Syria
All countries-
What to do with Assad?
Taming Syria’s rogue man
The more-for-more approach could kickstart the deadlocked political process, but it won't resolve the conflict in Syria. Assad must go. Any strategy that fails to bear this in mind long-term is not only unfair to Syrians and humanity as a whole, but will plant the seeds for the next conflict in the region. By Karam Shaar
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Lebanese thinker Martin Accad
"Lebanon's tragedy is political sectarianism"
With no end to Lebanon's crisis of statehood in sight, Qantara.de met up with leading Lebanese thinker and theologian Martin Accad to discuss the country's current difficulties and explore ongoing efforts to find a way out of the morass. Interview by Erik Siegl
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Climate crisis and over-population
The Arab world has no answers
As challenges such as population growth and the end of the fossil fuel era loom large, not a single Arab regime is in a position to meet them. It is now incumbent upon Europe to encourage a response. Commentary by Rainer Hermann
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Idlib: Life among the ruins
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Idlib: Life among the ruins
War has been raging in Syria for eleven years. There are 2.8 million internally displaced people living in the Idlib region. Some of the families there have settled on archaeological sites to avoid paying rent. By Diana Hodali (with Reuters)
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Kurdish autonomy in northeast Syria
Between Assad and Erdogan
The Kurdish Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria controls a third of Syria, but is not recognised by anyone. Attacks by Turkey, a threatened takeover by the Assad regime, dealing with tens of thousands of IS supporters and international isolation complicate people's daily lives. Kristin Helberg reports for Qantara.de from Qamishli
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Assad's rehabilitation
At the expense of the Syrian people
A number of Arab League member states have announced in recent weeks that they intend resuming relations with the Syrian regime. A potential invitation to the Arab League summit in Algeria in March was even on the table, but the conference has since been postponed. By Bente Scheller
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UAE foreign policy rethink
Is dialogue replacing proxy politics?
The UAE is revisiting its foreign policy goals with the aim of boosting its global trade partnerships and ensuring its security and political stability, by replacing robust military intervention and proxy politics with dialogue and diplomacy. By Mohammad Barhouma
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Arab world
Arab youth: Aspirations for the New Year
Arab youth express their hopes and wishes for the New Year, spanning everything from civil and political rights, to education, to arts and culture. By Rafiah Al Talei
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Syria torture trial
Anwar Raslan: "No small cog in the wheel"
Life imprisonment for crimes against humanity: that was the sentence handed down to Anwar Raslan in the world's first trial of a member of the Syrian torture system. Matthias von Hein reports
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Joey Lawrenceʹs "We came from fire"
A tribute to the Kurds
With its large landscape format and its glossy colour photos, "We Came From Fire" by American-based Canadian photo journalist Joey Lawrence may look like a coffee table book, yet from the sub-title, "Kurdistan's Armed Struggle Against ISIS", to its content, this book is unlike any other. By Richard Marcus
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"The Book of Charlatans"
Mediaeval Syria's answer to Mark Twain
In this new bilingual edition, translated by Humphrey Davies, al-Jawbari, one of the thirteenth century's leading experts in skullduggery reveals all there is to know about the wiles of false prophets, quacks, prestidigitators, cat burglars, money changers, false alchemists, and – worst of all – women. By Marcia Lynx Qualey