Germany's Academy for Islam in Research and Society took up its work one year ago. Its mission is to promote Islamic theological research and to provide a sound factual basis for the public discourse on Islam. By Canan TopcuRead more
Souad Abderrahim is the first freely elected female mayor of an Arab capital. Her opponents regard her as being in the pocket of the moderate Islamists. She herself prefers to stay out of politics. By Nader AlsarrasRead more
Mustafa Ozturk, a professor specialising in "tafsir" – Koranic exegesis – at Istanbulʹs Marmara University was recently accused of blasphemy. Convinced that various Islamic groups seeking to influence Turkish politics are responsible, Ozturk is actively considering self-imposed exile. Interview by Ayse KarabatRead more
Inspired by Franceʹs "gilets jaunes", the Tunisian "red vest" movement reflects the widespread discontent in the North African country, where protests against spiralling living costs, unemployment, mismanagement and corruption are once again on the increase. By Alessandra BajecRead more
Inspired by Franceʹs "gilets jaunes", the Tunisian "red vest" movement reflects the widespread discontent in the North African country, where protests against spiralling living costs, unemployment, mismanagement and corruption are once again on the increase. By Alessandra BajecMore
In northeastern Syria, the U.S. and Turkey are wrangling over how to deal with the Kurdish militias. The regime could score points from this – and gain control with Russian support. An analysis by Kristin HelbergMore
The blockade of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states in the summer of 2017 was a shock for the small emirate. Meanwhile, however, it seems to have more than recovered: the economy is growing and the leadership is bursting with determination and self-confidence. Details of Anchal VohraMore
An arcane dispute between Egyptʹs president and Al-Azhar over how much society is threatened by debating the authenticity of hadiths and their role in Islamic law is really about moral leadership in society. By Nathan J. Brown and Cassia BardosMore
Germany's Academy for Islam in Research and Society took up its work one year ago. Its mission is to promote Islamic theological research and to provide a sound factual basis for the public discourse on Islam. By Canan TopcuMore
Souad Abderrahim is the first freely elected female mayor of an Arab capital. Her opponents regard her as being in the pocket of the moderate Islamists. She herself prefers to stay out of politics. By Nader AlsarrasMore
Mustafa Ozturk, a professor specialising in "tafsir" – Koranic exegesis – at Istanbulʹs Marmara University was recently accused of blasphemy. Convinced that various Islamic groups seeking to influence Turkish politics are responsible, Ozturk is actively considering self-imposed exile. Interview by Ayse KarabatMore
Unlike their parents and grandparents, the children and grandchildren of those who emigrated to Germany one or more generations ago now want a say in how things are done. In his new book "Das Integrationsparadox" (The Integration Paradox), Aladin El-Mafaalani explains why this leads to conflict. Daniel Bax read the bookMore
The Turkish writer Omur Iklim Demir walks a fine line between realism and surrealism. And the stories in his "Buch der entbehrlichen Gedanken" (The book of superfluous thoughts) succeed in creating such a whirl of time and space that the reader is continually confounded. By Joseph CroitoruMore
Since 9/11, Beirut-born Lebanese-American artist Helen Zughaib has used her art to project positive images of Arabs and the Middle East to a mostly American audience. Based in politically charged Washington D.C., her goal is not to take sides, but highlight the consequences of life-changing situations. By Yasmine SalamMore
Mbarek Ould Beyroukʹs "The Desert and the Drum" centres on a young womanʹs coming-to-political-consciousness in contemporary Mauritania. Winner of an English PEN Award, this translation, from the French by Rachael McGill, is being touted as the first-ever Mauritanian novel to be published in English. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the bookMore
Of the many books, plays and films inspired by the story of the Islamic State movement, "Dear Son" by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia offers something different. Far from the drama of the battlefield, he focuses on the anguish of the family that the fighter leaves behind. By Schayan RiazMore
The "Flower Men" – descendants of the ancient Tihama and Asir tribes – live a near autonomous existence in the foothills of the Halaba mountains that straddle the Saudi Arabian-Yemeni border. Taking orders from neither government, their lives are ordered according to the dictates of tribal law. By Eric Lafforgue
A different take on the Islamic Republic
For most people in the West, Iran is a country associated with terrorism, violence, and societal repression. Dutch filmmaker and photographer Reinier van Oorsouw travels there with the simple question: Is Iran really that bad?More
"Us and them: Diversity, division and a world of difference"
Open societies and liberal democracies are no longer merely ideas: they have become reality, argues Aladin El-Mafaalani in his lecture on "Open society and social closure".More
Qantara dossier: Dialogue of religions
Interfaith dialogue is still afflicted by all kinds of problems, but a number of remarkable initiatives do exist, especially at grassroots level – even in the 'trialogue' of the three Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam (known in Islam as the religions of the 'book').More
France debates where to teach Arabic: state school or local mosque?
About three million people use Arabic on a daily basis in France, making it the country’s most spoken foreign language. But Arabic is barely taught in public schools, so mosques and private associations have stepped in to fill this educational gap. Now, the government is growing worried about an increasing number of students learning Arabic outside the state’s oversight.More
DW documentary: Lifeline to Syria (1/2)
Four refugees are torn between Syria and Europe. Between the peace and security offered by their places of refuge and war videos from their old homeland. With very personal reports rather than anonymous news pictures.More
Parliament of the World's Religions
The interfaith movement, interfaith understanding and interfaith co-operation can lead the charge to a path of love and inclusion, as peoples of faith and conscience strive for a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.More
Online magazine Jadaliyya
Featuring contributions by writers from the Islamic world, the independent online magazine "Jadaliyya" is published by the Arab Studies Institute.More
The people who shaped Islamic civilisation
Chase Robinson's new book "Islamic Civilisation in Thirty Lives" is an elegant digest of the many colourful, creative and technologically innovative manifestations that the Prophet Muhammad inspired from his seventh-century oases in the Arabian peninsula, reminding us that Islam is less a nihilistic creed than a global civilisation.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"