Kurdistan
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Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria
Between Assad and Erdogan
The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria controls a third of Syria, but is not recognised by anyone. Attacks by Turkey, a threatened takeover by the Assad regime, dealing with tens of thousands of IS supporters and international isolation complicate people's daily lives. Kristin Helberg reports for Qantara.de from Qamishli
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Joey Lawrenceʹs "We came from fire"
A tribute to the Kurds
With its large landscape format and its glossy colour photos, "We Came From Fire" by American-based Canadian photo journalist Joey Lawrence may look like a coffee table book, yet from the sub-title, "Kurdistan's Armed Struggle Against ISIS", to its content, this book is unlike any other. By Richard Marcus
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Iraq's Yazidi women
After tragedy, new freedoms and opportunities
Historically Iraq's Yazidi community was isolated, under-resourced and very conservative. Seven years after the "Islamic State" tragedy, the community is more open to the world – and Yazidi women are benefitting. By Cathrin Schaer
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Young people in Iraqi Kurdistan
Turning towards religion or away from it?
Young people in northern Iraq are so disillusioned that many are trying to leave the country any way they can. Some fear widespread discontent could push people toward potentially dangerous religious fundamentalism. By Cathrin Schaer
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The fate of the Armenians
Vakıflı: The last Armenian village in Turkey
The village of Vakıflı (population 150) in the southern Turkish province of Hatay near the Syrian border is the last remaining Armenian village in Turkey. Lately, interest in the town and the history of Armenians has been growing. By Jochen Menzel
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Berlin: "bê welat – the unexpected storytellers" exhibition
Taking a tender look at life through the Kurdish lens
How can the various realities of Kurdish life, shaped by depression, resistance and war, be depicted in art? This is the question addressed by the “bê welat – the unexpected storytellers” exhibition in Berlin. Ceyda Nurtsch reports for Qantara.de
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Muslim marriage, Muslim divorce – and the wider family
"Problems are often dealt with collectively"
Ayse Gerner is a Muslim woman and a marriage counsellor. It is a combination appreciated by her clients, most of whom are Muslim. Although Muslim couples face the same relationship challenges as everyone else, they also have to overcome very specific obstacles. By Said Rezek
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#MeToo and Muslim women
Danish author Sara Omar – Breaking taboos for Muslim women
Born amid the horrors of war in Iraqi Kurdistan, Danish author Sara Omar now uses her voice to denounce violence inflicted on women in the name of reactionary Islam, a "calling" that has left her living under police protection
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Art, life, and the New Patrons
Sartep's graphic journey to a better world
The New Patrons seek to sponsor art projects initiated by citizens in order to better dovetail art and life. Anyone can become their client. In Berlin, the impressive comic "Temple of Refuge" was created on behalf of the Iraqi-Kurdish refugee Sartep Namiq, describing the story of his flight and the hope for a better life. By Stefan Dege
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Album review: Aynur Dogan’s "Hedur"
Finding solace in the sounds of home
For years, singer Aynur Dogan has preserved and expanded the possibilities of traditional Kurdish music, lending a voice to her people. She has just released her seventh studio album. By Marian Brehmer
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Interview with author Ronya Othmann
Fighting the obliteration of Kurdish-Yazidi identity
Ronya Othmann's novel "Die Sommer" (The Summers) tells the story of Leyla – the daughter of a German and a Yazidi Kurd – who visits her grandparents' Yazidi village in northern Syria every summer until the village ceases to exist. Schayan Riaz spoke to the author
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Muslim racism and imperialism
Power and exclusion
The outpouring of solidarity worldwide following the violent death of George Floyd should prompt us to step back and fundamentally question racist structures and privileges based on injustice – wherever they exist in the world. An essay by Tayfun Guttstadt