Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

On the face of it, the Iran of 2021 still bears considerable resemblance to the Islamic theocracy that was established following the overthrow of the Shah in 1979. Yet, although the enforcement of Sharia law continues to this day, the definition of what is permitted and what is forbidden has shifted over the years. By Mehdi AbadiMore

Water buffalo and oxen have been part of the work in Indonesian fields for centuries. But the draught animals are no strangers to sport either, as can be seen in two traditional races in Bali and Sumatra. More...More

Marwa Zein has made an impressive documentary about the Sudanese women's football team, if only the national football association would recognise it as such. The players are neither allowed to represent their country at international level nor set up a domestic women's football league. By Rene WildangelMore

A comedy about one of the world's longest-running violent conflicts? Can that work? It certainly can! "The 90 Minute War" uses a soccer match to highlight the issues of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, taking a humorous and sarcastic look at what is actually a deadly serious and ideologically charged debate. By Eva-Maria VerfürthMore

Despite fielding a succession of repressive measures, the Third-League club Amedspor from Diyarbakir is clocking up the sporting victories. For Kurdish fans from Istanbul to Hakkari, the team represents a beacon of hope in difficult times. By Sonja GallerMore

How does one go about telling a story as dramatically tragic as that of the young Somali sportswoman who lost her life attempting to cross the Mediterranean in a refugee boat? And can such a story be told by a writer best known for graphic novels, comic books for adults? By Manfred EwelMore

Iranian women′s rights activist Darya Safai fights the stadium ban for Iranian women from her exile in Brussels. An interview on her protest during the Olympic Games in Rio, the hypocrisy of international sports organisations and Ali Khamenei′s unreformable regime. By Kai SchnierMore