Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

He covered the demonstrations against Assad, was thrown into prison, yet managed to escape. More than anything, however, Ramy al–Asheq is a writer. In interview with Sarah Hofmann, he explains why the "Weiter Schreiben" initiative is so important to himMore

Rather than acting as a counterweight to the ruling class, the press across the Arab world serves the interests of oligarchs, despots and governments, says Hazem Saghieh. In interview with Kai Schnier, the Lebanese author and journalist explains why he censors himself and why he believes that journalism from Rabat to Riyadh will never be a catalyst for political changeMore

While ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak – who has apparently got off scot-free – will not be called to account for the deaths of hundreds of demonstrators, democracy activists released from detention such as Ahmed Maher continue to suffer harassment at the hands of the legal system. Karim El-Gawhary reports from CairoMore

One year before its mandate expires, Tunisia′s Truth and Dignity Commission is struggling to complete its work within a volatile domestic political climate. With the ruling party opposed to the transitional process and new reports of torture and abuse emerging, the country′s democratic gains are in danger. By Fatim-Zohra El MalkiMore

Defiance in the face of the adversity is the main theme of Hamid Sulaiman′s comic novel ″Freedom Hospital″. In interview with Stefan Dege the author talks about the confounding situation in Syria, about torture, destruction and death – yet also about hopeMore

Egypt is in crisis. To tighten his grip on power, President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi claims to be its saviour. He tries to discredit any dissent as anti-national. His idea of the nation, however, does not include every Egyptian. By Ingy SalamaMore

Syrian intellectual Yassin al-Haj Saleh was a revolutionary from the very first. He remains harshly critical of all those political observers and experts in the West who claim that there is no alternative to Assad and that shoring up the regime would be the lesser of two evils. Interview by Emran FerozMore