Political crisis in Lebanon
Time is running out for Saad Hariri
Islamism in Southeast Asia
Islamic State's latest breeding ground
Turkey isolated amid international pressure
Erdogan's captive audience
Iraqi author Usama Al Shahmani
ʺIn foreign lands, the trees speak Arabicʺ

Political crisis in Lebanon

Time is running out for Saad Hariri

In Lebanon, protests continue against the government. Prime Minister Saad Hariri has already lost a coalition partner. His power appears to be eroding. Diana Hodali reports from BeirutRead more

Lebanon's Hariri agrees reforms amid nationwide protests over economic crisis Social inequality in the Arab world: There is no state in LebanonLebanonʹs rubbish crisis and youth protests: "If not us, then who?"

Islamism in Southeast Asia

Islamic State's latest breeding ground

A recent knife attack on the security minister of Indonesia is a reminder of the danger of Islamist extremism in Southeast Asia. Security measures alone are not enough to combat radicalisation, say experts. By Rodion EbbighausenRead more

Religious intolerance: Vicious trend sweeps IndonesiaAbusing blasphemy legislation: Indonesia's slide towards identity politicsIslam in Indonesia: The agents of change

Turkey isolated amid international pressure

Erdogan's captive audience

Most Turkish citizens approve – to a greater or lesser extent – of their countryˈs incursion into Syria and are deeply irritated by the Westˈs apparent incomprehension of the situation on Turkeyˈs southern border. By Ayse KarabatRead more

Turkey's Syria offensive: Burying the Kurdish autonomy projectTalking Turkey: ″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″Syrian refugees: The burden of hospitality

Iraqi author Usama Al Shahmani

ʺIn foreign lands, the trees speak Arabicʺ

Usama Al Shahmani fled Iraq in 2002 and has since become a wanderer between worlds. He taught himself German and now works as a translator and cultural mediator in Switzerland. In his novel, he describes how hiking helped him process the loss of his homeland. By Volker KaminskiRead more

Sinan Antoon′s ″The Baghdad Eucharist″: Fading under fireNahidh al-Ramadhani's "The Hope Vendor": A successive shattering of dreamsShahad al-Rawiʹs "The Baghdad Clock": Romance and sanctions in ʹ90s IraqRomance and sanctions in ʹ90s Iraq

Politics

Anti-government protests in Lebanon (photo: picture-alliance/AP)

Political crisis in Lebanon

Time is running out for Saad Hariri

In Lebanon, protests continue against the government. Prime Minister Saad Hariri has already lost a coalition partner. His power appears to be eroding. Diana Hodali reports from BeirutMore

Lebanon's Hariri agrees reforms amid nationwide protests over economic crisis Social inequality in the Arab world: There is no state in LebanonLebanonʹs rubbish crisis and youth protests: "If not us, then who?"
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a crowd (photo: picture-alliance/AA/A. Coskun)

Turkey isolated amid international pressure

Erdogan's captive audience

Most Turkish citizens approve – to a greater or lesser extent – of their countryˈs incursion into Syria and are deeply irritated by the Westˈs apparent incomprehension of the situation on Turkeyˈs southern border. By Ayse KarabatMore

Turkey's Syria offensive: Burying the Kurdish autonomy projectTalking Turkey: ″What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all″Syrian refugees: The burden of hospitality
Kurdish YPG fighter in Kobani (photo: picture-alliance/Photoshot/J. Raa)

Turkey's Syria offensive

Burying the Kurdish autonomy project

When the Kurds of Syria came under Turkish fire less than ten days ago, the Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was left with no choice but to call on Assad for help. Thus ends a political project that many hailed as a model for the future order of Syria. But, as Ulrich von Schwerin points out, it was a project built on very shaky foundationsMore

Syria and the war against IS: Strange bedfellowsThe Turkish-Kurdish conflict: Friend and foeThe future of a people: Good Kurd, bad Kurd
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo giving a press conference on 13 June 2019 following oil tanker attacks in the Persian Gulf (photo: picture-alliance/AP)

Maximum pressure and asymmetrical tactics

Dangerous shifts in the U.S.-Iranian stand-off

As the United States and Iran face off in the Persian Gulf, their asymmetric conflict risks spiralling out of control. Unless the rest of the world gets involved, the dangerous game both countries are playing could end in direct confrontation. Analysis by Volker PerthesMore

