Sabah Sanhouri is a fresh, new literary voice from Sudan. Her novel "Paradise" revolves around an agency of the same name, an organisation that assists desperate people in ending their lives. By Volker KaminskiRead more
World-famous Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has been incarcerated for several months, even though Iran's Supreme Court overturned the verdict against him. Now, he has gone on hunger strike in protest. By Stuart BraunRead 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
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
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
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
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
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
Egyptian Sufis have been on the defensive against the country's Islamists for decades. Meanwhile, interest in mysticism is growing among the young members of Cairo’s middle and upper classes. By Marian BrehmerMore
Sabah Sanhouri is a fresh, new literary voice from Sudan. Her novel "Paradise" revolves around an agency of the same name, an organisation that assists desperate people in ending their lives. By Volker KaminskiMore
Short movies nominated for an Oscar often don't get wide public attention. But when one is about an Iranian girl seeking freedom from male domination by taking off her veil, interest is sure to spikeMore
World-famous Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has been incarcerated for several months, even though Iran's Supreme Court overturned the verdict against him. Now, he has gone on hunger strike in protest. By Stuart BraunMore
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
Braving the bitter cold, Lebanese villagers have been patrolling a mountainside in the country's north, trying to protect trees from loggers who roll in under the cover of darkness, while refugees in the Bekaa valley have joined a seed bomb reforestation project
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
