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Dialogue of Cultures | Intercultural Dialogue

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Book review: Hassan Blasim's "God 99"

A different sort of sacred

Reading Hassan Blasim's God 99 is an immersive experience of grief and exaltation, anger and disgust, writes Marcia Lynx Qualey. We join the Iraqi narrator as he sits around in seedy Finnish bars and plays slot machines; as he meets refugees and listens to their stories; as he exchanges letters with a dying friend; and as he crosses a kaleidoscopic series of bordersRead more

Trauma in contemporary Arab literature: Translating oblivion Previously unpublished work: Naguib Mahfouz' "The Quarter"Book review: Hassan Blasim's "The Corpse Exhibition"

Iran's 2021 presidential elections

Iran's elite politicians ignore the burning social issues

Despite promises to the contrary, the social and economic situation in Iran deteriorated under President Rouhani, prompting two nationwide revolts in recent years. Yet the social question continues to be neglected by all factions of the elite. Meanwhile the country urgently needs social reform. By Ali Fathollah-Nejad and Arash SarkohiRead more

Power politics in Iran: Fallout from Mohammed Javad Zarif's political bombshell Iranian Faezeh Hashemi, Rafsanjani's daughter, speaks out: Will the Islamic Republic ever get a female president?Charting the history of Iran sanctions: The Islamic Republic's never-ending labour pains Book review: Narges Bajoghli's "Iran Reframed": Glossy nationalism to win over Iran's youth

Young migrants arriving in Ceuta, 19 May 2021

Underage migrants stranded in Spain

The lost children of Ceuta and the "warehouses of shame"

Hundreds of minors are stranded in the Spanish enclave. They can neither return to Morocco nor travel on to Europe. Many are hiding out of mistrust of the police. Karin Janker reports from MadridRead more

MEP Dietmar Koester on Fortress Europe: "The EU allows human rights to be trampled underfoot"Crisis between Morocco and Germany: Western Sahara, source of strife among would-be partners Spain accuses Morocco of "blackmail" over sudden influx of migrants to Ceuta

16 May 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands: a Black woman seen holding a placard over her head against colonialism during a demonstration. In Amsterdam thousands of Dutch people gathered at the Dam Square in Amsterdam to condemn the Israeli attacks and the forced evictions of Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem.

Israeli-Palestinian dialogue

Israel, Palestine – and nuance as the moral imperative

As someone accustomed to presenting his country to interested outsiders, Israeli teacher and tour guide Noam Yatsiv makes the case for a more nuanced appreciation of the historical circumstances in Israel/Palestine, deeming it a "moral obligation" of European observersRead more

Arabs and Jews in Israel: You can't tear us apart Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm: The Haifa Republic – full equality for Middle East peace Interview with Israeli peace activist Uri Avnery: ''Israel needs peace, not settlements''

Politics

Israeli-Palestinian dialogue

Israel, Palestine – and nuance as the moral imperative

Brahim Ghali in hospital in Algiers (photo: Algerian Presidency/AP Photo/picture-alliance)

Crisis between Morocco and Germany

Western Sahara, source of strife among would-be partners

Morocco and the European Union are at cross purposes when it comes to the Western Sahara. And, as Germany does not support Moroccan claims to the territory, a major conflict has arisen between the two countries. And the German-Moroccan crisis is getting expensive – for both sides, as Hans-Christian Roessler reportsMore

Western Sahara territorial dispute: New African consulates cause trouble for Western Sahara Qantara photo essay: The conflict in Western Sahara – the eternal wait Western Sahara conflict: The curse of resources Al Boraq, M6 and neo-liberalism: Morocco's fast-track development programme bypasses many

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (photo: Reuters/PPO/M.Cetinmuhurdar)

How much longer till Turkey's elections?