Israeli attacks on bases in Iraq: Is war with Iran on the horizon?Europe's policies in the Middle East: Late-colonial convulsionsEconomic crisis in Iraq: Trump's Iran embargo impacts Iraqis
more Politics »

Society

Conservative Muslims protest in Jakarta (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/EPA)

Islamism in Southeast Asia

Islamic State's latest breeding ground

A recent knife attack on the security minister of Indonesia is a reminder of the danger of Islamist extremism in Southeast Asia. Security measures alone are not enough to combat radicalisation, say experts. By Rodion EbbighausenMore

Religious intolerance: Vicious trend sweeps IndonesiaAbusing blasphemy legislation: Indonesia's slide towards identity politicsIslam in Indonesia: The agents of change
Star of David on the roof of the synagogue in Halle/Saale (photo dpa/picture-alliance)

Right-wing extremism

Halle, Christchurch… a network of "lone wolves"

Ongoing investigations into the Halle attack have so far concluded that the right-wing extremist attacker acted alone. But "lone wolves" are anything but isolated. By Sandra Petersmann and Naomi ConradMore

Against hate and exclusion: For a new co-existenceGerman pianist Igor Levit dedicates award to victims of far-right terror Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Europe: The eternal Muslim
Portrait photo of the Palestinian-American cultural critic Edward Said taken in 1999 (photo: picture-alliance/akg)

Father of post-colonial studies

Edward Said – exiled between cultures

When people think of Edward Said, the first thing that generally comes to mind is his criticism of Orientalism. As a result, the theme of exile – which played no less significant a role in Said's writing and life – is often overlooked. By Tarek AzizehMore

Essay by Adania Shibli: Recalling Edward Said's thought todayEdward Said's "Orientalism" in Arab discourse: Instrumentalised on all sidesWestern involvement in the Middle East: A rotten legacy
Poster calling for the release of German journalist Deniz Yucel, arrested in Turkey in 2017 (photo: picture-alliance/rtn)

Held hostage by the Turkish authorities

Deniz Yucel, the "agent terrorist"

Former correspondent for Germany's "Die Welt" Deniz Yucel comes to terms with his imprisonment in Turkey in an intimate new book. Impressively and humorously, he talks about his struggle for dignity and self-assertion and provides an insight into the debates behind the scenes. Nevertheless, some questions remain unanswered. By Ulrich von SchwerinMore

Release of German journalist Deniz Yucel: It′s not over yetViolence against journalists increasing: Press freedom under fire in TurkeyInterview with Sanem Altan, daughter of Turkish detainee Ahmet Altan: ″The rule of law is disappearing″
more Society »

Culture

Still from Nouri Bouzidʹs ʺThe Scarecrowsʺ (source: official Facebook page)

Film review: Nouri Bouzidʹs ʺThe Scarecrowsʺ

Making amends is one path to healing

In his new film, award-winning Tunisian director Nouri Bouzid grapples with the traumas of women held captive by Islamist extremists, victims of the so-called ʺsexual jihadʺ in Syria. Bouzid also weighs in on the moral hypocrisy of Tunisian society, as it struggles to deal with those who have returned. By Adela LovricMore

Trauma in contemporary Arab literature: Translating oblivionMohamed Ben Attiaʹs "Dear Son": O Sami, my son, my sonThe IS manifesto for women: Baiting the jihadi bridesA new start for jihadists? Tunisiaʹs bid to rehabilitate its returnees
Iraqi author Usama Al Shahmani (photo: Limmat Verlag/Ayse Yavas)

Iraqi author Usama Al Shahmani

ʺIn foreign lands, the trees speak Arabicʺ

Usama Al Shahmani fled Iraq in 2002 and has since become a wanderer between worlds. He taught himself German and now works as a translator and cultural mediator in Switzerland. In his novel, he describes how hiking helped him process the loss of his homeland. By Volker KaminskiMore

Sinan Antoon′s ″The Baghdad Eucharist″: Fading under fireNahidh al-Ramadhani's "The Hope Vendor": A successive shattering of dreamsShahad al-Rawiʹs "The Baghdad Clock": Romance and sanctions in ʹ90s IraqRomance and sanctions in ʹ90s Iraq
Tomb of the Persion poet Hafez in Shiraz, Iran (source: Wikimedia)

Book review: Stefan Weidner's ʺ1001 Books. The Literatures of the Orientʺ

The Middle East – a rich vein of world literature

Recently published in German, Stefan Weidner's new book issues an invitation to all those who would like to be better acquainted with the literature of the Middle East – a profoundly fascinating journey through the works of Arab, Persian and Turkish authors. By Gerrit WustmannMore

Goethe anniversary: Orient and OccidentGoethe and the Orient: Why did the poet's mind wander to far-off climes?Translations of classical Islamic literature: From the emotional Orient to the distortion of Islam
Deceased Kuwaiti author Ismail Fahd Ismail (source: screenshot; Facebook)

Book review: Ismail Fahd Ismail’s "The Old Woman and the River"

Hemingway, eat your heart out!

