Qatar
All countries-
Outside intervention in Syria
Wanted: moderate, reliable rebels for fight against IS
The US wants to bolster the Syrian rebels in the fight against IS. But which of the groups is it supposed to support? Kristin Helberg examines three reasons why the search for suitable allies on the ground is not as straightforward as it seems
-
Book review: "Sectarian Gulf" by Toby Matthiesen
Sectarianism instead of revolution
The Gulf states were among the many countries enveloped by the Arab Spring. However, authorities there skilfully managed to play Sunnis and Shias off against each other as a means of dividing the protest movement. Initially, the tactic proved successful, writes Toby Matthiesen in his book "Sectarian Gulf". A review by Jannis Hagmann
-
The Arab Museum of Modern Art in Qatar
Can Mathaf Restore a Pan-Arab Artistic Identity?
In 2010, Mathaf (the Arab Museum of Modern Art) was opened in the Gulf state of Qatar. In his essay, Sultan Sooud al-Qassemi provides an overview of pan-Arabism in recent decades and looks at what this museum can do to restore a pan-Arab cultural identity that has been neglected and in some cases even vilified for decades
-
Hamas after the Overthrow in Egypt
Stuck in the Tunnel
Hamas abandoned Syria and Iran in the course of the Syrian civil war and relied on the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt as their powerful regional ally. However after Morsi was overthrown by the Egyptian military, the Palestinian organization became isolated in the region. A background report by Juliane Metzker
-
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
-
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
-
Syrian Conflict
Political Breakthrough or Tactical Manoeuvre?
In Geneva, the US and Russian foreign ministers announced their agreement on a plan for the destruction of Syrian chemical weapons – but is it a breakthrough for a political solution? Or is the agreement itself merely a manoeuvre to help Russia and the USA save face? Answers from Andreas Zumach
-
Interview with Robert Fisk on the War in Syria
A War That Won't End
President Bashar al-Assad's troops in Syria are gaining ground. British Middle East reporter Robert Fisk met some of them when he visited the front lines earlier this month. Interview by Michael Hartlep
-
Interview with Bakary Sambe
''In the Arab World, We Africans are Viewed as Inferior Muslims''
The French military intervention in Mali has triggered controversial reactions among Muslim intellectuals in West Africa. While there is almost universal rejection of jihadism, opinion about France's political motives is divided. Charlotte Wiedemann spoke to the Senegalese political scientist Bakary Sambe
-
Essay by the Syrian Writer Fawwaz Haddad
Children of a Divided Nation
In his essay, the renowned Syrian writer and novelist Fawwaz Haddad criticises the cynical attitude of the international community toward the Syrian conflict and the dramatic decline of his homeland
-
Civil War and Cultural Protest in Syria
''The Revolution Has Become an Orphan''
As the military conflict in Syria continues to escalate, the commitment of many peace activists and creative professionals in Syria is going more or less unnoticed by the media and in western public consciousness. An essay by Astrid Kaminski
-
Islamic Jurisprudence in Qatar
Putting the Gulf on the Legal Education Map
The small emirate of Qatar is extremely ambitious – and wants to position itself as a motor for the region, also in the field of jurisprudence. Laura Overmeyer spoke to the German legal expert Günter Frankenberg, who is aiming to set up an innovative legal research institute in Doha