The restoration of authoritarianism after the turmoil of 2010/11 lured some analysts into drawing the over-hasty conclusion that the Arab Spring had been doomed to failure from the start, because the citizens of these countries lacked political maturity and a real desire for change. A miscalculation, argues Emad Alali in his essayRead more
Not long ago women in Turkey fought to cover their hair, yet now it seems the headscarf has fallen out of favour. Seventeen years into Erdoganʹs rule, some things are floundering – including the assumption that Turkish society is becoming increasingly conservative. By Christiane SchlotzerRead more
Turkey’s emergence as a regional power has provoked suspicion, shaking the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond. As a result, relations with many regional players have deteriorated over the last decade. With diplomatic ties to the West currently at an historic low, is Turkey likely to end up out on a limb? By Stasa SalacaninRead more
Marwa Zein has made an impressive documentary about the Sudanese women's football team, if only the national football association would recognise it as such. The players are neither allowed to represent their country at international level nor set up a domestic women's football league. By Rene WildangelRead more
The restoration of authoritarianism after the turmoil of 2010/11 lured some analysts into drawing the over-hasty conclusion that the Arab Spring had been doomed to failure from the start, because the citizens of these countries lacked political maturity and a real desire for change. A miscalculation, argues Emad Alali in his essayMore
Turkey’s emergence as a regional power has provoked suspicion, shaking the balance of power in the Middle East and beyond. As a result, relations with many regional players have deteriorated over the last decade. With diplomatic ties to the West currently at an historic low, is Turkey likely to end up out on a limb? By Stasa SalacaninMore
The tension among Kabul's political elite is palpable. Washington has been conducting negotiations for a peace deal with the insurgent Taliban in the Gulf emirate of Qatar for quite some time now, and the government in Kabul feels side-lined. Yet regardless of who is sitting around the negotiating table, almost all players in Afghanistan agree: the need for peace is urgent. By Emran FerozMore
In its 40th year, the Islamic Republic of Iran is in a state of disintegration, says one of the country's strategists. The theocracy has arrived at a crossroads and the world cannot be indifferent to its future direction. Essay by Ali SadrzadehMore
Not long ago women in Turkey fought to cover their hair, yet now it seems the headscarf has fallen out of favour. Seventeen years into Erdoganʹs rule, some things are floundering – including the assumption that Turkish society is becoming increasingly conservative. By Christiane SchlotzerMore
To ensure the interests of women are also taken into account in the peace talks with the Taliban, they must participate on an equal footing in the negotiations, their organisation and the implementation of the peace process. By Anne-Marie Slaughter and Ashley JacksonMore
Despite the political conflicts, a Christian Arab family has been successfully brewing beer in the Palestinian territories for about 25 years. The brewery takes both Muslim and Jewish dietary stipulations into account. Jamal Saad paid a visitMore
In his new book, Joseph Croitoru shows how German politics, academia and literature all grappled with the Orient in the eighteenth century. By successfully weaving together these different threads, he provides an overview of attitudes towards the East in Germany during the Age of Enlightenment. By Melanie Christina MohrMore
Marwa Zein has made an impressive documentary about the Sudanese women's football team, if only the national football association would recognise it as such. The players are neither allowed to represent their country at international level nor set up a domestic women's football league. By Rene WildangelMore
When Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in Iran in 1979, he persecuted his opponents with severity. Maryam Zaree was born in a prison for political prisoners. With her film "Born in Evin" she breaks her silence. By Laura DoingMore
In the "Valley of the Clueless" in Saxony, where Arab contract workers were once employed alongside GDR factory workers, East Germans and refugees meet for a peculiar trip down memory lane. Rene Wildangel reports from this year's BerlinaleMore
As a prelude to the album she's currently working on, "This Land is Your Land", Reem Kelani has just released the four track EP "Why Do I Love Her" – recorded live at the Tabernacle in London. By Richard MarcusMore
Mauritania straddles the transition between the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa, its population equally divided between Africans and Arabs. By Pascal Mannaerts
Tania Georgelas: My journey out of extremism
Tania Georgelas met her husband John, an American convert to Islam, online and they connected over their Islamist views. After John moved Tania and their children to Syria, she decided to escape. Now she wants to dedicate her life to countering extremism and rehabilitating ex-jihadists.More
"Youssef Chahine again and forever": 1 - 30 March, Berlin's Kino Arsenal
Celebrating the conclusion of a comprehensive restoration project to salvage Chahineʹs work, Arsenalʹs extensive retrospective features 20 works – 19 full-length films and one short – Al Kahera Menawara be Ahlaha (ʹCairo as seen by Chahineʹ, 1991). Twelve films, six of which recently became part of Arsenalʹs archive, will be screened in their original analogue format.More
A different take on the Islamic Republic
In the fifth and final part of the series, Dutch filmmaker and photographer Reinier van Oorsouw travels through the beautiful Alborz mountain range. Here he snowboards at Dizin Ski Resort and explores the Alamut Valley. As happens throughout his trip, he’s warmly invited by local people to dance, to eat, and to learn more about their lives.More
Qantara dossier: Islamic State
What are the ideological goals of "Islamic State"? And what recruitment and media strategies does the terror militia use in the Islamic region and in the West? In our dossier, we provide information about these strategies through numerous interviews, analyses, background articles and videos.More
When love knows no bounds: the story of Klaus and Samah
Samah is a Syrian refugee, Klaus is a German pensioner. The two got married three years ago. But not everyone accepts their unusual relationship.More
"Capernaum": Oscar contender for Best Foreign Film
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki's CAPERNAUM ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life.More
Jose Casanova: The principles of religious pluralism
Specifying three principles, religious sociology expert Jose Casanova from Georgetown University argues that tolerance needs to begin with the recognition of religious diversity and plurality.More
Berlin's first public Arabic library
Meet the Syrian student keeping Arabic culture alive in the heart of Berlin.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"