Author: Siham Ouchtou

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A French fighter jet of the type 'Mirage' in Bamako, Mali (photo: Reuters)

Consequences of the Military Intervention in Mali

A Tinderbox Situation

Algeria and Morocco granted France permission to use their airspace in its campaign against militant Islamists in Mali. But Arab experts fear that the Mali intervention could push many young Muslims into the arms of the Jihadists. By Siham OuchtouMore

Interview with Ahmed Rashid on Mali: ''Worse than Afghanistan''Ansar Dine's religious leader Chérif Ousmane Haidara: ''This is not Sharia, but banditry''Photo Essay: The Conflict in Western Sahara
Bassima Hakkaoui (photo: DW)

Interview with Morocco's Minister Bassima Hakkaoui

''Some Politicians See Women as Intruders''

PJD politician Bassima Hakkaoui is the only woman to hold a ministerial post in Morocco's new, Islamist-dominated government. In conversation with Siham Ouchtou, the Minister for Solidarity, Women, Family and Social Development addresses the concerns of women's rights organizations over the government's gender equality policyMore

Women's Rights in Morocco: Activists See Little Hope for Gender Policy ReformsWomen's Rights and the Arab Spring: The Female Face of the RevolutionQantara Dossier: Feminist Approaches to Islam
A veiled Moroccan woman talks with her daughter in the streets of Essaouira, Morocco (photo: AP)

Journalists with Headscarves in Morocco

Kept under Cover

As in many other Muslim countries, increasing numbers of women in Morocco are entering the labour market. Among these women, there are many who wear headscarves. However, there would appear to be an unwritten rule in Moroccan radio and television that women in headscarves should not be employed in these media. Siham Ouchtou reportsMore

The Niqab Debate in the Maghreb: A Negation of Women or Religious Freedom?Opus Prize for Aicha Chenna: ''Secular in My Head, Muslim in My Heart''Qantara dossier: The Headscarf Debate

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

A modest initiative achieves great things: every weekday, Reden Roro Hendarti loads her tricycle with reading material and rides to the village of Muntang to accept rubbish from the children living there, which she exchanges for her books. A simple idea that is making a big difference, raising awareness about the environment among children in the region. Indonesia still has a huge problem with plastic waste, especially in remote rural regions

Indonesia's 'Trash Library': Plastic rubbish for books

On the Indonesian island of Java, one librarian has started a mobile library, lending books to children in exchange for plastic rubbish. The idea is that they will learn to take pride in their environment and read more at the same time. By Julie Huehnken