Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Islamic regime began to force women to adopt Islamic dress. Resistance to the rule has never ceased, though it has changed. And suddenly compulsory veiling in the theocracy no longer seems to be on solid ground. An abridged version of the original article by Nasrin BassiriMore

The Middle East is fraught with bitter national and sectarian conflicts that realistically can only be solved by compromise. Rather than another round of demonisation, what the region needs, argues Jeffrey Sachs, is an era of diplomacy that focuses on normalising relations More

In his book "Großmacht Iran – Der Gottesstaat wird Global Player" (Iran: a major power – from theocracy to global player), Henner Fürtig, director of the GIGA Institute for Middle Eastern Studies, predicts a promising future for the Islamic Republic of Iran as the most important regional power in the Middle East. Miriam Abdollahi read the bookMore

Some regard the fanatical and raging tide currently sweeping through Arab societies as variations of a "latent Daesh-isation". Indeed, argues Khaled Hroub, despite falling short of the use of violence or arms, in its most extreme form, its ideological principles and convictions share common ground with the heinous beliefs of Islamic StateMore

On 19 May, Iranians will elect their next president. Once again, it will be a man. In interview with Mitra Shodjaie, women's rights activist Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh says this has to changeMore

Sexuality is a taboo subject in Iran. But the country′s youthful society wants enlightenment and more sexual freedoms. What little support it receives from exile seems to be having a powerful effect. By Shahrzad Osterer and Farhad PayarMore

In her book for young adults "33 Bogen und ein Teehaus" [33 Arches and a Teahouse], Mehrnousch Zaeri-Esfahani tells the story of her life from ages five to eleven: the beauty of her native city of Isfahan, her happy family life, the torture of living under dictatorship in Iran, and her family's flight to Germany. It is a book of poetic power without a trace of sentimentality. By Thomas LindenMore