Jesus – Issa in Arabic – doesn’t merely enjoy the highest place among the prophets in the Koran. He is also revered in Islam’s mystical tradition for his message of love and mercy. By Aziz FooladvandMore
Haifa is known for being Israel’s exemplary model of relative harmony between Jewish and Palestinian citizens. Its unique "Holiday of Holidays" is a joyous, multicultural event that has become a major player in domestic tourism. After a two-year break due to the pandemic, Noam Yatsiv writes from this year's festivalMore
Moroccan sociologist Fatima Sadiqi believes that women's movements in North Africa have changed over the past ten years. Today, women from all social classes are fighting together for more rights, regardless of whether they are "secular" or "Islamic" feminists. Claudia Mende spoke with her for Qantara.deMore
How can we expect Jordanian women to participate fully in political life if they know that they don’t enjoy the same legal status as their male counterparts, or the constitutional protections that allow them to play an equal role in building the state? By Marwan MuasherMore
A group of 20 social media influencers in Lebanon is seeking to de-escalate political tensions and overcome sectarian problems. Their outreach is impressive among the young and tech-savvy population. By Jennifer Holleis and Razan SalmanMore
May 2021 saw a deadly flare-up in Israel-Hamas hostilities, with eruptions of extreme violence in several of Israel's 'mixed' cities. Two weeks later, a broad-spectrum governing coalition – the first to include an independent Arab Israeli party – was formed. Noam Yatsiv reflects on this year's rollercoaster of events with Thabet Abu-Rass, co-director of NGO Abraham InitiativesMore
Former lawyer Said Haider has invented a chatbot for those seeking advice on anti-discrimination issues – Meta is the first chatbot of its kind in the world. In conversation with Qantara.de, Haider talks about the development of Meta, his experience of discrimination and Meta's future prospectsMore
The Turkish lira is in freefall – with devastating consequences for people in the Syrian region of Idlib. 46-year-old Khadija needs two jobs to provide for her familyMore
Benjamin Idriz, imam of the mosque in Penzberg near Munich, is one of the most prominent representatives of Islam in Germany. He sees his role as building bridges to mainstream society without surrendering his own Muslim identity. In interview with Claudia Mende for Qantara.de, he argues that the mosque should be a place of open discussion where controversial opinions are possibleMore
Journalists are under fire from all factions in the Yemen conflict. Rasha Abdullah al-Harazi, nine months pregnant, recently died in a car bomb attack in Aden, her husband barely survived. Just one of many, as Diana Hodali reportsMore
According to lawyers and women's rights activists, the prison term for the murder of women in Turkey is not long enough. They argue that the brutality of the crime should carry more weight during sentencing – and hope thereby for a deterrent. Burcu Karakas reportsMore
Almost every year, during olive harvest season, Palestinian farmers are at risk from settler-related violence. Israeli human rights organisations like Rabbis for Human Rights help with their presence. Tania Kraemer reportsMore
Right up until his death, Allameh Tabatabai dedicated himself to the revival of Shia Islam’s intellectual traditions. But few in the West have even heard of this exceptional philosopher. A portrait by Marian BrehmerMore
It is getting hotter and hotter in Iraq. Fifty degrees or more is no longer a rarity. The state between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers is now one of the hottest countries on earth. Muwafaq Mubareka from Baghdad is determined to fight global warming. Birgit Svensson paid the climate hero a visitMore
Turkish author and journalist Mustafa Akyol is one of the foremost pioneers of an Islam reconciled with modernity. Musa Bagrac spoke with Akyol for Qantara.de about his new book "Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance" and the chances for Islamic reformMore
In view of the catastrophic supply situation in Afghanistan, UN authorities are sounding the alarm. Inflation and growing poverty are exacerbating the situation. The Taliban reportedly have an emergency programme to combat the crisis. By Shabnam von HeinMore
Horses and mules have long drawn tourist carriages through Jordan's ancient city of Petra, but animal rights concerns are driving a project to start replacing them with electric vehicles.More
Since the German city of Cologne launched a two-year model project to allow Muslim communities to perform the call to prayer, there has been much heated public debate on the issue. Islamic scholar and law professor Mathias Rohe examines the argumentsMore
People these days are seeking orientation in a rapidly changing world. In response, all religions – each unique in their customs and traditions – need to pull together, says Chief Rabbi Pinchas GoldschmidtMore
Ibrahim Issa runs an extraordinary school where he prepares Palestinian students for a future of peace. It isn't what he originally planned to do with his life, but as things turned out, Hope Flowers is exactly where he was needed. By Judith PoppeMore
Heavy rains and storms are causing huge floods and high water in both countries. Tens of thousands of people have had to leave their homes so far. By Ulrike Schulze
Syria's Ramadan drummers defiant as tradition wanes
El Musaharati is the name given to the person who walks and beats a drum in residential areas during Ramadan to wake people up to eat their pre-fast suhur before morning prayers. Yet, today, this ancient practice is in decline.