President under pressure – Erdogan's popularity nosedive

Turkey's parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for June 2023. But they are already casting a shadow. While the opposition is calling for early elections, President Erdogan is insisting on holding the elections in the highly symbolic year of 2023. For right now, his ratings are poor. Ronald Meinardus reports from IstanbulMore

Social media in Turkey: Recep Tayyip Erdogan's monitoring of the digital realm Coronavirus and press freedom in Turkey: Erdogan's crusade against "all media and political viruses"Erdogan and Turkish foreign policy: Neo-Ottoman rumblings Turkey and northern Syria: Recep Tayyip Erdogan's deadly serious colonial project

The seven presidential candidates approved by Iran's Council of Guardians, on the far right Ebrahim Raisi, favourite to win

Iran's 2021 presidential elections

Iran's elite politicians ignore the burning social issues

Society

Young migrants arriving in Ceuta, 19 May 2021 (photo: Bernat Armangue/AP Photo/picture alliance)

Underage migrants stranded in Spain

The lost children of Ceuta and the "warehouses of shame"

Hundreds of minors are stranded in the Spanish enclave. They can neither return to Morocco nor travel on to Europe. Many are hiding out of mistrust of the police. Karin Janker reports from MadridMore

View of Tangier's harbour promenade (photo: Karima Ahdad)

COVID-19 fallout in Morocco

Tangiers' economic boom – few winners and many losers

Business in the Moroccan city of Tangiers is booming due to its location at the nexus of global trade routes. But many locals are failing to reap the benefits. What they crave most is the resumption of international tourism and the attendant influx of revenue. Stefanie Claudia Muller reports from TangiersMore

Tangiers, Morocco: Of myths and modernity Interview with German anthropologist Dieter Haller: "Freedom of speech has long been empty rhetoric"Tangiers takes centre stage: Renaissance of the "White City"Crisis between Morocco and Germany: Western Sahara, source of strife among would-be partners

September 2014: demonstration against anti-Semitism in Berlin (photo: Reuters/Thomas Peter)

Debate about anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict

Dissidence and the Jewish diaspora

Jewish voices are much more diverse than the public often sees. Jewish men and women who oppose the injustice of Israeli occupation in the West Bank deserve our respect and protection against defamation, writes Charlotte WiedemannMore

Anti-Semitism: Separating anti-Semitism from criticism of Israel Interview with Amos Oz: ''I love Israel even in times when I don't like it''Hagit Ofran of Peace Now: The Zionist still holding a candle for peace and equality Breaking the Silence: The ″turncoat″ sons of Israel

Vigil for the recent Middle East conflict in Marburg (photo: Oliver Pieper/DW)

Co-existence and the Middle East conflict

Jews and Muslims find common ground in small-town Germany

An unusual organisation brings Jews and Muslims together to fight hate and promote dialogue. In the small central German city of Marburg they have been jointly calling for an end to the violence in the Middle East. Oliver Pieper reportsMore

Anti-Semitism: Separating anti-Semitism from criticism of Israel Jews and Muslims in dialogue: "Jews are being used to create anti-Muslim feeling"Muslim anti-Semitism: Pointing the finger

Culture

30.05.2017., Zagreb, Croatia - The European Short Story Festival - Reading and FESS Short Story Award Ceremony. Hassan Blasim (photo: Tomislav Miletic/PIXSELL)

Book review: Hassan Blasim's "God 99"

A different sort of sacred

Trauma in contemporary Arab literature: Translating oblivion Previously unpublished work: Naguib Mahfouz' "The Quarter"Book review: Hassan Blasim's "The Corpse Exhibition"

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2021 (photo: YouTube screenshot)

Literary power politics

Spotlight on the UAE's 30th Abu Dhabi Book Fair

They’ve already got the Louvre; they’ll soon have a Guggenheim Museum as well – and now the Emirates have added literature to their quest for cultural supremacy in the Arab world. Stefan Weidner reports from Abu Dhabi, from the first book fair of this year to take place in personMore

Habermas, the Sheikh Zayed Award and Arab reactions: Habermas and the contradictions of the Arab intellectual A triumph for discourse: Juergen Habermas' rejection of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogue Qantara dossier: Arabic literature

UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Old City of Sana'a in Yemen (photo: picture-alliance/epa/Y. Arhab)

Book review: Threa Almontaser's "The Wild Fox of Yemen"

An emotional landscape of subtle complexity

"The Wild Fox of Yemen" by Threa Almontaser is an anthology of poetry that gathers readers up and into itself and immerses them in the poet's world – the world of a first-generation American/Yemeni trying to find her way in a country while her familial roots are far across oceans in Yemen. By Richard MarcusMore

A Muslim Poetry Slam: The Five Pillars of i,Slam Poetry anthology: Fady Joudah's "Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance"Mahmoud Darwish: Building bridges with Arabic poetry

