Science
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Atheism in the Arab World
The dictators' scourge: Of 'heresy' and humanists
Posing as guardians of the faith, many Arabic regimes abuse their religious power in order to compensate for their states′ lack of democratic legitimacy. Hardly surprising, then, that they regard as atheism as an existential danger. Essay by Brian Whitaker
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Women and Arab-Islamic education
The doyennes of learning
The first university in the world was founded by a Muslim woman. One of the Arab world′s most prestigious and oldest universities was also founded by an Arab princess. Women had a remarkable role in building schools and patronising the sciences throughout Islamic history. By Tharwat Al-Batawi
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French philosopher Henry Corbin
Wherever the spirit guides
Henry Corbin, theologian and professor in Islamic Studies at the Sorbonne, is widely regarded as the West′s authority on Persian philosophy. Despite having died in 1978, he is not only revered in modern-day Iran, he has also been appropriated. By Marian Brehmer
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Science in Iran
Headscarves and nanotech
In recent years Iran has been gripped by a pioneering spirit: under the pressure of sanctions, the nation transformed itself into a powerhouse of innovation. But the rift between religion and high-tech is ever present. Patrick Illinger reports from Tehran
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"The Pearl of Dari" by Zuzanna Olszewska
Treasuring their common Persian heritage
A book about young Afghan poets in exile casts a new perspective on Afghans in Iran. Marian Brehmer read the Oxford anthropologist Zuzanna Olszewska′s study
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Egypt′s repression of academics and journalists
The Regeni murder fallout
The murder of an Italian academic one year ago was yet another tragic reminder that it is barely possible to conduct independent research in Egypt these days. But German and European policies on Egypt rely on scholarly analyses, say Stephan Roll and Lars Brozus
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Science and research in the Islamic world
Rebuilding the Muslim House of Wisdom
Muslim governments know that economic growth, military power, and national security benefit greatly from technological advances. Many of them have sharply increased funding for science and education in recent years. And yet, in the view of many – especially in the West – the Muslim world still seems to prefer to remain disengaged from modern science. By Jim al-Khalili
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Spain and Ibn Arabi′s heritage
The great master of Murcia
Ibn Arabi was born 850 years ago in Murcia. The influence of this mystic on Islamic spirituality was second to none. Nevertheless, few in modern-day Spain have even heard of him. An account by Marian Brehmer
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Eco-Islam: Noor al-Hussein speaks out
Islam, faith and climate change
The Islamic Declaration on Climate Change, endorsed in August by Islamic scholars from around the world, calls on countries to phase out greenhouse gas emissions and switch to 100% renewable energy. With 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide, the collective statement sends a strong signal ahead of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit later this month, and the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. By Noor al-Hussein, Queen of Jordan
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German–Israeli–Palestinian research co-operation
Science in the shadow of war
The conflict in the Middle East has been making negative headlines in the international media for decades. Less attention is paid to initiatives in the region that specifically and deliberately bring people from the different sides of the conflict together, such as an academic project involving German, Israeli and Palestinian scientists. By Thomas Kramer