Society

Lawyers for Motassadeq have demanded his release from prison. (photo: AP)

A German court has decided to grant the only person convicted in connection to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks a retrial. The decision illustrates the difficulty Western courts are having in putting suspected terrorists behind bars.More

Ailton will soon be wearing the Qatari national team's jersey. (photo: AP)

Sports

A Brazilian in Qatar

Brazilian soccer player Ailton, who plays in the German Bundesliga, will take on Qatari citizenship to fulfill his dream of playing for a national team.More

Afghanistan

Women Journalists Are Making Advances

During the reign of the Taliban, the public media were banned from everyday life. But since the overthrow of the Taliban, the media landscape in Afghanistan has perked up again. A report by Shahram AhadiMore

U.S.-Arab Relations

TV Channel Aims to Tackle Arab Resentment

Al Hurra, a U.S.-funded Arabic-language satellite television station has taken to the airwaves to democratize the Arab world and serve as a counterweight to Al Jazeera. But will it work?More

Netherlands

Dutch Parliament Votes to Remove Asylum Seekers

The Dutch parliament has now voted to remove more than 26,000 asylum seekers within three years. The move reflects a growing trend in restrictive asylum policies across Europe. Kristine Ziwica reportsMore

Germany

Discovering Africa

Germany’s knowledge of Africa appears to be a little underdeveloped. Therefore, the German Federal Agency for Civic Education initiated a large-scale project that will inform on the rich cultural life and potential of that diverse continent.More

Moroccan writer Fatima Mernissi, Photo: AP

Portrait

Rebel for the Sake of Women

The Moroccan author and researcher Fatema Mernissi argues that despite the merits of the Arabic nationalists, who allowed women to gain access to education, many ideas have not yet been accomplished. Nong Darol Mahmada reportsMore

South Pole

Heated Discussions in the Pack Ice

Far from home, four Israelis and four Palestinians are journeying through the Antarctic in order to develop their ability to work as a team. The name of their project: "Breaking the Ice". Ariana Mirza reports on a peace mission under extreme conditions.More

Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle and Cap Anamur Build Schools

Deutsche Welle and Cap Anamur initiated the "100 Classrooms for Afghanistan" aid project which has exceeded all expectations: the donations will help build more than 300 classrooms.More

The water pipe ritual in a Berlin bar (photo: Stephan Schmidt)

Oriental Hip

The Triumph of the Shisha

Throughout the Arab world, the water pipe has been a traditional accompaniment to friendly gatherings since the 17th century. Now, the shisha is becoming increasingly popular in German bars and cafes. Ariana Mirza reports from Berlin.More

Chief Rabbi of Haifa, Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, and Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel, Shlomo Amar (photo: Mary Fowles)

Religious Cooperation

The Importance of Inter-Religious Scholarship

In the symbolically appropriate town of Seville over 40 religious leaders and scholars from around the world met to discuss how religion may inform geopolitical peace. Mary Fowles reportsMore

Baghdad

From The Orient to The Occident and Back

Amal al-Juburi has big plans to revive Baghdad's battered cultural life. The Iraqi national, who sought asylum in Germany in the 90s, plans to open a German school and a center for East-West dialogue.More

Have a seat: waiting room at the immigration office in Hamburg. (photo: AP)

Germany

Asylum Seekers Train to Help Others

A pilot project in Germany is training refugees to be "language and culture mediators," with the aim of helping other refugees adjust to their new homeland.More

President Jacques Chirac delivers his speech at the Elysee Palace, photo: AP

France

Chirac Seeks Law Banning Headscarf in Schools

The headscarf is a highly controversial issue in France. In order not to burn their fingers on this matter, President Chirac and his government have based their decision to prohibit the Hijab on the countrys secular tradition. Bernhard Schmid reportsMore

All dressed up; the Afghani police officers in Berlin (photo: AP)

Women in the Police Force

Afghani Policewomen on Tour in Germany

The German Society for Technological Cooperation (GTZ) supports police forces and justice officials in Afghanistan. As a part of this cooperation, seven policewomen and two legal experts had been invited to Germany for an informational tour. Monika Hoegen reportsMore

Iranian clerics in Ghom waiting for the reformist theologian Montazeri, who is under house arrest. (photo: AP)

Reformist Islam

Adapting to Contemporary Interpretations of Islam

Is Islamic law compatible with democracy and human rights? One of Iran's best-known reformist clerics has an answer to this question – an answer that challenges Islamic orthodoxy. Bahman Nirumand reports on a reformist theologian.More

German convert in Berlin (photo: Christoph Eckelt)

