Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

The Mfest finale –"Donʹt Panic, Iʹm Islamic: Extreme Comedy NOW!" – held in London at the end of April was an hour-long event. Concluding a three-day festival which paid tribute to Muslim culture and ideas, the entertaining and thought-provoking finale gave festivalgoers a chance to laugh and let off steam. By Susannah TarbushMore

Although he has been banned from film-making since 2010, Jafar Panahi keeps working – albeit without the approval of Iranian authorities. His latest work, "Three Faces", has been enthusiastically received in Cannes. By Suzanne CordsMore

At a time when we have almost become accustomed to the poetry of witness, recounting events or a poet's reaction to them, the latest anthology by acclaimed Palestinian-American poet and physician Fady Joudah cuts deeper, with appropriately surgical precision, to reveal connections beneath the surface of things. By Marcia Lynx QualeyMore

Algeria's young filmmakers are turning their attention to making films that engage with the country's violent past. Christopher Resch met up with three of themMore

Before modern guidance systems were invented, people navigated their way around the world using the stars. In her debut novel, "The Map of Salt and Stars", Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar reveals that while the heavens may be one means of finding your way around, they aren't the only one. Richard Marcus read the bookMore

Iranian actors, Indian directors and a Hollywood icon have come together in Tehran at Asia's oldest film festival. Theresa Tropper spoke with the festival's director, Reza MirkarimiMore

French film-maker and activist Axel Salvatori-Sinz, whose documentary "The Shebabs of Yarmouk" (2013) earned him international acclaim, died tragically from cancer at the beginning of 2018, aged just 36. Palestinian singer Reem Kelani, who worked on the music for the film, penned this obituary for Qantara.deMore

Once practiced by village women across Palestine, "tatreez" has become a symbol of women's resistance, identity and heritage. However, as Abbadi points out in an interview with Jan Tomes, this unique piece of Palestinian cultural heritage is now in danger of dying outMore

Jazz made its way into Iran, along with a host of other foreign influences, during the 1960s. In the decade that followed, the music's exposure on Iranian radio helped it achieve a measure of popularity – until the Islamic Revolution came along, a social caesura that brought a long-term ban on secular music. By Bernd G. SchmitzMore