Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Using a graphic novel to address a contentious issue like the Algerian war of independence may seem an odd choice, but new release "Algeriennes", translated into English by Ivanka Hahnenberger, defies any preconceptions you may have about the genre's limitations. Richard Marcus read the bookMore

21 July marks the centenary of the birth of Mohammed Dib, one of the founding fathers of French-language Algerian literature. Born in 1920 in Tlemcen, Algeria's national writer spent the greater part of his life in exile. He passed away on 2 May 2003 in the Parisian suburb of La Celle-Saint-Cloud. By Regina Keil-SagaweMore

In her fifth novel, French author Alice Zeniter addresses some very thorny and painful issues in the history of Franco-Algerian relations. Demonstrating a profound knowledge of the subject matter, Zeniter's novel highlights the lot of the Harkis, Algerian Muslims who fought on the side of the French in the Algerian War of Independence. Claudia Kramatschek read the bookMore

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

In his impressive novel "The Meursault Investigation", Algerian author Kamel Daoud reopens the case of one of the most famous murders in literary history. His book lends a voice to the Arab murder victim in Albert Camus' "The Stranger" and is also an angry reckoning with contemporary Algeria. By Stefan BuchenMore

As far back as over 100 years ago, people were already arguing that the headscarf was a symbol of male oppression and therefore incompatible with Western civilisation and its system of values. In the French colonies, authorities actually followed through on these ideas, forcing women to take off their veils. Historical insights from Susanne KaiserMore

The Algerian War began 60 years ago. Some eight years later, a new Arab nation came about – and a million Algerians of French origin fled to France. The recent successes of the extreme-right Front National have made these "pieds-noirs" a political factor again, as the fronts of the Algerian War retain contemporary relevance. By Jakob KraisMore