Muslim Converts

"Less Restricted by the Burden of Tradition"

Converts often practise their new religion with particular zeal; but as they are often less bound to the traditional cultural norms of their religious community, they can also be the source of new, reformist impulses. Ursula Trüper reports from Berlin.More

Photo: Mar Elias Educational Institutions

Middle East

Christian Arab Israeli University Opened

With "Unity within Diversity" as its motto, Mar Elias University now opened in Galilee after four years of intensive planning. The project was initiated by Elias Chacour, three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee.More

Headscarfs are causing a stir in Europe (photo: AP)

Headscarf Issue

Prominent Women Protest against Ban

"The decisive thing is not what's on the head, but what's in it," says a group of prominent German women who have launched a campaign against the government's headscarf ban for Muslim teachers.More

Interfaith Holiday Celebrations

Sugar Festival, St. Nicholas, Noel Baba

While politicians and experts are making urgent calls for a dialogue with Islam, children from Muslim and Christian families are a few steps ahead. They have long been celebrating the holidays together. Babette Braun reportsMore

Ifa dossier: Flight and migration

"Solfar" sculpture by Jon Gunnar Arnason in Reykjavik (photo: Matt Lamers (CC0 1.0) via Unsplash)

Europe is still regarded as an eldorado by many seeking security and a better life. But what do those coming from Muslim countries expect of Europe? What hopes and dreams do they carry with them?More

Goethe-Institut's Perspektiven: Generational conflict

Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon… six young women and men from six different countries put their individual views and experience with the generational conflict into words for this dossier.More

FEMYSO: Fighting Islamophobia

The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations works to promote the development, understanding and respect of human rights across Europe, focussing specifically on tackling Islamophobia in all its forms and raising awareness about this ongoing problem.More

Qantara dossier: "The Headscarf Controversy"

Image symbolising the German ruling on headscarves in the workplace (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

The wearing of headscarves is currently the subject of fierce debate – and not just in Germany. Throughout Europe, not to mention the Islamic world, the atmosphere is heated. We take a look at the different arguments, the historical background and the social realities associated with the dispute over headscarves.More

Lesson in endurance: Syrian refugee teacher enters German school

Syrian teaching assistant Hend Al Khabbaz in her new workplace: Sigmund Jaehn primary school in Fuerstenwalde, Germany (photo: John MacDougall/AFP/Getty Images)

Working at a German school is not just about reading and writing, maths and singing songs, says newly minted Syrian assistant teacher Hend al-Khabbaz.More

Women in Saudi Arabia: Confronting male prejudice

Mervat Bukhari became the first Saudi woman to work in a field which is mostly dominated by men. When Bukhari was promoted as supervisor of a gas station in eastern Khobar city last October, insults began pouring in on social media with the hashtag "Saudi women don't work at gas stations".More

The rise of "bad civil society" in Israel

Protest by supporters of nationalist civil society organisation "Im Tirtzu" (source: YouTube)

Mirroring broader social trends within Israel, Israeli civil society is facing a growing conflict between the rising conservative nationalist social forces (CSOs) and the dwindling liberal and humanist camp represented by human rights organisationsMore

Hamza Hamouchene's "Paradises of the Earth"

Hamza Hamouchene, producer of the groundbreaking web documentary "Paradises of the Earth", talks about the reasons that led him to embark on this amazing project.More

Maintaining the dialogue

Cover of Sabrina Mahfouz' "The Things I would Tell You: British Muslim Women Write" (published by Saqi Books)

From a jaded TV chat show host to a Middle Eastern actress who longs to be cast as a ghostbuster, not endless jihadi brides, the stories in Sabrina Mahfouz's anthology of British Muslim...More

How the Muslim world lost the freedom to choose

Women in Kabul during the pre-Taliban era (source: amnesty.org.uk)

A brave new book describes how Pakistan unravelled – and provides a blueprint for understanding declining pluralism across the Middle East.More

'PakistanGirl' takes aim at corrupt cops and domestic abuse

"PakistanGirl" superhero by Hassan Siddiqui (source: Capital Comics)

Pakistan's newest female superhero has vowed to battle venal officials and protect battered women, as her creator tries to inspire the next generation to fight injustice in a deeply patriarchal society.More

Documentary highlights domestic drudgery in Lebanon

Maher Abi Samra′s disturbing documentary ″A Maid for Each″ takes a cool-headed look at a Beirut agency that traffics in domestic help. Some may take comfort in thinking the situation of domestic servants in Lebanon isn’t ″our″ world, but in truth, the commodification of foreign home workers by type (″my Filipina″, ″my Mexican″) is a near-universal problem.More

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