Syria
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Fighting Islamic State with satire and black humour
Terribly funny
Reports and videos of Islamic State's horrendous deeds have left many people around the world speechless with shock. But for many Arabs – both in the countries affected by IS and elsewhere around the globe – the only way to fight IS is to satirise and ridicule it. Elisabeth Lehmann has the details
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The jihadi fighters of IS
"Jihadism has become a German phenomenon"
German jihadists are participating in Islamic State's war of terror. Security forces fear they could also pose a threat to the country. Guido Steinberg is an expert on Islam and Islamism. He has written a book about Germany's jihadi fighters. Bettina Marx spoke to him about the country's home-grown fighters
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The genesis of Islamic State
A new chapter in the decline of the Arab world
IS is a child of the late cold war and at the same time the beginning of a total war against the countries of the Arab East. It is the consequence of a collapse of political, moral and social values in the region, writes the Lebanese author Elias Khoury
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French reactions to IS terror
"What next? Will we ask Muslims to kneel?"
France's divided society is united in condemning the jihadi barbarism of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. From Toulouse, Birgit Kaspar sums up the reactions of French politicians and Islamic organisations
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The fight against IS
No alternative to civil and human rights in the Arab world
In the battle against Islamic State, the religious leaders of Islam have failed; the onus is now on secular forces to fight the jihadi terrorists. To this end, the West must support the beleaguered rebels and civil society's campaign for civil and human rights in the Arab world. A commentary by Markus Bickel
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Interview with Kinan Azmeh and Dima Orsho
"All we can do is sing and play our hearts out"
Clarinettist Kinan Azmeh and soprano Dima Orsho, friends since childhood, are two of the most talented musicians to emerge from the Damascus music scene. Marian Brehmer talked to the two Syrian musicians at the Morgenland Festival in Osnabruck about playing music in times of war and misery
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Turkey and the alliance against IS
Of inaction and double standards
In recent days, there have been a lot of reports about the Kurds' determined battle against the terrorist group Islamic State in Kobani, northern Syria. In this context, Turkey has frequently been accused of "inaction". Why? An essay by Cemal Karakas
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Turkey, IS and the Kurdish conflict
"Kobani is now everywhere"
The deputy chairman of the PKK, Cemil Bayik, accuses Turkey of supporting IS and consciously ending the peace process. He views the recent Turkish parliamentary motion authorising the use of force in Syria and Iraq as a preparation for war – albeit a war against the PKK rather than against IS. Difficult weeks now lie ahead for Turkey and the Kurds. By Ekrem Guzeldere in Erbil
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Turkey, IS and the Kurds
Powder keg on the Turkish-Syrian border
More than 200,000 people from Kobani have fled the IS onslaught and sought refuge in Turkey. But as the days pass, anger and frustration at what they see as Turkish inactivity is growing. More and more Kurds, from both Syria and Turkey, are now considering taking up arms not only against IS but also against Turkey should Kobani fall. By Kiran Nazish in Mursitpinar, Turkey
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The international alliance against IS
No clear objective
The American strategy of conducting air strikes in Syria remains dubious and unclear. According to Karim El-Gawhary, air strikes can only be part of a broader military strategy, and the West needs to address the genesis of IS
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Military strikes against IS
Fragile alliance
The fight against IS is bringing East and West closer together and uniting the Arabs at the same time. However, it is possible that this alliance will only be of short duration. By Birgit Svensson in Baghdad
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Islamic State (IS)
A totalitarian, expansive and hegemonic project
Are we underestimating the scope of Islamic State (IS) by referring to it as a "terrorist militia"? IS raises taxes, recruits soldiers, pays officials and is keeping oil wells in operation. According to Volker Perthes, it would be more accurate to call it a jihadist nation-building project