Europe
All countries-
Turkeyʹs new constitution
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, twenty-first century Sultan
Turkey's new presidential system officially came into force on Monday, giving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan powers that no democratically elected leader of Turkey has ever had. The inauguration was preceded by another mass purge of the civil service. By Aram Ekin Duran
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Iran and the West
Big little Satan
Iranʹs dangerously powerful image among its adversaries in the region reflects not only the decline of the USA, but also the Islamic Republicʹs success at eluding Western influence since 1979. By Charlotte Wiedemann
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Islamophobia
Criticism of religion? Blatant racism!
What a contradiction in terms! Thanks to the growing ethnicisation of religious affiliation and the religionisation of ethnicity, being both Muslim and German is often presented as something wholly incompatible. By Yasemin Shooman
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Londonʹs Mfest and the anthology "Donʹt Panic, Iʹm Islamic"
The first great anti-Trump book
The Mfest finale –"Donʹt Panic, Iʹm Islamic: Extreme Comedy NOW!" – held in London at the end of April was an hour-long event. Concluding a three-day festival which paid tribute to Muslim culture and ideas, the entertaining and thought-provoking finale gave festivalgoers a chance to laugh and let off steam. By Susannah Tarbush
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"Visions of Iran": the Iranian Film Festival in Cologne
Halabja – casting a long shadow
The First Gulf War, the chemical attack on the Iraqi village of Halabja in 1988 and the role played by foreign companies in the build-up of chemical weapons in the region were the main topics at the most recent "Visions of Iran" film festival in Cologne. By Bernd G. Schmitz
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European trade with Iran
"Now we're backpedalling"
The United States has begun pressurising European companies to halt doing business with Iran. Many companies have already acted to avoid the threat of U.S. sanctions in the event of "prohibited business". Details from Stefan Buchen
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When East meets West
Debunking the ʹclash of civilisationsʹ myth
Cultural discourse is littered with narratives that build on a number of false dichotomies, the most enduring being the exclusivity of East and West. The clash of civilisations, the superiority of one over the other, is an entrenched myth that not even globalisation and communications technology have managed to shatter. By Muhammed Nafih Wafy
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Interview with the sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar
Radicalisation in the suburbs
The French-Iranian sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar examines why people become radicalised and what factors drive them to jihad. In conversation with Claudia Mende, he explains why deprived suburban areas are hot spots for radicalisation and how Europe needs to react to the threat of terror
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Rescuing the nuclear deal with Iran
Europe should negotiate without the U.S.
After Donald Trumpʹs breach of the nuclear agreement with Iran, Germany, France and Great Britain should negotiate a comprehensive security framework with Iran based on the existing agreement, says Volker Perthes
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Saudi Arabia and the West
Europe's window of opportunity
A new social contract is being drawn up in Saudi Arabia. This presents Germany and its EU partners with new opportunities. But if these are to be properly utilised, they should demonstrate greater commitment to defusing the conflict with Iran. By Matthias Sailer
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Anti-Semitism
There is no tradition of anti-Semitism in Islam
Some are suggesting that Muslims are bringing anti-Semitism to Europe. However, it was in fact Europeans who took anti-Semitism to the Arab world in the first place. Diplomats in particular played an contemptible role. An essay by Professor Peter Wien
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Deal drop triggers power struggle in Iran
Trump gifts the hawks of Tehran
By pulling out of the nuclear deal with Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump has played into the hands of Tehranʹs hardliners. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is now under pressure to salvage the agreement with its European signatories and prevent an escalation in the region. Commentary by Ulrich von Schwerin