Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Arabian prince, magician, master of ceremonies and traveller between worlds: Michael Buthe (1944–1994) was one of the most vivid personalities of the German art scene, dividing his time between Cologne and Marrakesh during the 1970s. A portrait by Natalie GoltenbothMore

Germany was this year′s guest of honour at the Istanbul International Book Fair. This could not have happened at a better time – despite or perhaps because of the political dissonance. By Karen KrugerMore

Since the revolution of 25 January 2011, Egypt has seen a resurgence of its cinema clubs: places where fans of the "seventh art" (Alain/Schelling) meet, mostly in cultural centres, to watch films together and discuss them afterwards. Islam Anwar reports from CairoMore

Streams of migration are a challenge. On the move along with individual people are whole cultures, languages and habits that are sometimes not understood outside their homelands. Music, as a non-verbal phenomenon bound up with strong feelings, could operate as a medium for bridging the consequent perplexity. By Hans-Jurgen LinkeMore

Acclaimed author Etgar Keret is often viewed as a traitor due to his outspoken criticism of the Israeli government. Etgar spoke to Sabine Peschel about why he finds Berlin so tolerant and why he'd propose a three-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflictMore

As the first Muslim country to grant women the vote in 1919, Azerbaijan is rightly proud of its enlightened heritage. Yet increasingly, tensions are arising between an evolving 21st century ″anything goes″ interpretation of religious tolerance and the secular legacy of its literary founding fathers. An essay by Nermin KamalMore

Couching the songs of Rumi in free-form jazz is doubtless a daring undertaking. Yet, listen with an open mind and heart, says Richard Marcus, and you will find this album to be both thought-provoking and emotionally fulfillingMore