Author: Shohreh Karimian

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Demonstration during a speech on Tahrir Square, Cairo, 8 April 2011 (photo: Mosa'ab Elshamy)

Book review: "Cairo. Open City" by Florian Ebner and Constanze Wicke

The power of images

The illustrated book "Cairo. Open City. New Testimonies from an Ongoing Revolution" by Florian Ebner and Constanze Wicke casts a critical eye over the media portrayal of the Egyptian revolution. Shohreh Karimian reviews the publicationMore

The Arab Spring and the media: Distorted imagesThe ''Tahrir Lounge'' in Cairo: Grassroots democracyInterview with Egyptian philosopher Hassan Hanafi: From Velvet Spring to military despotism Interview with the Egyptian human rights activist Gamal Eid: A warning shot for civil society
German footballers Lukas Podolski (l.), Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira and Per Mertesacker. Photo: picture-alliance/augenklick/firo Sportphoto

Soccer as a force for integration

Success through diversity

Mesut Özil and his team colleagues not only represent multicultural Germany: they also serve as popular role models within German society. This shows that football should be afforded greater recognition as a force for integration, says Shohreh KarimianMore

Dossier: FIFA World Cup 2014Mesut Özil: A football hero in a national identity farce Football in Germany: Football can contribute to integration
Pinar Atalay (photo: dpa/Thorsten Jander)

The new face of the nightly news: Pinar Atalay

Not just the token migrant

On 7 March 2014, Pinar Atalay hosted the ARD's nightly news programme "Tagesthemen" for the first time. This was a first in Germany because Atalay was born in Germany to Turkish parents. Together with Dunja Hayali, Pinar Atalay is one of the most experienced presenters with a "migrant background" on German television. By Shohreh KarimianMore

Muslim Bloggers in Germany: Creating a Counter-public to Traditional MediaGermany's New Minister for Migration: Aydan Özoguz, a Turkish-German at the TopThe ''New German Media Makers'' Initiative: Seeking Greater Diversity in German Media
Road sign that reads "Welcome to Germany" (photo: Becky Stares/Fotolia.com)

Attitudes to immigration in Germany

Clear differences of opinion

What do people in Germany really think about immigration? A recent study by the Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) shows that there are definite differences of opinion between the country's elite and the general public. Shohreh Karimian discussed the findings with Marc Helbling, one of the authors of the studyMore

Céline Teney and Marc Helbling's study (German only) "Decision-makers in Germany: values and attitudes" (German only)Integration in Germany: Finally growing upMulticultural classrooms: An opportunity not a problem
A Persian "Haft Sin" table featuring seven foods and objects all beginning with the letter "s" (photo: Imago/UPI Photo)

Nowruz: one of the world's oldest festivals

"My paleness is yours, your colour is mine!"

The Iranian New Year celebration "Nowruz" has been a feature of Persian culture for more than 2,500 years. The roots of this festival lie in the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. Today, more than 300 million people all over the world celebrate Nowruz. Shohreh Karimian looks back at the history of this new year celebration and explains some of its customsMore

Photo gallery: NowruzIranian musician Shahram Nazeri: The Persian nightingale and the flowers of hopeIran and the Legacy of the Persians: Persepolis: A Political Compass
Esra Küçük (photo: David Ausserhofer)

Young Islam Conference

Interface between politics and society

The Young Islam Conference sees itself as both a forum for dialogue and a mouthpiece for young Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It seeks to counter prejudice and negative ideas about Islam in Germany. Shohreh Karimian spoke to Esra Küçük, the managing director of the Young Islam Conference, about the forum's background and aimsMore

Website of the Young Islam Conference (German only)Interview with Naika Foroutan on Germany's Islam Conference: Encouraging developmentsThe Avicenna scholarship programme: Fostering talented, socially committed Muslim studentsQantara dossier: Integration in Germany
Muslim students (photo: Vincenzo Ferrera)

The Avicenna scholarship programme

Fostering talented, socially committed Muslim students

Named after an eleventh-century Persian scholar, the Avicenna scholarship programme will offer its first 50 scholarships to students for the coming winter semester 2014/15. It is the first programme of its kind for gifted Muslims in Germany. Thus far, the country has only had special religious scholarship programmes for Christians or Jews. Shohreh Karimian spoke to Beschir Hussain and Matthias Meyer, the initiators of this innovative programmeMore

Interview with Winfried Verburg: A Place of Learning for All ReligionsSocial and Educational Services for Muslims in Germany: ''We Want Participation, Not Integration''Interview with Volker Jung: ''We Promote Interfaith Skills''Islamic Religious Education in Germany: Allah or the Advisory Council

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

A new Silk Road: what could be more synonymous with the exchange between Orient and Occident? Under the name "The New Silk Road", the Oriental Festival brings together musicians from Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia and China. One of the artists performing at the event is Kazakh singer and dombra player Ulzhan Baibussynova. The dombra is a Kazakh two-stringed lute

East meets West at the Morgenlandfestival

The Morgenlandfestival in Osnabruck, with its varied and surprising programme, competes every year against one-sided cliches about the Orient. By Philipp Jedicke