Social movements
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Interview with Lebanese activist Nizar Hassan
Beirut's ruling elite may be down, but they are not yet out
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 prospects
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Horn of Africa
Give Sudan's fledgling democracy the support it deserves!
Sudan today is on a knife-edge: it can evolve toward peace and democracy, or spiral into instability and violence. Vital and timely international assistance can make the difference between success and failure for the new government. By Ibrahim Elbadawi and Jeffrey D. Sachs
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Interview with Lebanese director Rabih Mroué
"First, they all have to go. And all means all"
The Lebanese director Rabih Mroué explains why a tax on WhatsApp led to an outbreak of mass protests in his country. And also why the government has until now refrained from using force. Rabih Mroue talked to Till Briegleb
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Interview with Nader Hashemi on the protests in Iran
Violence "reflects the Iranian regime's desperation"
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 Fathi
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Facing the Mahdi militias
Iraqi civilians in the firing line
Of all the protests currently in progress around the world, those in Iraq have been the most deadly. But just who exactly is firing on the demonstrators? The question is difficult to answer – and constitutes political dynamite. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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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
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Unrest in the Arab world
The genie is out of the bottle
The Arab world is one gigantic pressure cooker. For the most part the lid of repression is on, but it is boiling over with increasing frequency. Whether in Lebanon, Iraq or in Algeria, where people are rising up against political despotism and corruption. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Democracy and human rights
Morocco's police state makes a comeback
Morocco's rule of law, human rights and freedom of the press are under attack. According to political scientist Mohamed Taifouri, although the 2011 constitution includes a large number of freedoms, the state repression that was thought to have been overcome is making a comeback
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Middle East
Lebanon's protesters are here to stay
Demonstrators in Lebanon have been taking to the streets for days demanding the resignation of the government. So far, the government has offered little to pacify the people. How long can this go on? Diana Hodali reports
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Political crisis in Lebanon
Time is running out for Saad Hariri
In Lebanon, protests continue against the government. Prime Minister Saad Hariri has already lost a coalition partner. His power appears to be eroding. Diana Hodali reports from Beirut
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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
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Protests in Egypt
Sisi, the survivor?
The protests in Egypt against Sisi’s regime have revealed not only his decline in popularity, but also the fragile nature of the military regime. The latter launched a hysterical campaign of arrests, turning the streets and main squares into military barracks in order to prevent mass anti-Sisi demonstrations. Analysis by the Egyptian researcher Taqadum al-Khatib