On 20 November 1979, Islamic militants took over the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. Hundreds were killed in the ensuing two-week siege. This pivotal event in modern Islamic history changed Saudi Arabia. It provides the backdrop for Raja Alem's new novel "Sarab", an extraordinary story of love, faith, violence and gender. By Marcia Lynx QualeyRead more
By rushing out of Syria now, the Trump administration is ceding the field to Russia, Turkey and Iran, all but guaranteeing another regional conflagration in the near future. By leading a new diplomatic effort to end the conflict and begin reconstruction, Trump could both extricate the US from the conflict and help stabilise the region. By Charles A. Kupchan and Sinan ÜlgenRead more
Three years after the failed coup, it's not victory fanfares sounding for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but alarm bells. Can Dündar, former editor-in-chief of the Turkish newspaper "Cumhuriyet", on the day that changed everythingRead more
With "Piccola Sicilia", Daniel Speck proves himself to be a great storyteller and intercultural bridge builder. This family saga also spotlights a little-known chapter of Tunisian history: the German occupation of the country in 1942/1943 and the fate of Tunisia's Jews. By Martina SabraRead more
Three years after the failed coup, it's not victory fanfares sounding for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but alarm bells. Can Dündar, former editor-in-chief of the Turkish newspaper "Cumhuriyet", on the day that changed everythingMore
By rushing out of Syria now, the Trump administration is ceding the field to Russia, Turkey and Iran, all but guaranteeing another regional conflagration in the near future. By leading a new diplomatic effort to end the conflict and begin reconstruction, Trump could both extricate the US from the conflict and help stabilise the region. By Charles A. Kupchan and Sinan ÜlgenMore
On 16 June, Quebecʹs National Assembly passed Bill 21, a controversial law banning certain public servants from wearing religious symbols at work. Combined with tougher immigration laws introduced by the Francophone region, this would seem to indicate that part, if not all, of Canada is shifting inexorably to the right. By Richard MarcusMore
Following weeks of unrest, the governing military council and protest movement in Sudan have reached agreement over a transitional administration. But scepticism remains over whether the military will actually cede powerMore
With "Piccola Sicilia", Daniel Speck proves himself to be a great storyteller and intercultural bridge builder. This family saga also spotlights a little-known chapter of Tunisian history: the German occupation of the country in 1942/1943 and the fate of Tunisia's Jews. By Martina SabraMore
In a Jordanian clinic, doctors have been treating patients from across the Middle East for more than a decade. It's a place that has seen the suffering caused by five wars. Philipp Breu paid the hospital a visitMore
Iran is home to the largest Jewish community in the Muslim world. Jan Schneider visited the Jewish Musazadeh family in Tehran to share in their Sabbath celebrationsMore
This August nine hundred representatives from 17 religions will attend a major conference in Lindau on Lake Constance. The goals: foster dialogue and promote peace initiatives. By Christoph StrackMore
On 20 November 1979, Islamic militants took over the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. Hundreds were killed in the ensuing two-week siege. This pivotal event in modern Islamic history changed Saudi Arabia. It provides the backdrop for Raja Alem's new novel "Sarab", an extraordinary story of love, faith, violence and gender. By Marcia Lynx QualeyMore
In her fifth novel, French author Alice Zeniter addresses some very thorny and painful issues in the history of Franco-Algerian relations. Demonstrating a profound knowledge of the subject matter, Zeniter's novel highlights the lot of the Harkis, Algerian Muslims who fought on the side of the French in the Algerian War of Independence. Claudia Kramatschek read the bookMore
Interest in the Iraqi-Jewish cultural heritage is growing – both in Israel and Iraq. Novels in which emigrants and their children evoke the lost world of their forefathers are proving especially popular. By Joseph CroitoruMore
Twelve artists from different nations were invited to participate in the long-term project "This Place". The goal was to explore Israel from a personal perspective. Their photographs and video installations can now be viewed at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. By Heike MundMore
Women have been the driving force behind the months of protest that resulted in the ousting of Sudan's long-term president, Omar al-Bashir, in a coup d'état. They continue to protest for peaceful change and are willing to accept great hardships along the way.
Did the Iranian revolution fulfill its promises?
According to the well-known Tehran political science professor, Sadegh Zibakalam, if Iran were to hold a referendum on the Islamic Republic today, over 70% would clearly oppose it. Forty years on from the foundation of the Islamic Republic, Ali Fathollah-Nejad revisits the promises of the revolution to explore why this is the case.More
How to be a Muslim woman: Muslim women face the same challenges as other women of faith
In the fourth episode of her podcast for BBC Radio 4, Sayeeda Warsi speaks to Julie Siddiqi about being a British Muslim woman, and why endless discussions about the burka stop more important conversations from taking place.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
Chatham House reports on conflict economies in the Middle East and North Africa
Analysis of the violence that has struck the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the past two decades has focussed predominantly on ideological and identity-based factors. This report expands the discourse by incorporating approaches adopted from the literature on the political economy of war to examine the conflict economies of Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen.More
Assad regime co-opts aid to serve loyalists
The Syrian government is co-opting humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance, Human Rights Watch said on Friday, urging donors and investors to ensure that funding is going to the right place.More
Re-educating the Uighurs in Xinjiang
The BBC gains rare access to the vast system of highly secure facilities thought to be holding more than a million Muslims in China’s western region of Xinjiang.More
"Perspectives" online magazine
" Perspectives" is the new multimedia online magazine of the Goethe Institutes in the region of North Africa and the Middle East. In cooperation with Qantara.de, monothematic dossiers are published quarterly in Arabic, German, English and French.More
Asma Afsaruddin: Contemporary Muslims and the challenge of modernity
Contrary to popular belief, Muslims are firmly a part of the modern world and are grappling with the challenges of modernity in myriad ways. Many of them are navigating modernity’s sometimes uncharted waters with creativity and imagination, re-engaging with their tradition and revisiting their history.More
The German Islam Scholar Lamya Kaddor
Why I as a Muslim Woman Don't Wear a Headscarf
Jordan and the influx of refugees
The true Samaritans
Muslims in Liberal Democracies
Why the West Fears Islam
The decline of Islamic scientific thought
Don't blame it on al-Ghazali
The Media and ''The Innocence of Muslims''
Against the Islamisation of Muslims
Junaid Jamshed
"I Was a Sinner for Years"