Arab world
All topics-
Press freedom in Egypt
Renewed crackdown threatens last independent news site
Egyptian authorities have Mada Masr in their sights once again after critical reporting. But the editor of the country's last independent news source is adamant they will continue their work. By Jennifer Holleis
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Landmines in Yemen
Death beckons with every step
The war in Yemen is not over, but at least there is a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the population is suffering from landmines that have made large parts of the country impenetrable. Hundreds of people have already died. Safia Mahdi reports from Sanaa
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Standard Arabic, Darija, French or English?
Morocco – a linguistic cold war
A conflict rooted in identity is currently gaining traction in Morocco. It began with demands to relieve the "burden" of Fusha (classical Arabic) by implementing a linguistic 'shift', thus allowing the use of Darija (Moroccan dialect) in education and teaching. But this approach has backfired massively on its proponents. Commentary by Mohamed Taifouri
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Women’s football in Morocco
Jump-starting women's football in the Arab world
The Women's Africa Cup this year in Morocco was a resounding success. The Moroccan team was the first Arab women's football team to qualify for a World Cup. By John Duerden
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Album review: Imarhan's "Aboogi"
Looking beyond the horizon
"Aboogi", on the City Slang label, is the latest release from Imarhan. Hailing from southern Algeria, Imarhan are one of the many bands that have emerged from the Tameshek diaspora. They see their music as a chance to preserve the culture and history of their people. By Richard Marcus
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Elizabeth II and the Muslims
"To be there for our fellow human-beings"
When she ascended the throne, millions of Muslims still lived under British rule. Later, Elizabeth II appealed for tolerance in a multi-religious society. She was the first British queen to visit a mosque
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Mohamed Abla awarded Goethe Medal
Telling stories through art
Mohamed Abla is the first visual artist from Egypt to be awarded the Goethe-Institut’s Goethe Medal, Germany’s highest honour in the area of foreign cultural policy. Stefan Weidner sheds some light on the artist’s work
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Climate change in the MENA
Will North Africa's beaches disappear?
The southern shores of the Mediterranean Sea are losing sand faster than almost anywhere else. The ecological and economic damage is immense. The good news is, there are ways to cope. By Cathrin Schaer and Tarak Guizani
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Saudi Arabia’s divided anti-Houthi coalition
Rescuing the state of Yemen
United Yemen’s future looks increasingly doubtful. August 2022 saw fierce fighting between members of Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi coalition forces in the southern Yemen governorate of Shabwa. By Stasa Salacanin
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Arab states in crisis
The ruling classes' dereliction of duty
In this essay, renowned Lebanese journalist and writer Hazem Saghieh asks whether the Arab Levant, which stretches from Iraq in the east to Egypt in the west, will remain an inhabitable region in the long term
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Ukraine conflict
How Russia is winning the information war in the Middle East
A wide network of official and unofficial outlets and social media in Arabic parrot pro-Russian talking points about Ukraine. They are often lies, yet somehow the reports still appeal to people in the Middle East. By Cathrin Schaer and Emad Hassan
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Islamic mysticism
Understanding the Sufis
To understand Islamic mysticism, we must first clear up a number of misconceptions, as Marian Brehmer writes in his essay – part 1 of a new series on Sufism