Mashriq
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Islamic environmentalism
The call to eco-jihad
Gradually – and unnoticed by most Muslims – Muslim intellectuals and scholars have, since the late 1960s, been developing an Islamic environmental theology. Their aim is to examine green principles such as sustainability, environmental protection, animal welfare, and biodiversity in terms of their compatibility with Islam. By Monika Zbidi
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Al-Qaeda's New Strategy
Turning away from the Distant Enemy
In contrast to their earlier tactics, militant jihadists are increasingly turning away from attacking the West to concentrate on more local and regional targets. Albrecht Metzger reports on the current change of strategy in the activities of Al-Qaeda and its allies
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Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
Limited Options
The world's oldest Islamist organization has apparently failed in its strategy of confrontation with the ruling military. It is now proving difficult for the movement to make a fresh political start. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Syria's Civil War
Promoting Democracy
The Syrian conflict is dangerous and complex. A recent publication points out how western governments might promote the pro-democracy forces in the country. By Dagmar Wolf
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Revolutionary Films in the Arab World
Taking Stock
What is the significance of film during and after revolutions? In recent years, many films have been made in Egypt and Tunisia, although the viewpoints of the filmmakers could hardly be more different. By Irit Neidhardt
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The Democratic Process in Egypt
The Success of Democracy is Not a Question of Education
Although she recognises the dangers inherent in an uneducated society, Egyptian author Mansoura Ez-Eldin disputes the political belief that it takes a learned population to create a democracy. The problem is more a fundamental lack of political education and a poor understanding of democratic principles at all levels
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Russia, the US and the Syrian Civil War
A Bloody Game of Chess
The Assad regime has succeeded in turning Syria into a chess board over which Russia and the US have locked horns as the blood and tears continue to flow. The losers in this stalemate are undoubtedly the Syrian people, writes Elias Khoury in his essay
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Interview with Hani Shukrallah
"Egypt's Media Are Propaganda Machines"
In this interview with Andrea Backhaus, the renowned Egyptian journalist and political scientist Hani Shukrallah criticises the way the Egyptian military is using the media to its own political ends and the blatant opportunism of many of the country's journalists
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Syria and the Middle East
The End of the Sykes Picot System?
Aside from the human suffering caused by Syria's ongoing war, we should be aware of the potentially dire regional consequences of Syria's disintegration: It would call the entire post-World War I Middle Eastern state system into question. By Volker Perthes
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Preaching Ban for Islamists in Egypt
Controlling the Message
The interim government appointed by the Egyptian army is banishing Islamist preachers from mosques. But imams who are loyal to the regime are still allowed to combine religion and politics. By Markus Symank
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Open Letter to Europe
"Tunisia Needs Help!"
In an open letter to José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, the well-known Tunisian journalist Soufiane Chourabi appeals to the EU to put pressure on Tunisia’s government because it tolerates the attacks by fundamentalist Islamic groups on Tunisians’ personal freedoms
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Interview with Lina Attalah
"The Media Are PR Machines of the Military"
After being dismissed from the newspaper Egypt Independent, editor-in-chief Lina Attalah founded the alternative news website Mada Masr. Egyptian media are in "a very precarious condition", she says – and calls for a new kind of critical journalism. Interview by Jannis Hagmann