Iraq War
All topics-
Showcasing the writing of Iraqi women
Close to the wounds, but even closer to hope
The second volume of “Mit den Augen von Inana” (Through the Eyes of Inanna) is an impressive collection of purely female perspectives on modern Iraq, from the Saddam era through to the contemporary Tahrir Revolution. Christopher Resch spoke to three of the authors
-
COVID-19 and terrorism
9/11, coronavirus – epochal events that force a re-think
This 11 September marked the nineteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The wide-ranging repercussions of those attacks in the years since 2001 are only just emerging. Throughout the coronavirus crisis, political patterns born of the era of terrorism continue to prevail. An essay by Stefan Weidner
-
International Day in support of victims of torture
"The international human rights system is slowly eroding"
From Syrian war crimes to U.S. hypocrisy in the Julian Assange case, the global "erosion of human rights standards" is of critical concern, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer tells Matthias von Hein
-
Interview with Iraqi author Sinan Antoon
The West and its cliched view of Iraq
Looking outwards with the knowledge from within: a conversation with the Iraqi writer Sinan Antoon on the future of his homeland. Interview by Lena Bopp
-
Following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani
Tehran weighs its next move
In recent years, Tehran had pushed a clever public-relations campaign to depict Soleimani as a Napoleon- or Caesar-like warrior-poet. He was even mooted as a likely presidential candidate in the next election. Any public sympathy for Soleimani will therefore now extend to the regime, at least in the short run. By Abbas Milani
-
Anti-government protests
Is this Iraq's Arab Spring?
Iraq is currently facing such an alarming array of economic, political and social problems that many observers fear no-one will be up to the task of delivering the much-needed reforms. By Stasa Salacanin
-
Iraqi author Usama Al Shahmani
ʺIn foreign lands, the trees speak Arabicʺ
Usama Al Shahmani fled Iraq in 2002 and has since become a wanderer between worlds. He taught himself German and now works as a translator and cultural mediator in Switzerland. In his novel, he describes how hiking helped him process the loss of his homeland. By Volker Kaminski
-
Father of post-colonial studies
Edward Said – exiled between cultures
When people think of Edward Said, the first thing that generally comes to mind is his criticism of Orientalism. As a result, the theme of exile – which played no less significant a role in Said's writing and life – is often overlooked. By Tarek Azizeh
-
Protesting for reform and an end to corruption
Iraq's youth reject the dire status quo
More than a hundred dead and thousands injured: this is the brutal tally thus far of the current unrest in Iraq. Neither the country's political landscape, nor the ubiquitous confessional take on Iraqi politics offer much in the way of explanation. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Book review: Nahidh al-Ramadhani's "The Hope Vendor"
A successive shattering of dreams
Mosuli author and playwright Nahidh al-Ramadhani provides a brave account of Iraq's modern history. From the borders of Kuwait to the Kurdish mountains, from Saddam's battlefields to Gaddafi's schools, the book traces developments political, economic and personal, driven by Ramadhaniʹs own writing ambitions. By Gilgamesh Nabeel
-
Disenfranchised in the Gulf
The Bedoons – Kuwait's stateless minority
For more than 50 years, the Bedoons have been living in Kuwait without citizenship status. Now, it seems this problematic situation is finally being addressed. There may be light at the end of the tunnel. By Dina Elbasnaly
-
Iraq post-Islamic State
Baghdadʹs new era of freedom
With Islamic State out of the picture, the people of Iraq are breathing a sigh of relief. The recent re-opening of Baghdadʹs Green Zone to all traffic is just one indication that times are changing. Judit Neurink reports from Baghdad.