Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Few would have thought that Algeria's Hirak protest movement would still be mobilising the masses 12 months on from its first peaceful demonstration. According to Isabelle Werenfels and Luca Miehe, the systemic change people hoped for post-Bouteflika has yet to materialise. External players need to brace themselves for ongoing political turbulenceMore

Looking outwards with the knowledge from within: a conversation with the Iraqi writer Sinan Antoon on the future of his homeland. Interview by Lena BoppMore

The assassination of the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in a surprise U.S. drone strike is being used by the Islamic Republic of Iran to political ends, says Iranian journalist and activist Reza Alijani. Interview conducted by Azadeh FathiMore

In 2019, the long-running Penguin Classics series released its first novel translated from Arabic: Tawfiq al-Hakim’s "Return of the Spirit", conveyed into English by William Hutchins. Al-Hakim wrote his popular novel in Paris in 1927 and published it in Cairo six years later, in 1933. Marcia Lynx Qualey read the bookMore

Tunisia is considered a paragon of the Arab Spring. Despite democratic reforms, however, a mood of political frustration and economic despair still prevails, particularly among young people. Since 2011 the country has seen an increase in the number of suicides – an act some see as a form of political protest. By Hannah El-HitamiMore

In the “Lebanese Politics Podcast”, co-host Nizar Hassan analyses political events in Lebanon. In interview with Qantara, he talks about solutions to the country’s economic crisis, the role of Hezbollah in the political negotiations and Lebanon's political prospectsMore

The recent protests in Iran were not as peaceful as the Green Movement of 2009, something that political scientist Nader Hashemi attributes to the actions of the security forces. Interview by Azadeh FathiMore