Tunisia
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Discourse and our terms of reference
Politics and religion in Islam – one world or two?
A heated debate is raging in the Islamic world about whether the religious and political spheres in Islam are one and the same. Before this matter can be settled, the terms "religion" and "state" have to be clarified, says Syrian writer Morris Ayek. This, he says, is the only way to avoid misunderstandings
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Coronavirus fallout
Tunisia post-lockdown – should we stay or should we go?
Now that the COVID-19 crisis in Tunisia has abated, the government has lifted almost all restrictions. But the social consequences of the lockdown are still hitting the country hard. While social protests and strikes put pressure on the government, an increasing number of people are starting to see escape to Italy as the only way out. Sofian Philip Naceur reports from Tunis
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Human rights and civil society in North Africa
Tunisia joins George Floyd protests to say 'no' to racism
Tunisians rallied on Saturday in support to the Black Lives Matter movement, decrying anti-black racism and raising awareness about racial discrimination in the North African country. Alessandra Bajec reports from Tunis
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Obituary: Tunisian author Albert Memmi
Adieu, Albert!
Albert Memmi, Tunisian author and pioneer of a sociology of de-colonisation, died on 22 May 2020 in Paris. He was nearly 100 years old. He was the last of a generation of Maghreb novelists writing in French. A personal obituary by Regina Keil-Sagawe
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Women's rights in the Islamic world
Arab Christian women take a stand against church paternalism
Churches in the Middle East – Coptic, Eastern Orthodox, Maronite – typically share the conservative values of their Islamic surroundings. Yet the resistance of Arab Christian women to church paternalism is growing. Claudia Mende reports
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COVID-19 pandemic
Coronavirus takes no account of Ramadan
According to the latest Reuters tally, more than 2.54 million people are now reported to have been infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 177,004 have died. As Muslims prepare for a very different Ramadan this year, here are the latest developments from across the region
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Politics, inequality and a lack of transparency
Coronavirus and the Middle East's ongoing state of emergency
Plagued by troubled state-citizen relationships on the one hand and conflict on the other, states in the Middle East could discover new uses for COVID-19 lockdown measures. By Abdalhadi Alijla
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COVID-19 pandemic
Ramadan during coronavirus – with a virtual community
Ramadan begins this week even as the coronavirus pandemic up-ends life around the world. The crisis is forcing Muslims to re-think traditions and find new approaches to one of Islam's most important religious rituals. By Siham Ouchtou and Kersten Knipp
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COVID-19 in the Middle East
Women talk under coronavirus lockdown: "I want my life back"
How are people in the Middle East and North Africa dealing with the new coronavirus pandemic? Women from countries across the region, some of them war zones, share their worries – and hopes. By Diana Hodali
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Coronavirus pandemic in the Islamic world
Doubling down on containment efforts
Around the Islamic world, lockdowns and curfews are being extended and religious ceremonies are being cancelled outright in the hope of slowing the spread of COVID-19. Here’s the latest from across the region
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Impact of Coronavirus
Rise in domestic violence in the Middle East
As authorities across the region struggle to contain the pandemic with curfews and lockdowns, few have thought of the knock-on effects. For many women, more time at home means more physical abuse from family members. By Maram Shahatit
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Pandemic update
Corona across the Islamic world – the toll of COVID-19
While some are beginning to protest the lockdown, others are unable to bury their loved ones in accordance with Islam. Here’s the latest from across the region