Social movements
All topics-
Sudan's ongoing hostilities
A disaster waiting to happen, says expert
Fierce fighting is continuing between Sudan’s regular army and the paramilitary RSF. With so many proxy interests playing into the current situation, the outcome of the conflict is wide open, says Marina Peter of the Sudan Forum
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Ramadan series "Smile, General"
Dynasty of fear
"Smile, General", a TV series aired on Al-Araby 2, has transfixed the Middle East during this month of Ramadan. Despite its fictional nature, it is hard to imagine the show as anything other than the story of the Assad family in Syria. By Issam Kayssi
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Sudan army versus the RSF
The generals' power struggle
Sudan's military and the RSF militia are fighting for power while the country's civilian population watches helplessly from the sidelines. The bloody events over the last few days can be summed up in one sentence: this is not a civil war. An analysis by Karim El-Gawhary
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Women migrant workers in Lebanon
"Exploiting women is becoming the norm"
Due to the current crisis, the situation of female labour migrants in Lebanon is deteriorating dramatically, says feminist Ghina al Andary. In interview with Andrea Backhaus in Beirut, she talks about how the kafala system is driving more and more women into prostitution
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Economic crisis in Egypt
Debt on the Nile
For leading economist Yazid Sayegh, the cause of Egypt's current economic and financial crisis lies primarily in the government's policy of excessive borrowing. He also criticises the way German and European politicians handle the Sisi regime. Interview by Mahmoud Hussein
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Turkey-Syria earthquake
Polarising religious narratives
Religious discussions on the causes and aftermath of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria have dominated Arab discourse recently, revealing the urgent need to support marginalised, humanist religious voices and those placing the human above polarisation and the instrumentalisation of events. By Mustafa Karahamad
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Israel's controversial judicial reform
Gaps in the system
For weeks, Israel has been rocked by mass protests against plans by Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the country's judiciary. The history of these proposed reforms, which have deeply divided the country, goes back much further than many people think. By Joseph Croitoru
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"Between Revolutions" by Vlad Petri
The power of freedom
Using never-before-seen archive footage from Iran and Romania, director Vlad Petri tells the story of two women in the revolutions in Romania and after the fall of the Shah in Iran. Rene Wildangel watched the film for Qantara.de
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Iran protests
Why Iran's revolutionary process will persist
Despite demonstrations waning during winter, the revolutionary process is poised to gain renewed momentum. After all, the regime is unable to address the combination of socio-economic and political crises driving the current unrest. Essay by Ali Fathollah-Nejad
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Rentier system and security policy
Jordan’s profound economic crisis
Excessive reliance on rentier economics and foreign aid is bringing Jordan to its knees, argues Marwan Muasher
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Sectarian politics in Lebanon
A harried Hezbollah
Hezbollah faces massive challenges – Lebanon’s presidential vacuum, sectarian tensions, as well as the ongoing economic turmoil. Yet, as Mohanad Hage Ali argues, it currently has few options for dealing with them
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Syrian refugees in Lebanon
No education for this generation?
More than a decade since hundreds of thousands of Syrians fled into neighbouring Lebanon, the educational level of the younger generation is disastrously low and their future prospects correspondingly dim. By Mona Naggar