Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Provided its leaders correctly reassess the changing regional and domestic dynamics and agree to allow all Iraqis, regardless of their sect and cultural orientation, to choose their own political and civil structure, the country can still overcome the horrors of the past 14 years. Essay by Alon Ben-MeirMore

With Mosul and Raqqa retaken, the fate of Islamic State's territorial caliphate is sealed. Yet Loay Mudhoon says that's no reason to give the all clear, as IS is nothing more than a symptom of a crisis of statehoodMore

Zahedan, the capital of Sistan and Balochistan Province, is one of the few Iranian cities with a Sunni majority population. Here, Sunnis can still practise their faith in relative freedom. Recently, however, the city has become a focus for radical Sunni groups. Philipp Breu reports from ZahedanMore

Following the Arab Spring revolts of 2011, Qatar, which carved out a niche for itself as a regional arbiter of conflicts years ago, embraced an interventionist foreign policy that has favoured Islamists – a move that has irked Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Commentary by Barak BarfiMore

Against a background of long-simmering conflicts regarding Iran and political Islam, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies have abruptly severed relations with Qatar. Thanks to the USA′s new stance in the Gulf region, both nations now feel free to drastically step up pressure on Qatar. By Matthias SailerMore

Saudi Arabia began its military offensive against its neighbour to the south in 2015, ostensibly to reinstate Yemen′s deposed president. Instead the war has driven the poorest country in the region to the brink of famine. By Maysam BehraveshMore

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