Author: Dagmar Wolf

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Author Christy Lefteri (photo: private; source: Penguin/Random House)

Book review: Christy Lefteri's "The Beekeeper of Aleppo"

Escaping hell on earth

They have lost everything; they are deeply traumatised – and yet they refuse to give up hope. In “The Beekeeper of Aleppo“, bestselling author Christy Lefteri focuses on the plight of thousands and thousands of refugees. Dagmar Wolf read the bookMore

Syrian author and poet Ra′id Wahsh: Who ate the sky?Book review: Larissa Bender's "Inside Views from Syria": Rage and resignation in war-torn SyriaGreece and the asylum-seekers: How do you solve a problem like Moria?
A Tuareg examines historical manuscripts in Timbuktu (photo: picture-alliance/abaca)

Book review: Charlie Englishʹs "The book smugglers of Timbuktu"

Of myths and heroes

Timbuktu, the ancient desert city in Mali, has always been shrouded in myths. Charlie English’s "The book smugglers of Timbuktu" proves that the city has not lost its magic. By Dagmar WolfMore

Photo essay: Timbuktu manuscripts: preserving knowledge for posterityAbderrahmane Sissako's film "Timbuktu": In the beginning there was violenceInterview with Bakary Sambe: ''In the Arab world, we Africans are viewed as inferior Muslims''
Wives of IS fighters under arrest in a camp near the Syrian village of Ain Issa on 22.10.2017 (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Female jihadists

Why women go to Holy War

Worldwide, the number of women joining the “holy war”, or jihad, is increasing. What causes them do so? And what role do they play within jihadist organisations? Two Jordanian Islamism experts have devoted their most recent study to exploring just these questionsMore

"Women of the Islamic State": Prisoners of a barbaric systemThe IS manifesto for women: Baiting the jihadi bridesInterview with the sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar: Radicalisation in the suburbs
Man squats in the ruins that were once the Syrian town of Raqqa (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Non-fiction: Rania Abouzeidʹs "No turning back"

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The humans behind the headlines

A brutal war has been raging in Syria for almost eight years now, yet the international community seems to be losing interest. In a moving first-hand account, journalist Rania Abouzeid vividly portrays the people affected by the war. Dagmar Wolf read the bookMore

War reporting: Facts must be respected – even in Syria!Book review: Dima Wannousʹ "Die Veraengstigten": Naked despair laid bareThe Syrian Archive: Netting the war criminals
French-Moroccan author Saphia Azzeddine (photo: Getty Images/F. Durand)

Book review: Saphia Azzeddineʹs "Bilqiss"

"Just being born a woman is a provocation"

"Bilqiss" is a provocative novel that hit French bookstands in 2015, telling a sardonic tale of a courageous woman in an unidentified Muslim country where it is a crime to read poetry, use make-up or own lingerie. By Dagmar WolfMore

Women in Islam: Between oppression and (self-) empowermentMuslim Feminists in Indonesia: The Queens of IslamWomen′s rights in Islam: Can feminism be Islamic?Feminism, colonialism and Islamophobia: Treacherous sympathy with Muslim women
Syrian refugee children in Camp Bashabsha, close to the Jordanian town of Al Ramtha (photo: Reuters/Majed Jaber)

Syrian refugee children

Urgent action required

Eight years of war in Syria have meant eight years of children being permanently exposed to violence. Many of them have been forced to leave their homes and now live in southern Syria, Jordan or Lebanon – often in precarious conditions. By Dagmar WolfMore

World Vision: "Seven Years of War on Syria's Children: Beyond survival"Syrian refugee children: A lost generation in the makingSyria′s traumatised children: The horror that never fades
Protests against the Assad regime in Jubar near Damascus (photo: Reuters)

Syria's Civil War

Promoting Democracy

The Syrian conflict is dangerous and complex. A recent publication points out how western governments might promote the pro-democracy forces in the country. By Dagmar WolfMore

Interview with George Sabra: "We Always Have to Hope for a Political Solution"Qantara Dossier: Syria's Civil WarARI Study: "Empowering the democratic resistance in Syria"