Free speech and censorship
All topics-
Torture under the Assad regime
Syrian detainee No. 72
The Syrian government has acknowledged that hundreds of detainees were killed in state custody. Anchal Vohra met one of the prisoners who, along with many others, was tortured in Bashar Assad's jails. This is his story
-
State repression in Turkey
Tear gas for grieving Saturday Mothers
The Saturday Mothers gather weekly in Turkey to demand information on loved ones subjected to enforced disappearance or state violence. But in the country’s repressive political environment even their vigils are coming under attack. Tom Stevenson and Murat Bayram report from Istanbul
-
French festival showcases contemporary Turkish photography
Truths that buck the official discourse
"A Pillar of Smoke", currently on show in the southern French city of Arles as part of the "Les Rencontres d'Arles" festival, reveals the lively diversity of contemporary Turkish photography. The major group exhibition also highlights the political nature of the photographersʹ work. By Felix Koltermann
-
Egypt’s new cybercrime law
What Sisi sees
In May 2018, Egypt’s parliament approved several new pieces of legislation regulating the press and the media, but also the controversial cybercrime law. Amr Gharbeia, technology and human rights officer with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) and an expert on Internet surveillance in Egypt, spoke to Sofian Philip Naceur
-
Legendary oud player and singer Sheikh Imam
Egypt's musical rebel
2 July 2018 marked the centenary of the birth of Egyptian protest singer Sheikh Imam. Martina Sabra visited the legendary artist several times in the 1990s and has observed that many years after his death, Sheikh Imam's music is still very much alive on the streets of Egypt
-
Comparison: India and Turkey
The Modi-Erdogan parallel
While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not achieved the degree of "state capture" that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has, he is also 11 years behind. The path the two leaders are on, however, is similar enough to invite comparison – and provoke concern. By Shashi Tharoor
-
Spotlight on Sahih al-Bukhari
Rocking the foundations of Islam
A Moroccan court has recently banned a book named "Sahih Al-Bukhari...The end of a legend" by Rachid Aylal, which openly criticises the famous hadith collection. Some Moroccans are outraged by the censorship, others by the content. By Safaa Shibli
-
The Emirate of Sharjahʹs March Meeting
A fresh take on the figurative
The DNA of art is no longer just western: known as the "March Meeting", the spring exhibition in the Arab desert city of Sharjah displays an undreamed-of diversity. By Georg Imdahl
-
Interview with Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji
When writing becomes a crime
The Egyptian military regime regularly targets authors, accusing them of "violating public morals". The trial of Egyptian novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji ranks as one of the most prominent cases in recent years. Interview conducted by Moritz B. and Luisa M.
-
Interview with Yasmine Zohdi, editor with Egyptʹs Mada Masr
"Censorship is the worst it has ever been"
Yasmine Zohdi is the culture editor for Mada Masr, Egyptʹs leading liberal online newspaper. In interview with Schayan Riaz, she talks about her work reviewing Arab cinema at this year's Berlinale and the increasing censorship felt by creatives and media professionals in Egypt
-
Public debate in Turkey post-Afrin
"There are plenty of traitors"
Verbal attacks, death threats and hate speech are an increasingly common feature of public discourse in Turkey. And many think that this mix of nationalistic, pseudo-religious and discriminatory rhetoric is being stoked by the government. By Ceyda Nurtsch
-
German-Turkish film festival defies the odds
Sending a message
This year's Film Festival Turkey Germany has kicked off without any financial backing from Turkey. Ankara withdrew funding at the last minute from an event that it seems to perceive as far too critical. By Jochen Kurten