The Iranian-German poet SAID in 2006 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/dpa-zentralbild/M. Schulte)

Obituary: Iranian-German poet SAID

Shout your names

Among the authors writing in German who are not native speakers of the language, SAID, who was born in 1947, was among the most successful and the most unconventional. Highly politically engaged, he remained true to his position between cultures. He died on 15 May. By Stefan WeidnerMore

Interview with the Poet SAID: "I have defended my piety against the Islamic Republic"Professor Nasser Kanani on the Persian poet Hafez: "The joyful audacity of his spirit, the melody of his poetry"Contemporary Iranian literature: Reading outside the box Iran′s image in the West: Sheer incredulity

Ethiopia's Tigray: 350,000 people facing famine

A UN report issued this week warns that over 350,000 people in Ethiopia’s Tigray province are facing famine and over 2 million are just a step away, blaming the dire situation on the ongoing conflict that has forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee, limited humanitarian access and the loss of harvests and income.More

COVID-19: Kashmir gasps for air

A health worker uses an oximeter to check the oxygen level of a person at a school turned COVID-19 centre in Uri, Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, India on 18 May 2021 (photo: Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto)

In Kashmir, military lockdowns and Internet shutdowns were already commonplace. Now, an inadequate healthcare system and India's mismanaged response is putting Kashmiris at even greater risk, writes Umar Lateef Misgar for the New ArabMore

Iran’s presidential race: Who is ultra-conservative favourite Ebrahim Raisi?

Ebrahim Raisi, head of the judiciary, is the current favourite to win Iran’s presidential election on 18 June. This 60-year-old traditionalist cleric is a close ally of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose confidence he has gained over the years by holding key positions of power.More

Islamic institutions in Arab states: Mapping the dynamics of control, co-option and contention

Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt (photo: picture-alliance)

The complex relations between the state and Islamic institutions in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco shed light on evolving governance and have important implications for Western policies of countering violent extremism and conflict resolution.More

Islamist attack in Burkina Faso

At least 160 civilians, including volunteer anti-terrorism fighters, were killed in northern Burkina Faso last Friday in the deadliest Islamist attack in the country since 2015, plunging the country once more into mourning. More

Faces of Iranian youth

Culture vultures: Tehran's galleries are very popular among Iranian young people and the cultural scene is constantly diversifying. According to a 25-year-old photographer, "government restrictions play an important role in this phenomenon. Art is seen as a means of emancipation"

Faces of Iranian youth

Behind a suffocating political system and inquisitive cliches, Iranian youth dream of a break with the system while proudly defending their culture. By Gwenvaël Engel

"Two Gods" studies the life of a Muslim casket maker

An intensely cinematic portrait of male friendship and mentorhood. In Newark, NJ a Muslim casket maker and ritual body washer brings two young men under his wing to teach them how to live better lives.More

KAS: "The Modern Arab State: A Decade of Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa"

"The Modern Arab State: A Decade of Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa", edited by Youssef Cherif (photo: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung)

Ten years after the Arab uprisings, democracy and its institutions in the region remain fragile and often cosmetic, and yet civil societies are aspiring and a new social contract is emerging with an increasingly empowered citizenry.More

Washington Post: Mustafa Akyol argues for Islamic reform from within

Cover of Mustafa Akyol latest book; YouTube screenshot of Mustafa Akyol

A re-examination of authoritative sources based on reason is at the heart of Mustafa Akyol’s new book: “Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance”. Akyol’s work offers the reader a journey into largely forgotten but important theological debates that took place among Muslim scholars in the Middle Ages.More

In focus

Book review: Hassan Blasim's "God 99"

Iran's 2021 presidential elections

Underage migrants stranded in Spain

Israeli-Palestinian dialogue

Politics

Society

Culture

In brief

Most Recent Photo Essay

Ethiopia's Tigray: 350,000 people facing famine

COVID-19: Kashmir gasps for air

Iran’s presidential race: Who is ultra-conservative favourite Ebrahim Raisi?

Islamic institutions in Arab states: Mapping the dynamics of control, co-option and contention

Islamist attack in Burkina Faso

Faces of Iranian youth

"Two Gods" studies the life of a Muslim casket maker

KAS: "The Modern Arab State: A Decade of Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa"

Washington Post: Mustafa Akyol argues for Islamic reform from within