Iran
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Interview with Iranian dissident Abolhassan Banisadr
Selling the revolution on
Following the Islamic Revolution of 1979, millions of Iranian dissidents were forced to flee the country for fear of reprisals. Prominent among them, Abolhassan Banisadr, the first president of the Islamic Republic. Having fallen out with Khomeini, he left Iran in the summer of 1981. Interview by Mahindokht Mesbah
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Homoerotic poetry in Islam
Reeling with desire
What role did homoeroticism play in Islamic poetry written between the 13th and 15th centuries? We need look no further than Rumi and Babur. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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The situation post-Aleppo
An orphaned revolution
Russian′s bombing campaign in Syria has helped put an end to Aleppo′s civil democratic experiment, once a beacon of hope. What next? By Leila Al-Shami
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The influence of Iran′s religious foundations
Faith and profit enshrined
Millions of pilgrims visit the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad to be near to the holy man. The tomb is an important economic factor for the city, but at the same time it is the centre of an extensive business em-pire wielding huge influence in Iranian politics. On the political economy of the holy man, by Ulrich von Schwerin
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Putin, Assad and the fall of Aleppo
Masters of disinformation
While the attention of the world is focused on events in Aleppo, Assad and his allies are talking about the "liberation" of the city. Some believe him, left wing anti-imperialists for example. By Emran Feroz
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Re-assessing Western involvement in the Middle East
Far from Utopian
A reconfiguration of relations between the West and the Arab world is in the offing. Utopia it will not be, but it may result in a more harmonious and balanced political situation, writes BBC radio journalist and Middle East expert Neville Teller
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Lesbians in Iran
Between desire and taboo
When one speaks of homosexuals in Iran, it is usually men who are meant. The existence of Iranian lesbians is simply not mentioned, even as the subject of homophobic jokes. But Cupid's arrows also inflame passions among Iranian women – wherever and however they strike. By Shirin Soltani
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Child trafficking in Iran
The agony of the destitute
More and more parents are selling their children out of economic desperation across Iran. Unfortunately, the government is suspicious of NGOs wanting to help. By Shabnam von Hein
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Interview with the Iranian writer Abbas Maroufi
″Self-censorship is the worst″
Abbas Maroufi, born in Tehran in 1957, was one of Iran's most respected writers when he was sentenced to prison and a flogging for 'offending the fundamental principles of Islam'. It was only thanks to the intervention of the German PEN Center and the intercession of Gunter Grass that he was able to leave Iran in 1996. He has lived in Germany ever since. Interview by Volker Kaminski
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The Syrian conflict
Priority revenge
The question is often asked what an Islamist rebel victory might mean for Syria's minorities. But what about the acts of revenge that are to be expected from Bashar al-Assad? A commentary by Bente Scheller
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Saudi involvement in Yemen
Not in our backyard
Saudi Arabia has drawn a lot of criticism lately for its leading role in the war against Houthi rebels in Yemen. Some deride the Kingdom, the richest Arab state, for taking action against the poorest. Others have claimed that the fight against the Houthis is just one element in a broader war on the Shia that Saudi Arabia has supposedly been waging. Commentary by Ali Shihabi
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Middle East policy under Donald Trump
Return of the dictators
Just how the Trump administration will handle the thorny issue of the Middle East remains to be seen. Trump's policy of non-intervention and "pragmatic" alliances with authoritarian rulers is, however, likely to encourage the return of repressive dictatorships, lending them apparent respectability in exchange for guarantees of stability. By Rene Wildangel