"Street Sounds: Listening to Everyday Life in Modern Egypt"
Egypt, and the "great clamour" of urban life
Middle East conflict
Flare-up between Israel and Hamas paints a bleak picture
Climate change in Bangladesh
The end of the line for climate migrants in Dhaka
Maghreb and the EU
Will medicinal cannabis become Morocco's no.1 export?

Ziad Fahmy's "Street Sounds"

Egypt, and the "great clamour" of urban life

In "Street Sounds", Ziad Fahmy offers the first historical examination of the changing soundscapes of urban Egypt, highlighting the mundane sounds of street life, while "listening" to the voices of ordinary people as they struggle with state authorities for ownership of the streets. In interview he explains his motivations and the value of such analysisRead more

Egyptian singer Dina El Wedidi: Hypnotic rail rhythmsInterview with Raphael Cormack: From dust to glory – the divas of Egypt’s roaring 20sMohamed Elshahed's "Cairo Since 1900": In pursuit of other modernismsQantara photo essay: Make way for Egyptʹs New Administrative Capital

Escalation in the Middle East

Flare-up between Israel and Hamas paints a bleak picture

A local row triggered by ultra-right wing Jewish settlers trying to secure the forced expulsion of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem has re-ignited hostilities in the Middle East. As the bombs and rockets fall on Gaza and Israel once again, there is seems little prospect of a swift end to the clashes. By Inge GuntherRead more

International calls for calm as Jerusalem violence escalatesJoseph Croitoru's "Al-Aqsa oder Tempelberg": Zeroing in on the Middle East conflictUnrest over Sheikh Jarrah: With Jerusalem on edge, Palestinian families face evictionCorey Gil-Shuster: Ask Israelis, ask Palestinians – beyond black and whiteQantara dossier: Israeli-Palestinian conflict
"I lost my first home twenty years ago when I was working as a fisherman," Alam explains, "Then, three years later, my second home was washed away by the river, and then the same happened to my third home seven months ago." Following the loss of his second home in Bhola, Alam began earning money with a bicycle rickshaw. He’s now pounding the pavements on his rickshaw to make a living in Dhaka.

Climate change in Bangladesh

The end of the line for climate migrants in Dhaka

Global heating is driving domestic migration in Bangladesh, which sits just above sea level. With a population of 160 million, it is the most densely populated nation in the world. Former fisherman Jahangir Alam, now a rickshaw driver in Dhaka, is one of a huge number of people who are fighting for their very existence. By Dominik MullerRead more

Tarik M. Quadir: "If we don’t pull together to save the earth, we will ‘sink’ together"Climate change and the West′s energy policy: Robbing the poorWater shortage in the Maghreb: Morocco's thirst revolution and the luxury of watermelonsThe Stream: Could climate change force a billion people to move?

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

Politics

Rocket fire from Gaza into Israel on 10 May 2021 (Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images Fired)

Escalation in the Middle East

Flare-up between Israel and Hamas paints a bleak picture

A local row triggered by ultra-right wing Jewish settlers trying to secure the forced expulsion of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem has re-ignited hostilities in the Middle East. As the bombs and rockets fall on Gaza and Israel once again, there is seems little prospect of a swift end to the clashes. By Inge GuntherMore

International calls for calm as Jerusalem violence escalatesJoseph Croitoru's "Al-Aqsa oder Tempelberg": Zeroing in on the Middle East conflictUnrest over Sheikh Jarrah: With Jerusalem on edge, Palestinian families face evictionCorey Gil-Shuster: Ask Israelis, ask Palestinians – beyond black and whiteQantara dossier: Israeli-Palestinian conflict
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 coronavirusEastern Mediterranean: Turkey and Greece at loggerheads over maritime sovereigntyMiddle 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
more Politics »

Society

Jahangir Alam and his wife Farida outside their slum dwelling in Dhaka, Bangladesh (photo: Dominik Muller)

Climate change in Bangladesh

The end of the line for climate migrants in Dhaka

Global heating is driving domestic migration in Bangladesh, which sits just above sea level. With a population of 160 million, it is the most densely populated nation in the world. Former fisherman Jahangir Alam, now a rickshaw driver in Dhaka, is one of a huge number of people who are fighting for their very existence. By Dominik MullerMore

Tarik M. Quadir: "If we don’t pull together to save the earth, we will ‘sink’ together"Climate change and the West′s energy policy: Robbing the poorWater shortage in the Maghreb: Morocco's thirst revolution and the luxury of watermelonsThe Stream: Could climate change force a billion people to move?
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"
more Society »

Culture

German philosopher Juergen Habermas (photo: Getty Images/AFP/L. Gouliamaki)

Habermas, the Sheikh Zayed Award and Arab reactions

Habermas and the contradictions of the Arab intellectual

Uproar, fuss and mutual accusation: following the German philosopher Juergen Habermas' rejection of the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the social media posts by those involved in the Arabic cultural scene covered a broad spectrum. Islam Anwar takes a look for QantaraMore

German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogueInterview with Islamic scholar Stefan Weidner: Thinking outside the Western boxNon-fiction: Pankaj Mishra's "Age of Anger": The embittered majority
Traffic at a Cairo intersection (source: YouTube screenshot)

Ziad Fahmy's "Street Sounds"

Egypt, and the "great clamour" of urban life

In "Street Sounds", Ziad Fahmy offers the first historical examination of the changing soundscapes of urban Egypt, highlighting the mundane sounds of street life, while "listening" to the voices of ordinary people as they struggle with state authorities for ownership of the streets. In interview he explains his motivations and the value of such analysisMore

Egyptian singer Dina El Wedidi: Hypnotic rail rhythmsInterview with Raphael Cormack: From dust to glory – the divas of Egypt’s roaring 20sMohamed Elshahed's "Cairo Since 1900": In pursuit of other modernismsQantara photo essay: Make way for Egyptʹs New Administrative Capital
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″
more Culture »

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Overshadowed by conflict: Ramadan has come to an end in the midst of escalating violence between Palestinians and Israelis. Still, about 100,000 Muslims came together on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on Thursday, according to media reports. The compound, which is home to the iconic Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque, is the third holiest site in Islam

Muslims celebrate Eid ul-Fitr as Ramadan ends

Ramadan, the Islamic holy month marked by fasting, has come to an end. Now Muslims are celebrating Eid al-Fitr despite the pandemic and violent conflicts. Here's a look at how some people are marking the festival. By Uta Steinwehr

Israel and Hamas: The war that shouldn’t have been

Destroyed buildings in Beit Hanun, northern Gaza (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Israel and Gaza are at war again. That may be nothing new, but it really wasn’t meant to happen this time, writes Neri Silber for NewlinesMore

Coronavirus in Egypt: No masks, no distancing

As Muslims around the world are celebrating the Eid ul-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, Egyptian authorities are worried that this week’s festivities could lead to a surge in cases as the world's most populous Arab nation experiences a third COVID-19 wave.More

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

Muslim artist designs stained glass windows for German abbey

Mahbuba Maqsoodi in front of her work: in 2018, Maqsoodi won an international competition to design the stained glass windows at Tholey. Now the abbey in Germany's oldest monastery is getting thirty-four windows designed by a Muslim woman

Muslim artist designs stained glass windows for German abbey

Afghan artist Mahbuba Maqsoodi redesigns the stained glass windows in Germany's oldest Catholic monastery, in Tholey (Saarland).

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