of Greeks who were expelled from Turkey in the wake of the population exchange of 1923. Cigdem Aslan, a young Kurd from London, lends her powerful voice to the stories behind these songs. By Marian BrehmerRead more
Algeria's non-Arab minorities are up in arms. The ethnic conflict between Arabs and Berbers is weakening the already fragile stability of the Maghreb state. By Susanne KaiserRead more
Once numbering over one hundred thousand, Tunisia's Jewish community has dwindled over the years. Its members practice discretion, but certainly have no desire to hide. By Sarah Mersch in TunisiaRead more
In Afghanistan, people look with nostalgia upon outgoing President Hamid Karzai. But at the same time, they fear the uncertain future that his successor might very well bring. By Emran FerozRead more
Algeria's non-Arab minorities are up in arms. The ethnic conflict between Arabs and Berbers is weakening the already fragile stability of the Maghreb state. By Susanne KaiserMore
In Afghanistan, people look with nostalgia upon outgoing President Hamid Karzai. But at the same time, they fear the uncertain future that his successor might very well bring. By Emran FerozMore
More than 300 people from Germany have gone to Syria to join the jihad. In this interview with Jannis Hagmann, Benno Köpfer of the German domestic intelligence service explains what radicalises young people, why not all Salafists agree with the ISIS caliphate and why he drinks the occasional tea with some of themMore
Iran is battling Saudi Arabia for regional supremacy in the Middle East, and is steadily expanding its sphere of influence in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. Behind the scenes, Qassem Soleimani is a key figure who has had more influence on Iran's foreign policy over the last twenty years than almost anyone else. Martina Sabra reportsMore
Once numbering over one hundred thousand, Tunisia's Jewish community has dwindled over the years. Its members practice discretion, but certainly have no desire to hide. By Sarah Mersch in TunisiaMore
The terrorist group ISIS (which now refers to itself as Islamic State) has been conducting a massive propaganda campaign via social networks on the Internet. In addition to intimidating opponents, the group wants to establish its own media brand. By Nastassja SteudelMore
The history of the Caliphate is, with a few exceptions, an unstable and unhappy one. In this essay, Stefan Weidner explains why the self-appointed caliphs of today, like the ISIS leader in Iraq, have little in common with the caliphs of oldMore
Rebetiko is a musical genre that describes the emotionally charged songs of Greeks who were expelled from Turkey in the wake of the population exchange of 1923. Cigdem Aslan, a young Kurd from London, lends her powerful voice to the stories behind these songs. By Marian BrehmerMore
In "Gezi – A Literary Anthology", a volume of essays that was recently published in German, 19 Turkish authors and a photographer reflect on the motivation and dynamics of the Gezi movement. By Astrid KaminskiMore
The young author Emrah Serbes is regarded as the "enfant terrible" of Turkish literature. Not only is he one of the most popular authors in Turkey: since the protests in Gezi Park last summer and his active participation in the resistance, many now seen him as the "writer and voice of the people". Ceyda Nurtsch met him at a reading in BerlinMore
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has become a bone of contention. Since it was secularised in 1935, it has been a museum. Now Turkish nationalists want to turn it back into a mosque - while the Patriarch of Constantinople wants to use it as a church again. A photo essay by Klaus Dahmann.
In the shadow of an icon
Since 2012 there have been repeated violent clashes between Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar. Human rights activists accuse the government and state security forces of ethnic cleansing, murder and persecution. Charlotte Wiedemann reports on the fate of the country's Muslim Rohingya peopleMore
A Test of Willpower
In her reflective article, Kristiane Backer describes Ramadan as not only a period of renunciation and self-discipline, but also as a process of physical and spiritual cleansing. The Islamic fasting month of gives her a sense of closer proximity to God, writes the former MTV and NBC presenter, who converted to IslamMore
Qantara dossier: Ramadan 2014
This year, Ramadan begins on 28 June. German soccer star Mesut Ozil has already said that he will not be fasting because Ramadan clashes with the 2014 World Cup. Qantara's dossier on Ramadan contains a selection of interesting and insightful articles on the Islamic month of fasting.More
The Shatila refugee camp in Beirut: overwhelmed and under strain
Today, over 22,000 Palestinian refugees live in the Shatila refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut. Most of them belong to families who had to leave Palestine during the Nakba of 1948. However, since war broke out in Syria in 2011, the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have seen a dramatic influx of Syrian refugees and are completely overwhelmed. By Mohammad Reza Hassani
Fikrun wa Fann/Art & Thought
Fikrun wa Fann/Art & Thought is the Goethe Institut's cultural magazine for dialogue with the Islamic world. "1914 – The First World War and the reshaping of the East" is the title of the 100th edition of the magazine. This anniversary edition is dedicated to the First World War, which broke out one hundred years ago this year. The events of the turbulent four years of the war not only changed Europe in the short-term; its consequences are still felt across the continent and beyond to this day.More
The German Islam Scholar Lamya Kaddor
Why I as a Muslim Woman Don't Wear a Headscarf
The Media and ''The Innocence of Muslims''
Against the Islamisation of Muslims
Muslims in Liberal Democracies
Why the West Fears Islam
The Decline of Islamic Scientific Thought
Don't Blame It on al-Ghazali
Interview with Noam Chomsky
''The West Is Terrified of Arab Democracies''
Who Is Hidden beneath the Burqa?
An Appeal to the West