Egypt
All countries-
Climate crisis and over-population
The Arab world has no answers
As challenges such as population growth and the end of the fossil fuel era loom large, not a single Arab regime is in a position to meet them. It is now incumbent upon Europe to encourage a response. Commentary by Rainer Hermann
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Egypt, France, a growing alliance
The Cairo-Paris axis
A growing alliance between Cairo and Paris is resulting in significant foreign policy coordination, with political and economic repercussions on the horizon for both Egypt and France. By Maged Mandour
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Women in Egypt
Ongoing crackdown stokes solidarity
Persecution, prosecution and public shaming have led to a new wave of solidarity among women in Egypt. Could this kind of grassroots movement gain enough power to change the difficult situation on the ground? By Jennifer Holleis
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Egypt – a human rights crisis
No more "quiet diplomacy"
For years, EU states have held back from criticising Egypt’s military regime for its human rights crimes. NGOs and a European parliamentary initiative are now seeking to change that, urging the UN Human Rights Council to act. By Sofian Philip Naceur
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UAE foreign policy rethink
Is dialogue replacing proxy politics?
The UAE is revisiting its foreign policy goals with the aim of boosting its global trade partnerships and ensuring its security and political stability, by replacing robust military intervention and proxy politics with dialogue and diplomacy. By Mohammad Barhouma
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Sex education
The Arab Spring's greatest success?
People in Arab countries have been talking more openly about sex and sexuality for some time now, especially on social media. And for the first time ever, they have the vocabulary to discuss these topics. By Lena Bopp
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Egypt, Alaa Abd El-Fattah and democracy
"You have not yet been defeated"
Alaa Abd el-Fattah, arguably Egypt’s most prominent democracy activist, has just been handed another lengthy prison sentence. Despite this, a book of his writing has recently been published. It reveals the former Tahrir Square activist as a reflective, left-wing intellectual. Jannis Hagmann read the book
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Arabic Network for Human Rights
Egypt's leading rights group forced to close
A prominent rights group in Egypt, the Arabic Network for Human Rights, is ending operations just as the country braces for a controversial NGO law. Is this the beginning of the end for civil society in Egypt? By Jennifer Holleis
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"The Book of Charlatans"
Mediaeval Syria's answer to Mark Twain
In this new bilingual edition, translated by Humphrey Davies, al-Jawbari, one of the thirteenth century's leading experts in skullduggery reveals all there is to know about the wiles of false prophets, quacks, prestidigitators, cat burglars, money changers, false alchemists, and – worst of all – women. By Marcia Lynx Qualey
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Tunisia's ex-president Moncef Marzouki
The conscience of the Arab Spring
Moncef Marzouki was Tunisia's first democratically elected president after the fall of dictator Ben Ali. Today he is the most prominent critic of increasingly counter-revolutionary developments under President Kais Saied. Commentary by Ali Anouzla
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Interview with Asef Bayat
Examining the Arab Spring revolutions from within
Asef Bayat, professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has been studying revolutions and how they affect people since 1979. In his recent book, "Revolutionary Life: The Everyday of the Arab Spring", Bayat takes a new approach to studying revolutions by focusing on how they affect citizens in their everyday lives. Tugrul von Mende spoke to him about how his understanding of revolutions has changed over the past 20 years
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Best of Qantara.de 2021
Top ten most-read articles on Qantara.de
Every year in December, the team at Qantara.de takes a look back at the articles that proved most popular with our readers. This year is no different. Here is a run-down of the stories that mattered most to you in 2021. Happy New Year to all our readers!