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Islam′s non-violent tradition
Neglected heritage
In view of the threat of Islamist terrorism, Muslim intellectuals and leaders who emphasise non-violence and democracy tend to be ignored internationally. They deserve attention. Some Muslim traditions actually fit modernity quite well. By Hans Dembowski
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Culture and education in the Islamic world
The lonely Arab crowd
The cultural and educational turbulence within the Arab world is due – at least in part – to the absence of a contemporary home-grown intellectual tradition capable of providing societies with an inner compass based on local values and modern perspectives. An essay by Sami Mahroum
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Fighting jihadism
The fatal attraction of IS
In seeking to explain the rise of terrorist militia such as IS, we must look beyond school curricula, Friday sermons and religious texts, argues the Jordanian political scientist Mohammad Abu Rumman
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Reforming Islam
Islam′s path to modernity
The clash between secular human-rights standards and Muslim religious doctrine mirrors the broader conflict between Islam and the West. An emerging school of Muslim thought is, however, demonstrating just how compatible Islam can be with modern society. An essay by Mohammad Fazlhashemi, professor of Islamic theology at Uppsala University in Sweden
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Interview with Slim Laghmani on Tunisia′s national crisis
″We′re halfway there″
In the medium term, it′s neither political nor economic problems that pose the greatest threat to democratic change in Tunisia, but rather the country′s national crisis, says Slim Laghmani, a legal scholar at the University of Carthage. Sarah Mersch spoke to him
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Higher education in Tunisia
The vestiges of spring
The Arab Spring started in Tunisia, five years ago. Led by students, the people toppled their leader. How are Tunisia’s young people doing today? A tour of the universities in Tunis. By Arnfrid Schenk
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Photography Biennale of the Contemporary Arab World
A feast for the eyes
With media reports on the Arab world focused on the political conflicts and current discussions dominated by dealing with migration from the region, the photo biennale in Paris shines as a beacon of diversity and pluralism. Felix Koltermann visited the exhibition for Qantara
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Interview with Leila Alaoui
Morocco's art scene: a coin with two faces
While the Moroccan art scene still suffers from censorship, the main source of new artistic stimulus is the Moroccan diaspora. Melanie Christina Mohr spoke to the Moroccan-French artist Leila Alaoui about transnational perspectives, migration and photography
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Trauma in contemporary Arab literature
Translating oblivion
Until recently, modern research into trauma concentrated on cases in the ″white″ and Western world, taking as its point of reference everyday realities in industrial societies. But which forms and kinds of traumas develop in colonised or post-colonial societies? By Stefan Milich
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Geopolitics in the Middle East
A new century dawns
There is no doubt that the crisis-riven Middle East is beset by some unique challenges. As Jeffrey Sachs argues, however, these are not the Sunni-Shia political divide, the future of Assad or other doctrinal disputes, but rather the unmet need for quality education, job skills, advanced technologies and sustainable development
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Moroccan writer Abdellah Taia
Disenchantment and a hint of nostalgia
The openly homosexual writer and film-maker, Abdellah Taia, on his latest novel, the painful process of coming out and whether he will ever move back to Morocco. A portrait by Nahrain Al-Mousawi
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Peace treaty signed by warring factions in Libya
The steep road to national unity
Although the event was not the main focus of international attention, the agreement signed by Libya′s rival factions in the Moroccan coastal city of Skhirat this week is perhaps more important for Europe than the European summit meeting that took place the same day. By Karim El-Gawhary