Middle East
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Interview with Asef Bayat
Examining the Arab Spring revolutions from within
Asef Bayat, professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has been studying revolutions and how they affect people since 1979. In his recent book, "Revolutionary Life: The Everyday of the Arab Spring", Bayat takes a new approach to studying revolutions by focusing on how they affect citizens in their everyday lives. Tugrul von Mende spoke to him about how his understanding of revolutions has changed over the past 20 years
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Lebanon in crisis
Support lacking for trauma victims
The 2020 Beirut port blast was a traumatic experience for many people in Lebanon. A large number sought therapy in the aftermath. But, with doctors leaving the country, help is not easy to find. Diana Hodali reports
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Young people in Iraqi Kurdistan
Turning towards religion or away from it?
Young people in northern Iraq are so disillusioned that many are trying to leave the country any way they can. Some fear widespread discontent could push people toward potentially dangerous religious fundamentalism. By Cathrin Schaer
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Book review: Nadia Hashimi's "Sparks like Stars"
Reclaiming memories long buried
In "Sparks Like Stars", Nadia Hashimi pulls the reader behind the curtain of modern history to peek backstage at the impact of war and terror on individual lives. Richard Marcus read the book
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Best of Qantara.de 2021
Top ten most-read articles on Qantara.de
Every year in December, the team at Qantara.de takes a look back at the articles that proved most popular with our readers. This year is no different. Here is a run-down of the stories that mattered most to you in 2021. Happy New Year to all our readers!
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Arab world
Conflict and climate change drive Syria's water crisis
Northeastern Syria is experiencing its worst drought in nearly 70 years, with rising temperatures and erratic weather exacerbated by tensions with Turkey. Daniela Sala, Bart von Laffert and Shaveen Mohammad report
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Lebanon
Beirut nightlife grinds to a halt
A pandemic, civil strife and an economic meltdown have conspired to bring Beirut's vibrant club scene to its knees. Yet the city needs parties more than ever. Kate Martyr reports
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Women's rights in North Africa
"The headscarf is losing its religious edge"
Moroccan sociologist Fatima Sadiqi believes that women's movements in North Africa have changed over the past ten years. Today, women from all social classes are fighting together for more rights, regardless of whether they are "secular" or "Islamic" feminists. Claudia Mende spoke with her for Qantara.de
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Turkey's Cappadocia – a truly fairytale landscape
The height of geological eccentricity, Cappadocia, set amid the plains of Anatolia in central Turkey, combines fantastical topography with fascinating remnants of human history. By Sugato Mukherjee
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Middle East
Young Arabs: "more Israeli and more Palestinian than ever"
May 2021 saw a deadly flare-up in Israel-Hamas hostilities, with eruptions of extreme violence in several of Israel's 'mixed' cities. Two weeks later, a broad-spectrum governing coalition – the first to include an independent Arab Israeli party – was formed. Noam Yatsiv reflects on this year's rollercoaster of events with Thabet Abu-Rass, co-director of NGO Abraham Initiatives
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Middle East
Lebanon: Influencers join together to fight hate speech
A group of 20 social media influencers in Lebanon is seeking to de-escalate political tensions and overcome sectarian problems. Their outreach is impressive among the young and tech-savvy population. By Jennifer Holleis and Razan Salman
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Middle East
Iraq: IS returnees met with tolerance – and distrust
In Iraq, returning families of IS fighters have to turn to local initiatives for help, as there is no official path home. Judit Neurink met with families on the ground