Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

"Islamicates Volume I", released by Islam and Science Fiction founder Muhammad Aurangzeb Ahmad is a new anthology working to give geeky Muslims a bigger voice in science fiction with a collection of short stories both based on and inspired by Islamic culture.More

What do people believe in? What is their language of prayer? Which churches, prayer rooms, mosques or temples do they attend? The interfaith theatre project ″Urban Prayers″ posed these and other tough questions – in six different places of worship throughout Germany′s Ruhr region. By Gaby ReucherMore

The Saudi Arabian dentist Alhanoof Aldegheishem wrote her first novel ″Frāībūrġ. riqqatu l-cuzla″, which roughly translates as ′Freiburg – sweet loneliness′, during a long research residency in Germany. In it, she describes how her own perspective changed and developed through her exposure to a foreign culture and the challenges she faced along the way. Interview by Hussein GaafarMore

British Pakistani actress, playwright and comedian Ambreen Razia is currently touring the UK with her acclaimed one-woman play ″The Diary of a Hounslow Girl″. In it, 16-year-old Shaheeda talks non-stop about running away, her mother who does not understand her, a fight with her friend on the bus and a messed-up Pakistani wedding. Ambreen Razia spoke to Thomas Baerthlein about being a Muslim girl growing up in London, the struggle with ″British identity″ and the importance of Sadiq Khan′s election as Mayor of LondonMore

Forever with his finger on the pulse, Jan Bohmermann, the ″enfant terrible″ of Germany′s satirists, has released a video that reveals a lot – and arguably, more than he realises. By William GlucroftMore

Mashrou' Leila is the most popular indie rock band in the Middle East – and the most controversial. Singing about politics and gay desire, they have faced bans in various countries. Yet at the same time they are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and the U.S. Ceyda Nurtsch talked to them about checkpoints, indie rock music and clichesMore

As was revealed at the culture festival in Riyadh, the Kingdom finds itself in a precarious position – not least because women are still excluded from podium discussions. Open debate about politics and religion did, however, take place at the fringes. Stefan Weidner reports from RiyadhMore