A speech by a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Guard recently caused speculation in Iran. Religious leader Khamenei has also dismissed Tehran's former police chief and replaced him with someone even more brutal, raising fears of further escalation. By Ali SadrzadehRead more
Morocco's regime continues to silence voices through censorship and arrest, apparently feeling vulnerable in the face of widespread popular criticism. Commentary by Abdellatif El HamamouchiRead more
India's ruling political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is inspired by the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Its core philosophy revolves around the idea of a predominantly Hindu India that seeks a global leadership role. By Suparna BanerjeeRead more
Relations between Turkey and Russia are ambivalent. Moscow is nonetheless trying to prop up the leadership in Ankara. Elections are to be held in Turkey in June – and the last thing Russia wants is Erdogan’s departure. By Burak UnverenRead more
A speech by a high-ranking member of the Revolutionary Guard recently caused speculation in Iran. Religious leader Khamenei has also dismissed Tehran's former police chief and replaced him with someone even more brutal, raising fears of further escalation. By Ali SadrzadehMore
The devaluation of the Egyptian pound combined with rising food prices is taking its toll on Egypt. More and more people are slipping into poverty. Karim El-Gawhary reports from CairoMore
Relations between Turkey and Russia are ambivalent. Moscow is nonetheless trying to prop up the leadership in Ankara. Elections are to be held in Turkey in June – and the last thing Russia wants is Erdogan’s departure. By Burak UnverenMore
Visiting the country of her parents, murdered by the Iranian regime in 1998, German-Iranian artist Parastou Forouhar finds a changed society: hopeful, strong and courageous, despite all the repressionMore
India's ruling political party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is inspired by the ideology of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Its core philosophy revolves around the idea of a predominantly Hindu India that seeks a global leadership role. By Suparna BanerjeeMore
Morocco's regime continues to silence voices through censorship and arrest, apparently feeling vulnerable in the face of widespread popular criticism. Commentary by Abdellatif El HamamouchiMore
Hindu fundamentalist Ashok Sharma has devoted his life to championing the deeds of an Indian "patriot": not revered independence hero Mahatma Gandhi, but the man who shot him deadMore
Since returning to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have steadily eroded the rights and opportunities of women and girls, particularly their access to education. But Afghans are not taking the regime's draconian policies lying down – and nor should the rest of the world. By Gordon Brown & Yasmine SherifMore
Abortions are illegal in Egypt unless they are necessary to save a married woman's life. But that doesn't stop local women from having one. Egyptian society needs to acknowledge this, activists say. By Diana HodaliMore
Young women are driving forward the protests against the Iranian regime, which have been going on for months. Literature provides clues as to why that should be, and why the current situation was unavoidable. By Gerrit WustmannMore
Giessen, Eichsfeld, Kusel, Berlin – cars bearing old German number plates are the latest trend on the streets of Cairo. Many Egyptians regard the discarded plates as chic. What counts is the small "D" on blue beneath the EU circle of stars. By Johannes SadekMore
Ballet performances are prohibited in Iran. In her film "1001 Nights Apart", director Sarvnaz Alambeigi documents the history of dance in the Islamic Republic. By Fahimeh FarsaieMore
Iraq bears the scars of decades of conflict and has seen its antiquities plundered, yet the House of Manuscripts' collection has managed to surviveMore
The poetry of Pir Sultan once prompted uprisings in the Ottoman Empire. To this day, Alevis identify with him. Rainer Hermann visited Mehmet Celebi, a direct descendant of the medieval bard, who lives in the house Pir Sultan built in a tiny mountain village in TurkeyMore
Since seizing power in mid-2021, the Taliban have continued to restrict the rights of Afghan women and girls. At the end of 2022, they banned women from attending higher education. By Nele Jensch
Islamic art – understanding the richness of the Muslim world
How is one to convey the history of Islamic images of Muhammad freed from today’s polarised politics? What are the challenges and pinch points of this particular academic endeavour?More
Favourite photo subject: Mosques around Europe
German-Danish photographer Eckhard Ahmed Krausen is fascinated by mosque architecture. The devout Muslim has photographed over 70 European mosques in this ongoing project.More
Tunisia milk market 'collapsing' as feed prices soar
A Tunisian farmer attaches a machine to a cow's udder and sets the pump whirring, but he only expects to fetch less than half the normal amount of milk amid soaring fodder pricesMore
Iran's 'death committee' president
Iran's president Ebrahim Raisi is overseeing an unyielding crackdown. The current situation grimly echoes his role in a purge of political prisoners in 1988More
Seven extraordinary Arab female modernists
A staunch champion of Arab women artists, Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi, founder of Barjeel Art Foundation, curates for Vogue Arabia the modernists who have left an indelible mark on the region and the worldMore
GIGA: Iran’s uprisings: A feminist foreign policy approach
The current uprisings in Iran following the death in police custody of Mahsa Jhina Amini, a young Kurdish woman, carry strong implications for states that have adopted a “feminist foreign policy” (FFP).More
Lahore’s maverick restauranteur
Welcome to Baking Virsa, a hole-in-the-wall in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore described as the country’s most expensive restaurant for what it serves – household favourites like flatbreads and kebabsMore
Oxford study on Muhammad's "underage" wife Aisha
New scholarship suggests the story of Islam's prophet marrying a minor is baseless propaganda fabricated for political and sectarian motives.More
