In "Und Gott schuf die Angst: Ein Psychogramm der arabischen Seele", psychologist Burkhard Hoffmann draws on his own caseload to present some of the uniquely Arab hang-ups plaguing individuals in the Gulf region, highlighting the urgent need of Islamic societies to recognise the value of psycho-anaylsis. Gunther Orth read the bookMore
"The Italian", the debut novel by Tunisian writer Shukri al-Mabkhout, lays bare the mechanisms of control and censorship in operation during the Ben Ali era. It is a worthy winner of this year's "Arab Booker" prize, says Günther Orth.More
The revolutions that swept across the Arab world in 2011 could have failed for any number of reasons. However, the fact that their consequences now threaten to drag entire nations into chaos and rehabilitate tyrannous rulers three years after they were unceremoniously ousted is almost worse than if there had been no uprisings in the first place. By Günther OrthMore
In northwestern Mauritania lies Chinguetti, a historic trading post and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city still has several libraries with Arabic manuscripts – many of them from the late Middle Ages.
