Lebanon

Country: Lebanon

Jabbour Douaihy (photo: Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore)

Book review: Jabbour Douaihy's "June Rain"

A "whodunit" without the "who"

A "whodunit" without the "who"? What sounds like a recipe for disappointment for the reader is, according to Marcia Lynx Qualey, an important and a delightful book and certainly not the first contemporary Lebanese novel to take this approachMore

Obituary: Lebanese poet Ounsi el-Hage: One of the founders of Arab surrealism Interview with the Syrian writer Samar Yazbek: Divided society, divided souls Dossier: Arabic Literature

The Tabadoul Orchestra

Worldwide "Wahab"

Following in the footsteps of the major Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab, the Tabadoul Orchestra brings together musical styles from all over the world. The ensemble was founded by musicians from Cologne, Egypt and Turkey. By Martina SabraMore

The Tabadoul Orchestra website A German brass band in the Middle East: Touring the Orient with a trumpet and a notepad Marcel Khalifeh: "An iconic figure of contemporary Arab culture"Music scene in Beirut: Nostalgic about the war

Postcard from the time of the First World War showing the allies Kaiser Wilhelm II, left, Sultan Mehmed V, centre, and Kaiser Franz-Joseph, right (photo: picture-alliance)

Historical roots of the current Middle East crisis

The end of an artificial construct

After the First World War, many people hoped for a lasting order that would bring peace. The mandate system, which was supervised by the international community, was supposed to bring a new form of "benevolent" imperialism to the Middle East. However, the region is still dominated by the problems that were created at that time – more so today than ever before. By Jakob KraisMore

Syria and the Middle East: The end of the Sykes–Picot system?Germans and Ottomans in the First World War: A partnership of privilege Interview with Daniel Barenboim: "The world is suffering from a lack of leadership"

Syrian refugees in Arsal, Lebanon (photo: Jamie Itani)

Syrian refugees in Lebanon

"We will perish here!"

Fearing a terrorist attack, the Lebanese army has hermetically sealed off the town of Arsal. More than 100,000 Syrian refugees have been trapped there for months. They fear for their own security and the impact of winter. Juliane Metzker reports from ArsalMore

Syrian refugees in Turkey: Time for Turkey's allies to rally round Syrian refugee children: A lost generation in the making Photo gallery: Syrian refugee children in Lebanon The Syrian art project "Cutting Away the Void": Documenting the tragedy of the Syrian revolt Syrian refugees: Driven out of Egypt

Readers at the Cairo book fair (photo: imago/Xinhua)

Crowdfunding for translations of Arabic literature

A new way to reach a wider readership

The "A Bird is not a Stone" crowdfunding campaign may not have gotten as much press as British scientists seeking to fund a moon landing through online donations, but it certainly made a ripple among Arabic literary translators. The success of this campaign showed that crowdfunding can be an important tool in bringing Arabic literature into European languages. By Marcia Lynx QualeyMore

Interview with literary translator Hartmut Faehndrich: "What I don't see is an on-going interest in Arabic literature"Book review: Kamal Ruhayyim's "Diary of a Muslim Jew": An engaging take on a complex theme Book review: Jabbour Douaihy's "June Rain": A "whodunit" without the "who"International Prize for Arabic Fiction 2014: "Frankenstein in Baghdad": Beyond good and evil

Scene from the comic strip about Abu A and Abu B by Karl Sharro (source: karlremarks.com 2014)

Fighting Islamic State with satire and black humour

Terribly funny

Reports and videos of Islamic State's horrendous deeds have left many people around the world speechless with shock. But for many Arabs – both in the countries affected by IS and elsewhere around the globe – the only way to fight IS is to satirise and ridicule it. Elisabeth Lehmann has the detailsMore

Humour in the West Bank: "I laugh, therefore I am"Humour in the Islamic world: Digging at the despots Bassem Youssef: Satire in the Service of Democracy The Lebanese satirical magazine "Ad-Dabbour": Hornets' nest in Beirut Creative Protest against Syria's Regime: The Puppet Rebellion

The hand of a dead person peeps out from beneath a sheet (photo: Christoph Bangert)

Book review: Christoph Bangert's "War Porn"

We must not look away

The simple, unassuming cover of this book belies its explosive content: in his latest photobook, "War Porn", photojournalist Christoph Bangert shows the true, ugly face of conflict in all its horror. He presents the reader with an unfiltered selection of images from his photographic archive, documenting the brutality of war, predominantly in the Arab world. By Felix KoltermannMore

Interview with war photographer Christoph Bangert: The naked brutality of war Interview with American photojournalist Michael Kamber: Dispelling the myths of war and war photography Christoph Bangert's website Carolin Emcke's website

Interview with war photographer Christoph Bangert

The naked brutality of war

The photographer and journalist Christoph Bangert has published a book of photographs that his editors refused to use. All of them highlight the horror of war. His book, "War Porn", is an appeal not to look away from the brutality of armed conflict. Monika Griebeler spoke to him about his work and his bookMore

