Essays
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Faith and religious tolerance in India
Where tolerance and segregation go hand in hand
A recent nationwide, multi-faith public-opinion survey has found that Indians value both religious tolerance and co-existence, on the one hand, and religious exclusivity and segregation, on the other. But this apparent contradiction, although astonishing to many, is in fact not entirely surprising. By Shashi Tharoor
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Promoting human rights in the Middle East
The U.S. and Arab hearts and minds – an impossible task?
As the Biden administration attempts to promote democracy and human rights in the Middle East, it will confront the deep-seated belief among Arabs that U.S. policies are unfair to their central causes and biased in favour of the ruling elite of their countries. By Rafiah Al Talei
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Interview with the Algerian scholar Said Djabelkhir
What we Muslims need is a critical appraisal of Islamic law
Algerian scholar Said Djabelkhir rejects the charge of "offending Islam". In interview with Ismail Assam, he maintains that he has been wilfully misconstrued. At the same time, he stresses that he was talking in a "historical" manner about Islam, calling for it to move on from the era of fatwas and to look critically at Muslim religious heritage
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Qantara.de - Dialogue with the Islamic World
Editor's picks
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Debate about anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict
Dissidence and the Jewish diaspora
Jewish voices are much more diverse than the public often sees. Jewish men and women who oppose the injustice of Israeli occupation in the West Bank deserve our respect and protection against defamation, writes Charlotte Wiedemann
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Germany and the Middle East conflict
A parallel universe between the Jordan and the Med
The Germans have a fragmented perception of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and their discourse is dominated by certain catchphrases. All the while, there is a danger of losing sight of reality, writes Stefan Buchen in his essay
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Egypt's New Administrative Capital
The sinister side of Sisi's urban development
Years in the making, Sisi's elite New Administrative Capital will isolate most Egyptians from their centres of government in an effort to fortify the regime against any social pressures. By Maged Mandour
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Habermas, the Sheikh Zayed Award and Arab reactions
Habermas and the contradictions of the Arab intellectual
Uproar, fuss and mutual accusation: following the German philosopher Juergen Habermas' rejection of the 2021 Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the social media posts by those involved in the Arabic cultural scene covered a broad spectrum. Islam Anwar takes a look for Qantara
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A triumph for discourse
Juergen Habermas' rejection of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
After at first agreeing to accept the grand prize as "Cultural Personality of the Year" in the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, Juergen Habermas then decided to decline the honour. A commentary by Reinhard Schulze
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German angst and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award
Habermas, philosopher of communication, rejects dialogue
Philosopher Juergen Habermas was due to be awarded a major Arab prize in Abu Dhabi, but has turned it down following criticism. This decision torpedoes Arab efforts at a substantive cultural dialogue and exposes the West’s moral hubris, says Stefan Weidner