Maghreb and the EU
Will medicinal cannabis become Morocco's no.1 export?
Unrest over Sheikh Jarrah
With Jerusalem on edge, Palestinian families face eviction
Ankara’s Maghreb moment
Advancing Turkey's economic, energy, and military aims
A triumph for discourse
Juergen Habermas' rejection of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award

Maghreb and the EU

Will medicinal cannabis become Morocco's no.1 export?

A law is currently being debated in Morocco that would legalise the cultivation and export of medicinal cannabis. For many small farmers, this would bring considerable advantages. But the bill is controversial. By Cathrin SchaerRead more

Attempts to decriminalise hashish in the Arab world: To legalise or not to legaliseAfghanistan's opium trade: A nice little earner – for everyoneDrug dealing in Lebanon: At home with a drug baron

Unrest over Sheikh Jarrah

With Jerusalem on edge, Palestinian families face eviction

Renewed protests and violent clashes with Israeli security forces at the weekend have prompted the court hearing scheduled for 10 May to be postponed. Yet it remains unclear what the final outcome for four Palestinian families facing eviction by Jewish settler organisations in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah will be. By Tania KraemerRead more

Omri Boehm: The Haifa Republic – full equality for Middle East peace"The First 54 Years": A "manual for the occupation"Joseph Croitoru's "Al-Aqsa oder Tempelberg": Zeroing in on the Middle East conflict

Politics

Hoping to make a legal profit: a Moroccan farmer packages cannabis seeds (photo: Fadel Senna/Getty Images/AFP)

Maghreb and the EU

Will medicinal cannabis become Morocco's no.1 export?

A law is currently being debated in Morocco that would legalise the cultivation and export of medicinal cannabis. For many small farmers, this would bring considerable advantages. But the bill is controversial. By Cathrin SchaerMore

Attempts to decriminalise hashish in the Arab world: To legalise or not to legaliseAfghanistan's opium trade: A nice little earner – for everyoneDrug dealing in Lebanon: At home with a drug baron
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends a ceremony at the Algerian Martyrs monument in Algiers, Algeria, 26 February 2018 (photo: Kayhan Ozer/Pool Photo via AP)

Ankara’s Maghreb moment

Advancing Turkey's economic, energy, and military aims

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, disappointed by the European Union’s reluctance to integrate Turkey into its ranks, has re-directed his country’s diplomacy toward the Maghreb and Africa to expand Turkey’s sway in the Mediterranean, writes Dalia GhanemMore

Mask diplomacy and power politics: Erdogan's foreign policy in the shadow of coronavirusEscalation or mediation in the Eastern Med? Turkey and Greece at loggerheads over maritime sovereigntyInterview with Middle East analyst Stephan Roll: "Egypt's leadership feels markedly threatened by Turkey"Turkey seeks its role in the Middle East: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy rethink
Philosopher and sociologist Juergen Habermas expresses his gratitude for the Heine Prize in Düsseldorf (North Rhine-Westphalia) on 14 December 2012 (photo: dpa)

A triumph for discourse

Juergen Habermas' rejection of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award

After at first agreeing to accept the grand prize as "Cultural Personality of the Year" in the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Juergen Habermas then decided to decline the honour. A commentary by Reinhard SchulzeMore

German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogue Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Why has Juergen Habermas rejected a prize from the UAE?Interview with Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf: Petrodollars proved stronger in the Middle East than cultural traditionQantara dossier: Dialogue of Cultures
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif (photo: FARS/M. Bolourian)

Power politics in Iran

Fallout from Mohammed Javad Zarif's political bombshell

An interview by Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif has provoked outrage in Iran. In it, Zarif criticised the Revolutionary Guards' destructive role in both the nuclear agreement and the Syrian war. Ali Sadrzadeh has the detailsMore

Charting the history of Iran sanctions: The Islamic Republic's never-ending labour painsReconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar: A turning point for the whole Middle East?Iran′s image in the Arab world: Conservative regime and open-minded society
more Politics »

Society

The sleepy neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem (photo: Tania Kraemer/DW)

