Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Many Tunisians are disillusioned with the EU. Convinced that fairer trading relations with their northern neighbours is the key to reinvigorating Tunisia′s flagging economy, they are critical of Europe′s failure to engage. By Isabel SchaferMore

Although the protests in Tunisia are gradually dying down, the country′s political class still finds itself confronted with dissatisfaction from large sections of the population. Alongside political freedoms, the government now also needs to keep the social promises of 2011, says Tunisian journalist Ismael DbaraMore

The Egyptian regime has been resorting to defamation campaigns to target its opponents as a tactic to silence and discredit any critical voices, claims leading activist Esraa Abdel Fattah in her commentaryMore

Tunisia stands out as the only democracy among Arab countries. Why it has managed the transformation from autocratic rule after the Arab Spring has deep roots that go back centuries, argues Safwan M. Masri. Hans Dembowski read the bookMore

London-based author Hisham Matar writes about the disappearance of his father, a member of the Libyan opposition who was kidnapped while exiled in Cairo and has never been seen since. In ″The Return″, Matar describes his own fruitless search to trace his father and Libya′s brief moment of hope following the fall of Gaddafi. Interview by Claudia MendeMore

News from the Middle East and North Africa often conveys the image of a troubled region characterised by political and economic volatility. But there are many more facets to life in this region than this image suggests, as shown by the projects the Goethe-Institut is running in the region. By Christina BünsMore

The Tunisian revolution, considered the catalyst for the movement that became known as the Arab Spring, began seven years ago. Today, Tunisia is still struggling to achieve democratic reform and economic growth. By Sarah MerschMore