Part desert-island novel, part war story, part ‘Don Quixote’ and part folktale, the last novel by Kuwaiti writer Ismail Fahd Ismail (1940-2018) brings us the Iran-Iraq war through the eyes of a wise old fool. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the bookMore

Book review: Shahad al-Rawiʹs "The Baghdad Clock": Romance and sanctions in ʹ90s IraqLiterature versus reality: Author Mansoura Ez-Eldin: Chasing fata morganasRethinking world literature: The Arabic novel in non-Western eyes
more Culture »

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Left on their own: the Kurds in Syria opted to side neither with the regime nor the opposition after the civil war broke out in 2011. Now they stand alone, besieged and with no one to back them since their American allies withdrew

Syria's Kurds between hope and fear

Photojournalist Karlos Zurutuza travelled through the northern Syrian border area following the Turkish invasion. He met families on the run and lonely men left behind in the villages.

What future for the Kurds?

What will happen next to the Kurds in northern Syria? All of the parties to the conflict - the Americans, Assad’s regime, Russia, Iran and Turkey, Kurds - have their own agendas for the war-torn region. But what do the Kurds themselves think about their future?More

Egyptian activist and journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah arrested

Egyptian activist and journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah (photo: Reuters)

According to human rights activists in Cairo, 41-year-old blogger and journalist Esraa Abdel Fattah, another prominent activist who played a key role in the 2011 revolution, was arrested on Saturday.More

The EU should end its acquiescence to Sisi’s policies

Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, United States on 24 September 2019 (photo: Reuters/L. Jackson)

The recent re-emergence of public protest should remind the European Union that Abdul Fattah al-Sisi's policies do not provide a basis for long-term stability. It is high time that Europe pressed for a course correction and called out repression.More

Jamal Khashoggi's last column: What the Arab world needs most is free expression

A group of people hold pictures of missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi during a demonstration in front of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington on 8 October 2018 (photo: picture-alliance/AA/S. Allahverd)

Karen Attiah, The Washington Postʹs Global Opinions editor: "I received this column from Jamal Khashoggi’s translator and assistant the day after Jamal was reported missing in Istanbul… It perfectly captures his commitment and passion for freedom in the Arab world. A freedom he apparently gave his life for."More

Pakistani poet Yusra Amjad challenges societal convention

Using a combination of poetry and narrative, Pakistani poet Yusra Amjad talks about her compatriots' perception of the institution of marriage.More

Western Sahara activist Aminatou Haidar wins Right Livelihood Award

West Saharan human rights activist Aminatou Haider (photo: Right Livelihood Foundation)

Over 30 years of peaceful campaigning for the independence of her homeland Western Sahara have earned Aminatou Haidar the byname “Sahrawi Gandhi”. Her dignity and resolve make her one of the most respected leaders among the Sahrawis.More

Museums programme in Australia brings faiths together

Girls taking part in the "Museums Together" initiative (photo: Marie-Luise Skibbe)

An innovative new programme – Museums Together – is bringing together students from Melbourne’s Jewish and Islamic communities to build bridges and foster respect and acceptance.More

Where to now for the Rohingyas?

Failing in its repeated attempts to persuade them to return to Myanmar, the Bangladeshi government is now planning to relocate 100,000 Rohingyas to the remote island of Bhasan Char, very possibly against their will.More

Discrimination: Welcome to Europe?

Discrimination: Welcome to Europe? (source: Deutsche Welle)

For Aiham Issa, a Syrian refugee in Germany, hardly a day goes by when he doesn’t experience discrimination. He is not alone. Across Europe migrants, refugees and their descendants are reporting an increase in xenophobia. These are some of their stories.More

Freedom of speech under attack in India

Siddharth Varadarajan, a founding editor of The Wire and former editor of The Hindu, gives the 2019 Reuters Memorial Lecture on 18 February 2019.More