Ukraine: Seven of the country's most important mosques
While Muslims make up a small proportion of the country's population, Islam has a history in Ukraine stretching back to at least the 14th centuryMore
Reduce waste of all kinds this Ramadan
While Ramadan should be seen as a month of moderation, a look at food waste suggests otherwise. According to EcoMena, a not-for-profit group that raises environmental awareness in the Middle East, about one-fifth of the food purchased or prepared during Ramadan ends up in the waste binMore
Is Islam fundamentally incompatible with Britishness?
Summer on PBS: "The Great Muslim American Road Trip"
Their 'Ask a Muslim' project went viral. Now rapper-activist Mona Haydar and husband Sebastian Robins have a travel show about Islam in the United States.More
"Voices that matter": Intersectional analysis of Canadian Muslim women
The Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) has released a report that found Muslim women experience poorer social and economic conditions compared to their non-Muslim counterparts, while others such as queer, disabled and Black Muslim women – along with newcomers and single mothers – experienced poorer outcomes still.More
Muslims and interfaith marriage
One out of five Muslims is in an interfaith relationship, surveys suggest. But few imams are willing to adapt the traditional Muslim wedding ceremony to their needs, couples say.More
"The invisible Muslim": On White privilege and Islam
"The Invisible Muslim" offers a topical read to better understand the anti-racism conversation raging across the world right now, as well as a case study of what it means to be a Muslim in the West in the 21st century.More
Bulgarian Pomaks keep traditional wedding rite alive
A wedding extravaganza of bright colours, flowers, feasting and dancing, yet the bride, Nefie Eminkova, who comes from Bulgaria's Pomak – Muslim – minority, can see none of it. Her eyes must remain tightly closed until the imam gives his blessing.More
Berlin Mideast Podcast
Monthly German-language podcast series Berlin Mideast Podcast looks at the current situation and trends in the Middle East.More
Scotland's National Galleries to showcase portraits of its Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Polish communities
The National Galleries of Scotland has unveiled plans for a major show exploring the diverse communities and individuals who make up modern-day Scotland. Featuring the work of Arpita Shah, portraits of people from Scotland’s Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Polish communities are to go on display alongside images of Scottish celebritiesMore
Qantara dossier: Islamophobia
Renowned journalists, Islamic scholars and authors shed light on the various facets of racist and Islamophobic violence in Western countries.More
Sands of time: a century of Egyptian photography – in pictures
These images of everyone from presidents to paupers show the tourist’s view of Egypt that we know – and the backstreets we don’tMore
Europe rights body pulls pro-hijab campaign after French outcry
The pan European rights body the Council of Europe has pulled a campaign promoting diversity among women and their freedom to wear the Muslim headscarf after it sparked an outcry in fiercely secular France.More
Azerbaijan activists sound alarm over femicide wave
Activists in Azerbaijan have been urging the country's government to ratify the 2011 Istanbul Convention – a landmark international agreement aimed at preventing domestic violence – for years. Baku has yet to act, however. Meanwhile the number of women dying at the hands of their partners continues to riseMore
SWP dossier: Forced displacement and migration
Migration is on the increase worldwide. The causes are manifold. Ever more people are forcibly displaced by persecution, violent conflicts and human-rights violations. Read up on international cooperation in the areas of forced displacement and migration, on developments in Europe’s migrant and refugee policies, and on the migrant and refugee policies of individual states.More
Online education is the only hope for Afghan schoolgirl
Denied access to school due to the Taliban's failure to reopen secondary schools for girls, one Afghan teenager has taken to the Internet to try to exercise her basic right to an education. But her self-driven online learning mission has not been easy.More
Washington Post: Mustafa Akyol argues for Islamic reform from within
A re-examination of authoritative sources based on reason is at the heart of Mustafa Akyol’s new book: “Reopening Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, and Tolerance”. Akyol’s work offers the reader a journey into largely forgotten but important theological debates that took place among Muslim scholars in the Middle Ages.More
FINO: Forum Islam and Middle East
The Forum Islam and Middle East (FINO) was established at the University of Berne in 2018 and sees itself as a transdisciplinary competence centre for documentation, knowledge transfer and academic services in the field of Islam and the Middle East (IME).More
Global Village Space: Pakistan, and why nations radicalise
Discussing Dr. Shoaib Pervez’s latest book "Radicalization in Pakistan: A Critical Perspective", Farah Adeed probes the origins of collective societal radicalisation in Pakistan.More
