The Salafyo Costa Initiative in Egypt
Salafis are often portrayed as conservative and anti-Western, but members of the Salafyo Costa initiative are countering these generalizations by engaging in dialogue with other Egyptians of all political and religious backgrounds. Nada Zohdy reports from Cairo More »
Gay Rights in Tunisia
Homosexuals in Tunisia celebrated the ouster of dictator Ben Ali, hoping it would improve their situation. But in nearly two years, little has changed for the country's gay and lesbian community. Sarah Mersch reports from Tunis More »
Goethe Institute series: ''Receiving the World – Mapping Democracy''
With a new series of events entitled "Receiving the World – Mapping Democracy", the Goethe Institute seeks to explore new challenges to our understanding of democracy. The focus of the series is on the similarities and differences between the new social movements in Europe and the protest movement in North Africa. By Claudia Mende More »
Pakistan after the Attempt on Malala Yousafzai's Life
Malala Yousafzai came to prominence at the age of 11 when she began writing a diary for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban in Pakistan's Swat Valley in 2009. She survived an attempt on her life in early October this year. Instead of frightening the country's education system into submission, the attack triggered a wave of solidarity with the young pro-education activist More »
Interview with Fawzia Koofi
Fawzia Koofi is an Afghan women's rights activist and MP. She has already declared that she will run for president in 2014. In this interview with Martin Gerner, she outlines the two policy areas closest to her heart and explains why some Afghans view the timeline for the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan with trepidation More »
Human Rights in Afghanistan
In order to attain a just peace, inhumane structures should be dismantled, not tolerated. But anyone campaigning for human rights on the Hindu Kush finds themselves abandoned by the West. A commentary by Monika Hauser More »
Lalon Shah and the Bauls
Lalon Shah is the king of Bauls, a unique mystical tradition from the region of Bengal. In Bengali culture Lalon has become an icon of religious tolerance. Hindus depict him as a Hindu and Muslims believe he represents their faith – but he was beyond such notions. By Marian Brehmer More »
''The New Arab Women''
The so-called "Arab Spring" has a female face. Now, a new book by Gabi Kratochwil provides a very personal and exciting insight into the background to this tumultuous period, casting a new light on the major presence of women on the streets of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Martina Sabra read the book and spoke to author More »
Arab States in Transition and the Role of the Media
The Arab Spring took both regional potentates and the West by surprise. One of the reasons was that Arab media was almost totally ignored, claims the political scientist Asiem El-Difraoui More »
Islamic Community under Suspicion
The Islamic community Milli Görüs is the second-largest Muslim organisation in Germany. It is being kept under close observation by the federal and state offices for the protection of the constitution, impeding dialogue with policymakers and the public – as well as progressive reform from within. By Ursula Rüssmann More »
