Syria
All countries-
Saudi Arabia's foreign policy
The bewildered kingdom
The political changes wrought by the Arab Spring in the region, the prospect of increased oil supplies from deposits outside Saudi Arabia and the possibility of an historical rapprochement between the Saudis' long-term ally (US) and their arch enemy (Iran) have been a game-changer for Saudi Arabia in recent years. Mai Yamani takes a closer look at how the kingdom is reacting to these developments
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Documentary film: "Not Who We Are"
Lost time in Lebanon
The stigma of being refugees, the lack of privacy and an uncertain future – these are just some of the problems that Syrian women face in Lebanon. The renowned filmmaker Carol Mansour tells their stories in her touching documentary "Not Who We Are". By Jannis Hagmann
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The Lebanese satirical magazine "Ad-Dabbour"
Hornets' nest in Beirut
The satirical magazine ''Ad-Dabbour'' (the hornet) is one of the oldest magazines in Beirut. Björn Zimprich spoke to Joseph Moukarzel, editor-in-chief of the magazine, about the purpose of satire, freedom of expression in the Arab world and the caricatures of the prophet Mohammed in western magazines in recent years
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Interview with Volker Perthes
"It's time for a ceasefire"
Middle East expert Volker Perthes is calling for a ceasefire in the Syrian conflict to allow civil society to recover, which could in turn curb the growing influence of the Islamists. Diana Hodali spoke to him
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International policy on Syria
The rehabilitation of Assad
Above all, the West wants stability in Syria. Because he has managed to sit out everything that has happened in recent years, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad seems to offer this very stability. But accepting the kind of stability Assad offers would mean having to forget the atrocities committed by his regime. A commentary by Bente Scheller
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"Women's Power in Arabic"
Long-overdue Confrontations
In his new book, the journalist Karim El-Gawhary gives a voice and a face to strong Arab women, while moving beyond the clichés and headscarf debates. Martina Sabra describes the book as multifaceted, revealing, entertaining, emotionally moving, and definitely worth reading
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Syrian Refugees in Jordan
Bleak Prospects
Syrian refugees in Jordan live under dire conditions, Amnesty International reports. The situation is particularly difficult for young girls, according to Amnesty International's Mideast consultant Ruth Jüttner. An interview by Kersten Knipp
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Human Rights Activist Razan Zeitouneh Kidnapped
Syria's Fearless Dissident
For some two decades, the lawyer, recipient of the Sakharov Prize, and head of the Centre for Documentation of Violations in Syria has tirelessly fought against the Assad dictatorship. Together with three other activists, she has recently been kidnapped in Syria. Details by Albert Kadir
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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
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Journalism from the Middle East
Tall Tales from the Desert
A blogging Syrian lesbian, Libyan soldiers in a Viagra-fuelled frenzy, Tunisian women on a sexual Jihad: The blend of sex, Islam and war is failsafe bait for western media, which often fall for propaganda from the Middle East. Not all of the stories are hoaxes, but many of them are. By Sonja Zekri in Cairo
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Syrian Civil War Refugees
Stranded in Gaza
To date, 70,000 Palestinians have fled the civil war in Syria. Only Hamas in the Gaza Strip is welcoming them with open arms. Inge Günther reports from Gaza
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Turkey's Foreign Policy
Return to Pragmatism
In the past month Ankara opened a membership chapter with the European Union after a 30-month hiatus, while intense diplomatic traffic is underway to end tensions with its Iranian and Iraqi neighbours. All of which is fuelling rising speculation that a major reset in Turkish foreign policy is underway. Dorian Jones looks at what lies behind the latest events