Europe
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Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
"We're not looking for Western recognition"
The United Arab Emirates has made cultural dialogue its mission. At the 2023 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the country confidently presented itself as the custodian of Arab culture. Although the book fair is a place for authors and publishing companies to meet and talk, there were limits to what could be openly discussed. Claudia Mende reports from Abu Dhabi
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Saudi Arabia's cultural revolution
Artists, but not individuals in the Western sense
"Saudi Vision 2030" foresees the accelerated modernisation of Saudi Arabia – and that includes the country’s culture. Huge amounts of government funding are being poured into the arts, while exchange with the West is welcomed. These new freedoms do, however, have their limits, as Joseph Croitoru reports.
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Israel's right-wing
Flirting with anti-Semitism
Far-right politicians cite their support for Israel as proof that they are not anti-Semites. Yet the openly fascist members of Israel's government have more in common with Hungary's Viktor Orban than they do with diaspora Jews. Commentary by Ian Buruma
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Morocco-Europe relations
Unauthorised brokers obstructing Schengen visas
Morocco's system for allocating Schengen visa application appointments has been hijacked by unauthorised brokers. Moroccans are finding travelling to Europe increasingly difficult, despite the lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions in 2022. Ismail Azzam reports
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“Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture”
Inspiring cities of the future
“Hot Cities: Lessons from Arab Architecture” at Germany's Vitra Design Museum provides valuable food for thought about the ways architecture can deal with climate change. Numerous examples from Arab countries illustrate how they have been defying the heat for thousands of years. By Joseph Croitoru
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Humanitarian crisis in Sudan
"I'm trapped in the war"
Sudanese are desperately trying to leave their country. But many, like Mahir Elfiel, are trapped because their passports are stuck in one of the closed European embassies. Here he talks about his hopeless situation. Andrea Backhaus recorded his story
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Yazidis in Sinjar, Iraq
The deep scars left by IS terror
For centuries, the Yazidis lived in the northern Iraqi region of Sinjar. In 2014, the region was overrun by the so-called "Islamic State", which committed genocide against the Yazidi population. This brutal chapter in Yazidi history has left deep and lasting scars. To this day, the community in Sinjar is still picking up the pieces. By Birgit Svensson
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Turkish elections
Turkey's Erdogan pushed to historic run-off
Retired civil servant Kemal Kilicdaroglu has pushed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan into an election runoff – the first of the country's post-Ottoman history. It was a bittersweet result that left the opposition leader's supporters frustrated following a heated night of vote counting
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Turkish activist Osman Kavala
"We have a strong political opposition"
The Turkish human rights activist Osman Kavala has been imprisoned in Turkey since 2017. Erdoğan's government considers him an enemy of the state. In this interview, Kavala tells Linda Vierecke why he still has hope in spite of it all.
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Elections in Turkey
The end of the Erdogan era?
As polling day on 14 May approaches, opinion polls put Turkey's opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu ahead of President Erdogan. Could this mean that Erdoğan's time at the helm of the nation is almost over? An analysis by Yasar Aydin
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Altin Gun's "Aṣk"
A strange and wonderful journey
In their latest release, Amsterdam-based Anatolian rock band Altin Gun reinterprets ten folk songs from Turkey for the 21st century, with spectacular results. Richard Marcus had a listen
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Sudanese artists speak out
"It's not our war"
Sudan has become a battleground. But it is not the war of the people who live there, say exiled Sudanese writers Stella Gitano and Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin. By Stefan Dege