Interview with American photojournalist Michael Kamber: Dispelling the myths of war and war photography Interview with art historian W. J. T. Mitchell : Images as weapons of war Trauma therapy for victims of violence in Arab countries: Tortured, humiliated and voiceless

Cover of "I Remember Beirut" by Zeina Abirached, published by Graphic Universe

Lebanese comic artist Zeina Abirached

Seeing war through the eyes of a child

The Lebanese artist Zeina Abirached grew up during the country’s 15-year civil war. In her comic books, she describes how her family experienced the horror of this brutal conflict. Juliane Metzker talked to herMore

Marjane Satrapi: East is not East, West is not West The Lebanese graphic designer Maya Zankoul: Illustrations against ignorance and oblivion Comic artists in the Arab World: Swimming against the tide

The Lebanese journalist and political scientist Abdel Mottaleb El-Husseini. Photo: private

Interview with the political scientist Abdel Mottaleb El-Husseini

Lebanon: "A mixture of vacuum and volcano"

A million Syrian refugees, a catastrophic economy and increasing domestic hostility towards Hezbollah: the war in Syria is pushing neighbouring Lebanon to the limit. Mona Sarkis spoke to the Lebanese journalist Abdel Mottaleb el-Husseini about the current political situation in his countryMore

Hezbollah in Lebanon: How Hezbollah is paralysing Lebanese politics Hezbollah after the Beirut attacks: A battle on many fronts Hezbollah and the uprising in Syria: Can the ''Party of God'' weather the Arab Spring?

Interview with Joumana Haddad

"I don't believe in female solidarity"

The Lebanese journalist and writer Joumana Haddad is considered one of the most courageous women's rights activists in the Arab world. In this interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, she talks about the erotic magazine "Jasad", feminist stereotypes and why the "Arab Spring" was just another winterMore

Interview with Joumana Haddad: "Eroticism is the Pulse of Life"Shereen El Feki's ''Sex and the Citadel'': Exploring a Sexual Minefield Qantara dossier: Sexuality and Eroticism in Islam

KAFA demonstration on International Women's Day on 8 March in Beirut (photo: Juliane Metzker)

Domestic violence against women in Lebanon

Protection, yes, but not enough

On 1 April, the Lebanese parliament approved a law designed to curb domestic violence. However, the women's rights organisation KAFA, which ran a high-profile campaign demanding a law to protect women against domestic violence, is disappointed with the outcome and says the law does not go far enough. Background information from Juliane Metzker in BeirutMore

The Uprising of Women in the Arab World: Fighting Patriarchal Tyranny "Women's Power in Arabic": Long-overdue Confrontations Women in Morocco: Rape victims no longer forced to marry their aggressors

A poster with an image of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in front of the Syrian flag (photo: Reuters)

Book review: "The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game"

How to stay in power against the odds

In her book "The Wisdom of Syria's Waiting Game", Bente Scheller analyses Syrian foreign policy since the Assad dynasty came to power in 1970. She believes that the special relationship between domestic and foreign policy is key to understanding Syria's power apparatus. By Martina SabraMore

Civil war in Syria: No peace with Assad and al-Qaida Syria after the Geneva II peace talks: In a political vacuum Syrian Conflict: Political Breakthrough or Tactical Manoeuvre?

Amy Chua (photo: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images)

Book review: Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld on immigrant culture

Attack of the power migrants

Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld pledge to lift the lid on the cultural secrets of success of certain immigrant groups in the US. According to Daniel Bax, their book is nothing more than an exercise in cod folk psychologyMore

Book review: Klaus J. Bade on Thilo Sarrazin: Forget Sarrazin!Germany's New Minister for Migration: Aydan Özoguz, a Turkish-German at the Top Interview with Doug Saunders: ''Muslim Infiltration Is a Myth''

Poster for the film "Ladder to Damascus" by Mohammad Malas

Mohammad Malas's film "Ladder to Damascus"

Between dream and disaster

In his new film, "Ladder to Damascus", the renowned Syrian filmmaker Mohammad Malas has succeeded in portraying the whole tragedy of the Syrian conflict without depicting any scenes of violence. By Charlotte BankMore

Documentary film: "Not Who We Are": Lost time in Lebanon Israeli cinema: "Bethlehem": Beloved enemy Revolutionary Films in the Arab World: Taking Stock Ifa exhibition: Syrian Short Films and Videos: Somwhere between Art and Activism

Ibrahim Nehme, editor-in-chief of "The Outpost" (photo: Ieva Saudargaite)gaite

The Lebanese magazine "The Outpost"

Road map to an uncensored world

The pan-Arab magazine "The Outpost" is produced on a quarterly basis in Beirut. Only one year after its establishment, it is already attracting international attention. Astrid Kaminski took a closer look at the magazine and spoke to its editor-in-chief, Ibrahim Nehme, about its successMore

The Lebanese satirical magazine "Ad-Dabbour": Hornets' nest in Beirut Egypt in Turmoil: Against the Tide of Hatred The Art Magazine "Bidoun": Publishing Art from Three Corners of the World

Country: Lebanon

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