Egypt

Country: Egypt

Demonstrator protesting against the Mubarak regime on Tahrir Square in Cairo in 2011 (photo: AFP)

Authoritarian rule in the Arab world

Nurturing the Arabellion phoenix

The restoration of authoritarianism after the turmoil of 2010/11 lured some analysts into drawing the over-hasty conclusion that the Arab Spring had been doomed to failure from the start, because the citizens of these countries lacked political maturity and a real desire for change. A miscalculation, argues Emad Alali in his essayMore

Eight years after the Arabellion: The Egyptian opposition's seven deadly sins The Arab Spring and the "Spring of Nations": Failed revolutionaries?What triggered the Middle Eastern revolts in 2011? The economics of Arabellion

Demonstration on Tahrir Square in Cairo, 2011 (photo: Reuters)

Eight years after the Arabellion

The Egyptian opposition's seven deadly sins

On 25 January 2011, millions of Egyptians took to the streets demanding "bread, freedom, social justice". Eight years later, the democratic opposition is divided because it has been unable to offer an alternative to the military state, says political scientist Taqadum Al-KhatibMore

The Arab Spring and the "Spring of Nations": Failed revolutionaries?After the coup in Egypt: A dark chapter in Egyptian liberalism The Arab Spring and the failure of Egyptian secularism: Opportunity missed

Egyptian artist Soad Abdelrasoul at her exhibition opening in Cairo's Mashrabiya Gallery (photo: Jacob Wirtschafter)

Portrait of the Egyptian artist Soad Abdelrasoul

Creating her own universe

With her "Virtual Garden" exhibition at the trend-setting Mashrabiya Gallery in downtown Cairo, the 45-year-old painter Soad Abdelrasoul has confirmed her place as one of Egyptʹs leading contemporary artists. By Mahmoud SaberMore

Portrait of the Lebanese-American artist Helen Zughaib: "We are more similar than dissimilar""Human Cargo" art project: Plumbing the depths of refugee pain 4th Qalandiya International art exhibition: Showing for Palestinian solidarity

Independent media prohibited: graffiti in the Yemeni capital Sanaa (photo: AFP)

Media and politics in the Arab world

The despotsʹ henchmen

The murder of well-known Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi highlights the difficulties facing media in post-revolutionary Arab states. The freedoms temporarily gained after 2011 have long since fallen victim to the authoritarian restoration. By Loay MudhoonMore

Repression against journalists: A world of Khashoggis Interview with Yasmine Zohdi, editor with Egyptʹs Mada Masr: "Censorship is the worst it has ever been"Media in Egypt: Fall into line or switch off

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi performing the morning Eid ul-Adha prayers alongside the Grand Imam of al-Azhar Ahmed al-Tayeb, Defence Minister Sedky Sobhy and Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab at the al-Sayeda Safeya Mosque, Cairo, Egypt, on 4 October 2014 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/Office Of The Presidency)

President Sisi and Al-Azhar

Wresting religious authority from the Grand Imam

An arcane dispute between Egyptʹs president and Al-Azhar over how much society is threatened by debating the authenticity of hadiths and their role in Islamic law is really about moral leadership in society. By Nathan J. Brown and Cassia BardosMore

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi′s ascendancy: Sweetness and light?Islam, Al-Azhar and the terrorists′ ideology: If the cap fits Interview with Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb: "What the Islamist armed movements are doing is wrong"

Tunisian woman protesting during the 2010/2011 Jasmine Revolution, Tunis (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

The Arab Spring and the "Spring of Nations"

Failed revolutionaries?

What do Europeʹs "Spring of Nations" of 1848 and the Arab Spring have in common? Both revolutions it seems were doomed to failure, with those involved forced to endure a long and icy winter of restoration. And yet there is a glimmer of hope. An essay by the Egyptian historian Khaled FahmyMore

Authoritarian reinstatement in the Arab world: Whatʹs left of the Arab Spring What triggered the Middle Eastern revolts in 2011? The economics of Arabellion Tyranny in the Islamic world: Keeping the tribe alive

Festival of feminist artists

Loud, louder, tashweesh!

