Gulf Region
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Mona Eltahawy: "Why do you hate us so?"
The Middle East needs a sexual revolution
As long as there is no true revolution, women in Islamic countries will remain second-class citizens, believes the controversial Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy. Claudia Kramatschek introduces her recent book
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Culture policy in Egypt
The soothing power of culture
Egypt's new minister of culture sees mega-projects as a means to combat religious radicalism. There are even plans to rebuild the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria. By Joseph Croitoru
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Saudi Arabia's nuclear plans and Iran
Is a nuclear arms race looming in the Gulf?
At the recent meeting with US President Barack Obama in Camp David, Saudi Arabia threatened to make use of all the same technology granted to Iran in the emerging nuclear deal with the West. Is this the start of the long-feared nuclear arms race in the Gulf region? Or is it an attempt to force the US to take a tougher stance on Iran? By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Yemeni refugees in Cairo
An unwelcome exile
Food and water are in short supply not only in the conflict zones of Yemen, but also for many Yemenis stranded in Egypt since the conflict broke out in their country. As the Saudi-led alliance bombards Houthi positions in Yemen, it is considered too dangerous for the refugees to return home. By Andrea Backhaus in Cairo
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Germany's Middle East policy
Is Germany changing tack?
Violent conflicts are spreading throughout the Middle East. The German government is extending a hand to the Egyptian president, siding with Saudi Arabia in the Yemen conflict and delivering weapons to the Peshmerga. But there is criticism from the opposition and scepticism within the ruling coalition. By Bettina Marx
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The crisis in Yemen
History can help us to understand
Yemen continues to struggle with its worst crisis in years, as conflicting parties fight for control of the nation. The UN's special advisor says the country has been pushed to the brink of civil war, in a tussle that has serious implications for the region and the security of the West. By Elham Manea
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Battles in Yemen
Opening Pandora's Box in Yemen
As the situation deteriorates almost by the hour in Yemen, the sheer uncertainty of what happens next could trigger a regional conflict, writes Adam Baron of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
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Sunni-Shia conflict
The enemy of my enemy
Anyone who thinks that the Sunnis in Tikrit and Mosul will welcome the opponents of Islamic State with open arms as liberators is mistaken. They fear the Shia militias even more than they do IS. This shows how the inner-Islamic religious war has polarised Iraqi society. By Stefan Buchen
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Interview with Gudrun Kramer
Muslims must take a critical look at controversial passages in the Koran
The majority of Muslims are quite rightly resisting attempts by jihadists to co-opt their religion. Yet at the same, both jihadists and their opponents justify their arguments by quoting passages from the Koran. Ulrich von Schwerin spoke to the Islam Studies scholar Gudrun Kramer about the relationship between Islam and violence, the interpretation of the Koran and possible ways of combating jihadism
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The crisis in Yemen
The primacy of stability over real change
Since 22 January, Yemen has been mired in an almost unresolvable crisis of government. After a power struggle that lasted several days, President Hadi stepped down along with Prime Minister Bahah and his whole cabinet. Marie-Christine Heinze takes a closer look at the current crisis and its wider implications
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Global strategies for combating Islamic State
The intellectual battle against IS
The global financial crisis taught the world how profoundly interdependent our economies have become. In today's crisis of extremism, we must recognise that we are just as interdependent for our security, as is clear in the current struggle to defeat IS (also known as ISIS), writes Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
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The genesis of Islamic State
A new chapter in the decline of the Arab world
IS is a child of the late cold war and at the same time the beginning of a total war against the countries of the Arab East. It is the consequence of a collapse of political, moral and social values in the region, writes the Lebanese author Elias Khoury