Author: Eslam Anwar

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German philosopher Juergen Habermas (photo: Getty Images/AFP/L. Gouliamaki)

Habermas, the Sheikh Zayed Award and Arab reactions

Habermas and the contradictions of the Arab intellectual

Uproar, fuss and mutual accusation: following the German philosopher Juergen Habermas' rejection of the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the social media posts by those involved in the Arabic cultural scene covered a broad spectrum. Islam Anwar takes a look for QantaraMore

German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award: Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogueInterview with Islamic scholar Stefan Weidner: Thinking outside the Western boxNon-fiction: Pankaj Mishra's "Age of Anger": The embittered majority
A tour with Kaya Behklam in Cairo (photo: Kaya Behkalam)

Interview with the artist Kaya Behkalam

Preserving the memory of the Egyptian Revolution

With his digital art project Augmented Archive, the artist Kaya Behkalam has created a subversive archive that describes the history of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 from the perspective of the citizens. With the help of the app, users can visit the sites of the protests and learn about their history. Interview by Eslam AnwarMore

Egyptian video archive 858.ma: Nothing but the truthEgypt: Archiving as an instrument of powerArt and revolution in the Arab world in 2015: Struggling against the restoration of "order"
Scene from Mohamed El Sagheerʹs "Gallert Epic" (photo: Goethe-Institut/Hassan Emad)

Mohamed El Sagheerʹs "Gallert Epic"

Hamlet in Egyptian

What would actually happen if the famous theatre hero Hamlet were to rise from the dead and live among us? Would the Prince of Denmark be able to cope with the modern world? Or would another tragedy ensue, as in Shakespeare's play from the early 17th century? By Eslam AnwarMore

"Mahatat" dance project in Cairo: Stop and dance!Book review: ″Tahrir Tales: Plays from the Egyptian Revolution″: The drama of protestCairo's Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School: The chance of a lifetime
"Salib Sufi" band (photo: Roger Anis)

"Salib Sufi" project

Peace in their hearts, love in their minds

"Salib Sufi" (literally: "Sufi Cross") combines Christian chants and prayers with Sufi chants and recitations. Accompanied by instruments from East and West, the band performs a mixture of classical recitation and modern singing, featuring elements of Old Coptic. Eslam Anwar interviews project initiator Salib FawzyMore

The 13th Sufi Soul Festival: The musical path to AllahSufism and Bollywood: A glittering antidoteSufism in Egypt: Sufis, sheikhs and charlatans
Arab. Buchcover "Geschichten aus dem Sudan" von Lubna Isam

Lubna Isamʹs "Sudanese Tales”

Tradition in the present

The art of storytelling has a long tradition in the Arab world. Folk tales and historical events were passed down orally over many generations. Now the Sudanese author Lubna Isam has revived the tradition. Interview by Eslam AnwarMore

Al-Halqa in Marrakesh: Morocco's last storytellersTayeb Salih′s ″Season of Migration to the North″: A literary hall of mirrorsInterview with Claudia Ott: A new chapter in the history of Arab literature