Europe
All countries-
The Maghreb
A regional time bomb
With the lack of sustainable development and social progress, political stability is at risk in the Maghreb. Instability may have fatal consequences for Europe. Commentary by Nassir Djafari
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Terrorist attack in London
Keep calm and carry on
Once again a European city has become the target of terrorism. The vicious attack in Westminster this week highlights our vulnerability in the face of extremist hatred. As Dutch news correspondent Joris Luyendijk argues, the only way we can beat the terrorists is by living life to the full
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Mona Siddiqui on Brexit, Muslims and the migrant issue
How do you welcome someone?
The recent influx of refugees into Europe, seen by some as threatening its secular and liberal identity, triggered a wave of right-wing populism. Mona Siddiqui, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh, is nevertheless convinced that the continent is still strong enough to pull back from the anti-Islamic rhetoric. An interview by Claudia Mende
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Freedom of religion at work
Islam – a disruptive influence?
A ruling by the European Court of Justice allows employers to prohibit their staff from wearing headscarves. In doing so, it affords greater freedom to companies than it does to religion. A commentary by Heribert Prantl
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German-Turkish relations in crisis
Fraying at the edges
The authoritarian course taken by the Turkish government is adversely affecting relations with Germany: the more the values in the two countries drift apart, the weaker the basis for a reliable and stable partnership. By Gulistan Gurbey
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Erdogan's 'Nazi' accusations
Politically motivated provocation
For German-Turkish journalist Cigdem Akyol, Erdogan′s recent ′Nazi′ outbursts can be put down to electioneering. Few taboos remain in his race to win the upcoming referendum. Yet German politicians and the media will be playing into his hands if they overreact. Interview by Laura Doing
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Geert Wilders and the right-wing populists
Heads they win, tails they win
Geert Wilders' far-right populist party is neck-to-neck in the polls with the governing VVD in the run-up to elections in the Netherlands next week. While it′s unlikely to be part of the next government, many people fear its ideas will be implemented. Thessa Lageman reports from The Hague
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German-Turkish relations
No real leverage
Repeated demands for Germany to take a firm line with Erdogan and to end the refugee deal with Turkey have become a favourite mantra of many among the German opposition parties. A hardening of the rhetoric alone, however, is hardly likely to induce Erdogan to change his tack. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Angela Merkel′s visit to Egypt
Blinkered realpolitik
No head of state looks forward to meeting a national leader known for the brutal silencing of his critics. Had Angela Merkel pursued a more courageous line in foreign policy, she could have saved herself a deal of discomfiture. By Matthias Sailer
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Islam the bogeyman
Tarred with the same brush
The fear of Islam is socially construed and tied to societally entrenched anti-Muslim racism that fails to distinguish between Islam and Islamism. Essay by Andreas Bock
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Resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict
Expect nothing from Trump
While the US continues to turn a blind eye to settlement expansion, the international community and the EU in particular are left with the responsibility of ensuring that everyday life in the Palestinian enclaves does not collapse. Time for a rethink, argue policy analysts Sam Bahour and Mousa Jiryis
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Interview with Syrian dissident Yassin al-Haj Saleh
The West's lamentable myopia
Syrian intellectual Yassin al-Haj Saleh was a revolutionary from the very first. He remains harshly critical of all those political observers and experts in the West who claim that there is no alternative to Assad and that shoring up the regime would be the lesser of two evils. Interview by Emran Feroz