At the Goethe-Institutʹs Tashweesh Festival, artists and intellectuals from North Africa, Europe and the Middle East meet to discuss stereotypical gender images. By Caren MiesenbergerMore

Interview with the Egyptian theatre director Laila Soliman: Revolutions past and present Book review: Zahra Ali's "Islamic Feminisms": Female emancipation based on the spirit of Sharia Suspended Territories exhibition: Beyond the veil

Egyptian BookTubers Nada El Shabrawi and Shady (photo: Goethe-Institut)

Literary trends

Introducing Egypt's BookTubers

Nada El Shabrawi was the first Egyptian to create her own professional BookTubing channel in 2017. In her videos she talks about books that have struck a nerve with her. Shady also produces shows online that offer tips on literature. In interview, the two discuss this new trend, their passion for literature and the Arab public's responseMore

Profile: Hoda Marmar, administrator of Beirutʹs Bookoholics: Truly, madly, deeply into books Arab teens and Young Adult literature: The new wave Kurdistan′s Book Cafe: In praise of female entrepreneurs

Islamic scholar Peter Heine (source: Klaus Wagenbach Verlag)

Book review: Peter Heineʹs "The Culinary Crescent"

Pepper... a universally-used condiment

Delving into Peter Heine's cookbook, now also available in English, you are left with the feeling that he bit off more than he could chew. "The Culinary Crescent" reads like a mishmash of a thousand and one culinary arts. By Marcia Lynx QualeyMore

Non-fiction: ″Scents & Flavors: A Syrian Cookbook″: Muslim master chefs In praise of fusion food: Hummus with a twist International understanding through cuisine: Food for thought

Mohamed El Sagheerʹs "Gallert Epic"

Hamlet in Egyptian

What would actually happen if the famous theatre hero Hamlet were to rise from the dead and live among us? Would the Prince of Denmark be able to cope with the modern world? Or would another tragedy ensue, as in Shakespeare's play from the early 17th century? By Eslam AnwarMore

"Mahatat" dance project in Cairo: Stop and dance!Book review: ″Tahrir Tales: Plays from the Egyptian Revolution″: The drama of protest Cairo's Al Darb Al Ahmar Art School: The chance of a lifetime

Transporting the wounded to hospital after the Rawda mosque bombing on the Sinai Peninsula, 24 November 2017 (photo: picture-alliance/AA)

Sisi's self-defeating security plan

A bloody year in Sinai

The Egyptian government has intensified its military campaign in the Sinai peninsula with the aim of finally shutting down a jihadist insurgency linked to IS. Hundreds may have died, but the insurgency continues with no end in sight. By Tom StevensonMore

Mosque attack in northern Sinai: Targeting the peacemakers Egypt's 'anti-terror' campaign: Not all it seems Egyptian Copts flee the Sinai: "They're slaughtering us like chickens"

Egyptian singer Dina El Wedidi

Hypnotic rail rhythms

Singer Dina El Wedidi was one of the most prominent Egyptian singers among the protestors in Tahrir Square. She has just released her latest album, "Manam / Slumber", an experimental venture featuring a 30-minute suite that captures the sounds of Egypt’s trains and railway stations. By Stefan FranzenMore

Dina El Wedidi's official website Tahrir and Taksim – Part II: Soundtrack of two revolutions Interview with the Egyptian DJ Mohammed Safi: Voice of the people

Demonstrators demand the resignation of Ben Ali in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Tunis on 14 January 2011 (photo: Fethi Belaid/AFP)

Authoritarian reinstatement in the Arab world

Whatʹs left of the Arab Spring

Not much remains of the euphoric mood and the hopes that drove the Arab Spring. A return to pre-2011 conditions is however out of the question. Commentary by Loay MudhoonMore

What triggered the Middle Eastern revolts in 2011? The economics of Arabellion Interview with Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkul Karman: "Bring back the Arab Spring!"Tyranny in the Islamic world: Keeping the tribe alive

Harmonica app (source: Harmonica Facebook page)

Matchmaking for millennials

Finding a spouse the halal way

Egyptʹs Harmonica app, intended for those seeking marriage, aims to be a cut above the average dating platform, providing a contemporary, science-based approach for individuals intent on making their own match with a life partner. By Mostafa FathiMore

Sex tourism in Egypt: A bride for the summer Fighting forced marriage in Kyrgyzstan: Bride abduction is not cool Interview with Halis Cicek: "Forced marriage is a contemporary form of slavery"First women's film festival in Cairo: Between passing love and prostitution

A Cairo street sign showing Egypt's President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi ahead of the presidential election, 25 March 2018 (photo: Reuters/A. Awad)

Country: Egypt

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