Arab Spring
All topics-
Interview with the Egyptian Muslim activist Asmaa Mahfouz
''There is no war between Islam and America''
Asmaa Mahfouz is one of the founders of the April 6 Youth Movement. She has been credited with helping to spark mass uprising through her video blog posted one week before the start of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. In this interview with Nina zu Fürstenberg, she shares her concerns and hopes for the Arab Spring
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The Salafyo Costa Initiative in Egypt
Collaborating with People You May Disagree With
Salafis are often portrayed as conservative and anti-Western, but members of the Salafyo Costa initiative are countering these generalizations by engaging in dialogue with other Egyptians of all political and religious backgrounds. Nada Zohdy reports from Cairo
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The Conflict in Syria
From Peaceful Uprising to a Proxy War
According to the German-Syrian sociologist Huda Zein, the escalation in violence in Syria can be attributed primarily to the intervention of various parties in the conflict. It has developed into a proxy war sustained by its own dynamics. Only an international consensus can hope to put an end to the violence
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Libya's Unchecked Weapons Trade
''Gaddafi's Gangster Mentality Lives On''
They smuggle weapons, drugs and refugees: Criminal networks are controlling eastern Libya. The government has pledged to offer the impoverished region economic alternatives. By Markus Symank in Benghazi
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Two Years after the Arab Revolution
Disillusionment in the Middle East
Syria is caught up in a civil war, Islamists are in power in Cairo and Tunis, Turkey is caught between fronts and the Mideast peace process is stalled. What to make of the region two years after the Arab Revolution? By Bettina Marx
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Ifa exhibition: Syrian Short Films and Videos
Somwhere between Art and Activism
How have Syria's independent artists been addressing the escalating violence in their native country since the start of the uprising against the Assad regime? For the first time ever, the ifa-Galerie in Berlin is showing videos and short films by Syrian artists inspired by the revolution in an exhibition entitled "Bewegte Bilder" (Moving Images). By Charlotte Bank
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Interview with Peter Harling of the International Crisis Group
The Religious Narrative of Syria's Armed Opposition
According to a new report, the presence of Salafi groups among Syria's armed opposition is an irrefutable and damaging trend. In this interview with Kersten Knipp, Peter Harling talks about why the makeup and character of Syria's opposition has changed
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''The New Arab Women''
Are the Arab Revolutions Devouring Their Own Daughters?
The so-called "Arab Spring" has a female face. Now, a new book by Gabi Kratochwil provides a very personal and exciting insight into the background to this tumultuous period, casting a new light on the major presence of women on the streets of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. Martina Sabra read the book and spoke to author
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The Opposition in Syria
The Least Common Denominator
Syrian oppositionists must recognize that the lack of decisive international action is not only the result of Russia and China vetoing any meaningful action in the Security Council, or NATO countries' unwillingness to enter into another war in the region. A commentary by Volker Perthes
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Protests against Assad in Beirut
Unrest and Political Uncertainty in Lebanon
Lebanon remains in shock after the country's domestic intelligence chief was killed in a bomb attack. For the Lebanese opposition it was clear right away that those who planned the assassination were to be found in the Syrian capital Damascus. Mona Naggar reports from Beirut
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Book Review: ''News - The Televised Revolution''
Mouths Issuing Silent Screams
The work of artist Monika Huber is a critical appraisal of how the media reported on the Arab Spring. Some of her pieces now appear in a book published in cooperation with the Middle East reporter Susanne Fischer. A review by Björn Zimprich
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Saudi Arabia's Foreign and Security Policy
Categorical Imperative
Saudi Arabia's political maxim is stability for the petrodollar monarchy. Everything else is of secondary importance for the powers that be in Riyadh. But as long as Wahhabism remains the absolute ideology of state, there can be no real unity or real stability in the Saudi Arabian nation. By Loay Mudhoon