Health
All topics-
Cannabis and Islam?
There is no one single answer
The German government is planning to legalise cannabis before the end of this legislative period. So what does Islam have to say about its consumption? Will changing the law alter the way Muslims in Germany feel about the issue? Said Rezek talked to Muslim theologian Ali Ghandour from the University of Munster
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COVID-19 pandemic in India
Enabling the rights of the child
COVID-19 has many negative impacts on children, particularly in terms of education and healthcare. Development projects in the Indian state of Assam show how actors can successfully support disadvantaged children in times of crisis. By Enakshi Dutta, Cynthia Dittmar and Franziska Muller
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Lebanon in crisis
Support lacking for trauma victims
The 2020 Beirut port blast was a traumatic experience for many people in Lebanon. A large number sought therapy in the aftermath. But, with doctors leaving the country, help is not easy to find. Diana Hodali reports
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Migrants and the EU
Is Europe ready for a post-COVID migration wave?
Unauthorised immigration to Europe went down at the peak of the pandemic. As EU countries re-open, migrant flows are back up. What does it mean for the EU – and for migrants? By Sonya Angelica Diehn
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COVID-19 in the Middle East
Playing down pandemic death tolls
A new global database shows a significant gap in reported COVID-related deaths, suggesting the actual worldwide death toll is short by at least 1 million. That's due in part to false figures from autocratic regimes. Jennifer Holleis has the details
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Houses of healing
The success of early Arab medicine against epidemics
The coronavirus pandemic has turned lives upside down all over the world. In the Middle Ages, however, people lived with epidemics all the time. The best and most famous physicians worked in the Islamic world. By Dunja Ramadan
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The Pikala Bikes initiative in Morocco
More mobility, more confidence, more freedom
In Morocco, the bicycle is considered a poor man's means of transport. What's more, cycling tends to be a male-only affair. The Pikala bike initiative in Marrakesh seeks to change all this. By Marian Brehmer
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COVID-19 and the ongoing impact
Coronavirus in the time of Delta
While Europe and North America experience something like a return to normality with relatively high vaccination provision and take-up rates, the rest of the world is struggling to contain the Delta variant. Qantara takes a look at how countries across the Islamic world are coping
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France24: India's deadly coronavirus surge
India’s teens pitch in on social media during COVID crisis
The collapse of the healthcare system during the latest COVID-19 surge has driven desperate Indians to seek help on social media. As adults struggle to cope with medical shortages, India’s wired youths are doing their bit to help – and getting lessons on resilience, initiative and the constructive power of the Internet. By Leela Jacinto
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Maghreb and the EU
Will medicinal cannabis become Morocco's no.1 export?
A law is currently being debated in Morocco that would legalise the cultivation and export of medicinal cannabis. For many small farmers, this would bring considerable advantages. But the bill is controversial. By Cathrin Schaer
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COVID-19 and the double mutation
At the heart of India's coronavirus firestorm
India hits record numbers of COVID-19 infections worldwide for the sixth day running, as health systems buckle under the pressure, and shortages of medical oxygen and hospital beds lead to more deaths. In the worst-ever outbreak, the country has been logging over 300,000 cases since 22 April, surpassing the previous highest one-day spike of around 300,300 cases in the USA in January 2021
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COVID-19 in the Middle East
Arab countries face high coronavirus vaccine hesitancy
The rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the Middle East and North Africa is already taking place on a massive scale, with the United Arab Emirates leading the way. Nevertheless, many people are in no rush to get the COVID-19 jab. Cathrin Schaer poses the all-important question: why?