Mashriq
All countries-
Interview with literary translator Nabil Al Haffar
"Always distance yourself from the original text"
Considered one of the most renowned and experienced literary translators in the business, Nabil Al Haffar has received numerous awards for his work. He began translating from German into Arabic in 1974. Here he discusses his work as a translator and the challenges it presents
-
Interview with graphic novel illustrator Reinhard Kleist
Arab comics – protest, love and the everyday
Reinhard Kleist is regarded as one of Germany’s finest graphic-novel illustrators and has travelled the Arab world extensively, discovering a fascinating local comics scene
-
Higher education in the Middle East
Low standards, wrong content
Young people in the MENA region today are better educated than their parents' generation. But higher educational attainment does not open doors to better jobs. Many youngsters go from university straight into unemployment. By Nassir Djafari
-
What triggered the Middle Eastern revolts in 2011?
The economics of Arabellion
Syrian historian Nasser Rabbat argues that the Arab Spring resulted mainly from social imbalance and the misery of large sections of the population within the Arab world. Moreover, as long as economic inequality persists, these states will continue to be plagued by instability
-
"Modern Art in the Arab World: Primary Documents"
Pioneering volume or seminal work?
A book of texts on modern art in the Arab world is causing a furore. It has been put together by the New York Museum of Modern Art. Now it has been launched – and discussed – in Beirut. By Lena Bopp
-
Youth unemployment in the Arab world
MENA's generation jobless
A lack of jobs and bleak social prospects for young people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are undermining the political stability of what is already a deeply troubled region. The problem cannot be solved by simply modernising education and labour markets. By Nassir Djafari
-
The annual pilgrimage to Mecca
High summer hajj
Millions of believers, heat and loud prayers: the hajj in Mecca. Once a year, the Saudi city becomes a pilgrimage hot spot and the site of the largest gathering of people in the world. Nermin Ismail was in Mecca
-
Middle East and North Africa
A new approach to MENA's refugee crisis
There are now more people displaced by conflict than at any time since World War II, and violent conflict in the Middle East and North Africa accounts for the majority of today's refugees. With no evidence that the fighting will end anytime soon, host countries and major donors must adjust their aid accordingly, says Lebanese Economist Nasser Saidi
-
Arab dictatorships in crisis
The Middle East's militia mentality
A militia mentality has gripped many Arab states. Today it seems that the regionʹs authoritarian regimes are resorting to methods more commonly associated with gangs and armed clans, says Kuwaiti analyst Shafeeq Ghabra.
-
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
-
Germanyʹs Arabic Childrenʹs Literature Festival
Karimʹs adventures
The Arabic Childrenʹs Literature Festival held recently in Munich presented a selection of recommended childrenʹs books in Arabic. The catalogue is one of the early outcomes of a three-year project run by the International Youth Library, with the aim of bringing as yet unknown Arabic childrenʹs books to Germany. By Claudia Mende
-
Parliamentary elections in Lebanon
Much ado about nothing
Lebanonʹs forthcoming parliamentary elections will likely be the dullest since the end of the countryʹs war in 1990. No significant surprises appear to be looming, nor are there major political stakes or programmes mobilising the attention of voters. By Joseph Bahout