Arab Spring
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The Economic Policies of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt
Following in the Footsteps of the Old Regime
The Muslim Brotherhood is a proponent of a neo-liberal economy – regardless of how this contributes to the further impoverishment of Egypt – and that suits the West just fine. A commentary by Abdel Mottaleb Husseini
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Shereen El Feki's ''Sex and the Citadel''
Exploring a Sexual Minefield
Journalist Shereen El Feki feels that the taboo surrounding all subjects relating to sexuality in public discourse in the Arab world is not only an ideological deficit, but also dangerous, due to what she sees as a shocking lack of knowledge across the board. Claudia Kramatschek read her book
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Interview with Moncef Marzouki
''We Don't Have a Magic Wand''
Ahead of his visit to Germany, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki told Sarah Mersch that his country could take a leaf out of Europe's book as it struggles with the transition to democracy and that Tunisia would welcome help from Germany in a number of areas
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The ''Tahrir Lounge'' in Cairo
Grassroots Democracy
In a project funded by Germany, a team of young Egyptians in Cairo is trying to boost civil participation and create political awareness without subscribing to any particular ideology. By Matthias Sailer
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Power Struggle in Egypt
Courting Disaster
The growing gulf between Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi and the secular opposition threatens to tear the country apart with unforeseeable consequences for Egypt's economy and political future. A commentary by Volker Perthes
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Escaping the Civil War in Syria
Humanity amid the Horror
Mansour Al Rajab devoted six years of his life to establishing and building up a clinic in Syria. The war turned it into a field hospital, the grenades into a heap of rubble. Although the doctor was able to flee to the Czech Republic, his heart remained in Homs with the revolution. By Martin Nejezchleba
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Non-Violent Resistance in Palestine
Hitting a Nerve
Palestinian activists are increasingly employing strategies of peaceful resistance: The tent camp they have erected on sites earmarked for settlement construction are symbolic of the battle that has flared up over Areas B and C in the West Bank. Ingrid Ross reports. By Ingrid Ross
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Commentary by Moha Ennaji
Arab Women's Unfinished Revolution
Though women across the Middle East participated actively in the Arab Spring protests that began in late 2010, they remain second-class citizens, even where popular uprisings managed to topple autocratic regimes. A Commentary by Moha Ennaji
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Tunisia's New Interim Government
Looking for a New Beginning
New jobs, discipline and national unity - according to Tunisia's new head of government, Ali Larayedh, this is what the country needs. But time is quickly running out. Ute Schaeffer reports from Tunis
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Civil War and Cultural Protest in Syria
''The Revolution Has Become an Orphan''
As the military conflict in Syria continues to escalate, the commitment of many peace activists and creative professionals in Syria is going more or less unnoticed by the media and in western public consciousness. An essay by Astrid Kaminski
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Controversial NGO Law in Egypt
Attack on the Heart of Civil Society
The Egyptian government hopes to restrict the work of non-government organisations by means of a new law. Activists are up in arms, while the opposition has been remarkably quiet on the subject. Markus Symank has the information from Cairo
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Political Power Struggle in Egypt
On the Brink of Ungovernability
Current events in Egypt are often represented as a confrontation between two camps: one that is bent on establishing a dictatorship, while the other one is struggling to defend freedom and democracy. In reality, all parties in Egypt today are pushing the country to the brink of ungovernability, says Nagwan El Ashwal