Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Making films in a country that has been torn apart by years of war and occupation is truly a tall order, but this is what Salim Shaheen has done – over 100 times. For many, Shaheen is Afghanistan's answer to Steven Spielberg. A new documentary shines a spotlight on the zero-budget filmmaker and his films. By Jochen KurtenMore

German-born Mekhennet has focused her investigative career on diving into militant Islamist networks. She spoke to Sabine Kieselbach about her job's dangers and why it is important to speak to jihadistsMore

Kabul's Darul Aman Palace was originally built to house Afghanistan's parliament. After four decades of war, it had become an ever-present reminder of violence and destruction. Now a team of architects and engineers, many of them women, are rebuilding the ruins. By Sandra PetersmannMore

The Middle East is fraught with bitter national and sectarian conflicts that realistically can only be solved by compromise. Rather than another round of demonisation, what the region needs, argues Jeffrey Sachs, is an era of diplomacy that focuses on normalising relationsMore

The tragic history of Kabul is nowhere more clearly seen than at two adjacent historical sites: the ruined shell of the Darul Aman Palace and its close neighbour the National Museum of Afghanistan, where visitors are hard pressed to find a Buddha with its head intact. By Emran FerozMore

For dozens of Afghan asylum seekers in Germany, an interview with German officials is a decisive moment that shapes their future. Despite serious security concerns, many asylum applications by Afghans are rejected. By Zivile RaskauskaiteMore

In April 2002, the German women′s rights organisation medica mondiale began a new project in Afghanistan: Medica Afghanistan. It is the only organisation in the country that offers psychosocial and trauma-sensitive counselling to women who have survived violence. By Mechthild BuchholzMore