Unrest over Sheikh Jarrah

With Jerusalem on edge, Palestinian families face eviction

Renewed protests and violent clashes with Israeli security forces at the weekend have prompted the court hearing scheduled for 10 May to be postponed. Yet it remains unclear what the final outcome for four Palestinian families facing eviction by Jewish settler organisations in the east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah will be. By Tania KraemerMore

Omri Boehm: The Haifa Republic – full equality for Middle East peace"The First 54 Years": A "manual for the occupation"Joseph Croitoru's "Al-Aqsa oder Tempelberg": Zeroing in on the Middle East conflict
Archive photo of sociologist and philosopher Juergen Habermas (photo: Janine Schmitz/photothek/imago images)

German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award

Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogue

Philosopher Juergen Habermas was due to be awarded a major Arab prize in Abu Dhabi, but has turned it down following criticism. This decision torpedoes Arab efforts at a substantive cultural dialogue and exposes the West’s moral hubris, says Stefan WeidnerMore

Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Why has Juergen Habermas rejected a prize from the UAE?Juergen Habermas awarded Kluge Prize for Philosophy: ″Asylum is a human right″Qantara dossier: Dialogue of cultures
Symbolic image: media in Turkey (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Social media in Turkey

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's monitoring of the digital realm

Having taken control of the traditional media, Turkish President Erdogan is now extending his reach to the social networks. A new law has been passed to rein in major digital players Twitter and Google. But the government's attempt to dominate public opinion is producing some bizarre outgrowths, reports Ronald Meinardus from IstanbulMore

Turkey's failing justice system: Desperate for justice, Turks resort to trial by TwitterPress freedom in Turkey: President Erdogan tightens the noose around social mediaTurkey′s media crackdown: No freedom. No press.Violence against journalists increasing: Press freedom under fire in TurkeyCoronavirus and press freedom in Turkey: Erdogan's crusade against "all media and political viruses"
MoMA exhibition shows how urban planning fosters social division (photo: courtesy of the artist /The Museum of Modern Art New York)

MoMA: Racism in U.S. urban planning

The role of architecture in America's systemic racism

Ghettos and gentrification: the latest MoMA exhibition in New York shows how urban planning promotes social division and takes a critical look at "racist" architecture. Sertan Sanderson reportsMore

The Arter, art and gentrification: Modern art makeover in Istanbul?Interview with German anthropologist Dieter Haller: "Freedom of speech has long been empty rhetoric"Qantara dossier: Gentrification
more Society »

Culture

British author Isabella Hammad (photo: Ula Soltys)

Isabella Hammad on "The Parisian"

"Palestinians need to set the terms of their own liberation"

Isabella Hammad’s "The Parisian" is an engaging and accomplished debut based on the life of her great-grandfather. Set during the end of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Palestinian nationalism, it is a classic coming-of-age novel. In interview with Schayan Riaz, the young British author with Palestinian roots talks about racism, the publishing world and giving a voice to PalestiniansMore

Sari Nusseibeh: A Palestinian looks back: The life of "others"Ghassan Zaqtan's "Describing the past": The vapours of memoryInterview with Palestinian American writer Susan Abulhawa: ″Literature is a facet of society″Palestinian feature film "Eyes of a Thief": A political family drama
Juergen Habermas at the John W. Kluge Prize award ceremony in Washington in 2015 (photo: Shawn Miller)

Sheikh Zayed Book Award

Why has Juergen Habermas rejected a prize from the UAE?

At nearly 92, Juergen Habermas is still advocating for a robust and transparent civil society. Now Germany's greatest living intellectual has rejected a book award from the United Arab Emirates. Stuart Braun has the detailsMore

German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogue Juergen Habermas awarded Kluge Prize for Philosophy: ″Asylum is a human right″
The Egyptian series "El-Ekhteyar 2" was created by a production company with close ties to the military - and promotes a narrative to match (photo: ON TV)

Mass propaganda in Egypt

"El-Ekhteyar 2" – twisting the facts for President Sisi

The Egyptian series "El-Ekhteyar 2" was created by a production company with close ties to the military – and pursues a corresponding narrative. Moritz Baumstieger explains how the series, which was broadcast in time for Ramadan, takes its own unique approach to historical factsMore

Social utopia on the Nile? Sisiʹs new breed of EgyptiansEgyptʹs political future: Generalissimo SisiSisi regime propaganda: Egypt's people – nothing but a burden and a nuisanceThe role of film-makers in the new Egypt: Revolution on screen
Illustration by Deloupy from "Algeriennes", story by Swann Meralli, translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger (published in English by Pennsylvania State University Press)

"Algeriennes" by Swann Meralli and Deloupy

The bravery and resilience of Algeria's "mujahidates"

Using a graphic novel to address a contentious issue like the Algerian war of independence may seem an odd choice, but new release "Algeriennes", translated into English by Ivanka Hahnenberger, defies any preconceptions you may have about the genre's limitations. Richard Marcus read the bookMore

Alice Zeniter's "L'Art de perdre": Rediscovering a lost chapter of (family) historySixty years since the beginning of the Algerian war: National fronts?Algerian cinema: Young, rebellious and full of beansJoseph Andras′ ″De nos freres blesses″: A shameful chapter
more Culture »

Foreign Affairs: "Paradigm Lost" – From two-state solution to one-state reality

Cover section of Ian S. Lustick's "Paradigm Lost"; Ian S. Lustick (source: University of Pennsylvania Press):

Once a supporter of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Ian S. Lustick now deems that goal a deceptively Solomonic, and often disingenuous, approach to avoiding a "one-state reality". Lisa Anderson read the bookMore

Hundreds hurt in Al-Aqsa clashes on Jerusalem Day

Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday, as Israel marks Jerusalem Day amid heightened tensions over the threatened eviction of Palestinians from an East Jerusalem neighbourhood.More

Eid Mubarak!

Islam's holiest month: every year, millions of practicing Muslims across the world fast, pray and give alms in observance of Ramadan, which began in 2019 on 5 May and ended on the evening of 4 June

Eid Mubarak!

Ramadan is regarded as a special time of spiritual discipline and purification by millions of practicing Muslims across the globe. The month-long fast is marked by local traditions and holy rituals alike. By Lewis Sanders

India’s teens pitch in on social media during COVID crisis

Mobile phone interface showing socail media apps (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/W. Kastl)

The collapse of the healthcare system during the latest COVID-19 surge has driven desperate Indians to seek help on social media. As adults struggle to cope with medical shortages, India’s wired youths are doing their bit to help – and getting lessons on resilience, initiative and the constructive power of the Internet. By Leela JacintoMore

FINO: Forum Islam and Middle East

Forum Islam and Middle East (FINO); Universty of Bern logo (source: https://www.fino.unibe.ch/)

The Forum Islam and Middle East (FINO) was established at the University of Berne in 2018 and sees itself as a transdisciplinary competence centre for documentation, knowledge transfer and academic services in the field of Islam and the Middle East (IME).More

Global Village Space: Pakistan, and why nations radicalise

Anti-French protest in Pakistan following the arrest of Saad Rizvi (photo: AFP)

Discussing Dr. Shoaib Pervez’s latest book "Radicalization in Pakistan: A Critical Perspective", Farah Adeed probes the origins of collective societal radicalisation in Pakistan.More

DW honours Nigerian reporter Tobore Ovuorie for defending the voiceless

Nigerian investigative reporter and DW's 2021 Freedom of Speech Award winner Tobore Ovuorie (photo: Elvis Okhifa/DW)

Tobore Ovuorie is DW's 2021 Freedom of Speech Award winner. The investigative journalist's undercover work has given a voice to those hushed in Nigerian society. Her courage almost cost her her life.More

ARTE documentary: Looking at the rights of women

While inequalities with men are fading in many areas and speech is becoming freer with movements like #MeToo​, there is still a long way to go on many fronts. From Saudi Arabia, where women have only recently gained basic freedoms, to Afghanistan, where the return of the Taliban threatens the fragile progress of girls' education.More

"Iberian Moorings" compares Muslim and Jewish golden ages

Casa de Sefarad, Cordoba (photo: Zarateman, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Known to Jews, Muslims, and Christians by three different names – Sefarad, al-Andalus, and Hispania, respectively – the Iberian Peninsula has been a centre of fertile intellectual, cultural and spiritual production for multiple religious traditions.More