Topic: Spotlight on bridge-builders

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Publicist and educationalist Micha Brumlik (image: imago/IPON)

Dialogue of religions

'Islamic-Jewish dialogue needs to be institutionalised'

Jewish educationalist and publicist Micha Brumlik looks at Germany's culture of remembrance and considers what is needed for the healthy coexistence of Jews, Christians and MuslimsMore

The Holocaust, colonialism and mutual understanding: Time for a refresher in humanityDebate about anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict: Dissidence and the Jewish diasporaRefugee work in Germany: Jews and Muslims united in their support for refugeesQantara dossier: Spotlight on bridge-builders
Members of the Muslim community in Cologne providing food for refugees (photo: Arbeitskreis Muslimische Flüchtlingshilfe in Köln)

Refugee work in Germany

Jews and Muslims united in their support for refugees

Social engagement is often motivated by religious factors. A new book explores the background to these community efforts and appraises how effective they are in helping to integrate new arrivals to GermanyMore

Interfaith dialogue: Muslim-Jewish pilgrimage to AuschwitzRabbi Elhanan Miller on interfaith dialogue:"People of the Book" brings Jews and Muslims togetherAnti-Semitism: There is no tradition of anti-Semitism in IslamQantara dossier: Spotlight on bridge-builders
: Concert by conductor Zubin Mehta with the orchestra of the ‘Maggio Musicale Fiorentino’ at the auditorium of ArezzoFiere, Italy (photo: Daiano Cristini/Avalo)

Israel and Palestine

How to build a lasting peace

For many years, world-famous conductor Zubin Mehta has worked tirelessly to strengthen relations between Arabs and Jews, sponsoring projects such as "Road to Recovery", which is designed to foster dialogue and bring people closer together. Peter Munch reports from Tel AvivMore

Official Road to Recovery websiteMiddle East conflict: Shoah and Nakba – two interlinked catastrophesJewish Diplomatic Corps visits UAE: "Our preconceptions are at odds with reality"Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm: The Haifa Republic – full equality for Middle East peace
Yazan Khalili's Colour Correction Camp series (source: http://yazankhalili.com)

Documenta 15 and anti-Semitism

Yazan Khalili – an artist misunderstood?

Yazan Khalili is spokesman for The Question of Funding, a collective of artists taking part in the leading German contemporary art festival Documenta 15. Here, he responds to allegations that he has in the past spread anti-Semitism. By Joseph CroitoruMore

The controversial Jerusalem Declaration: Why the world needs a new definition of anti-SemitismIsraeli-Palestinian dialogue: Israel, Palestine – and nuance as the moral imperativeAnti-Semitism: Separating anti-Semitism from criticism of IsraelDebate about anti-Semitism and the Middle East conflict: Dissidence and the Jewish diaspora
Syrian clarinettist and composer Kinan Azmeh in front of the actors and artistic directors of the Osnabruck Theatre (photo: Marian Brehmer)

Morgenland Festival Osnabruck

Songs for days to come

This year’s Morgenland Festival opened with the premiere of Kinan Azmeh’s musical theatre piece, “Songs for Days to Come”, based on fifteen poems by contemporary Syrian poets. Marian Brehmer reports for Qantara.deMore

Michael Dreyer and the Morgenland Festival: A hub connecting Orient and Occident16th Morgenland Festival Osnabruck: A virtual journey of sound across the BalkansKinan Azmeh and Dima Orsho: "All we can do is sing and play our hearts out"Oriental music in the West: A creative musical laboratory at the heart of Germany
Music on a music stand during a rehearsal of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus (photo: Anja Koch)

The Jerusalem Youth Chorus

Building bridges with song

Every week, Jewish, Christian and Muslim youths meet to sing together. And they do so in the middle of a city where Israelis and Palestinians are often at loggerheads. Anja Koch reports from JerusalemMore

Palestinian-Israeli rappers: Dugri duo for dialogueCorey Gil-Shuster: Ask Israelis, ask Palestinians – beyond black and whiteThe West-Eastern divan orchestra: Consoling concertos
Cover photo of Peter Sanders' book "Meeting with Mountains. Encounters with the Saints and Sages of the Islamic World" (published by Inspiral Books)

Saints of Islam

Capturing the light of sages

For over fifty years, British photographer Peter Sanders travelled across the Middle East and further afield, seeking out the saints of Islam. His work uncovers a little-known world. By Marian BrehmerMore

Islamic mysticism: A flute like the breath of GodSufism: Lifting the lidSufism: A soft form of Islam?
Author and Islamic Studies expert Navid Kermani (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/S.Simon)

Navid Kermani‘s "Questions about God"

How do we believe?

In his latest book, Navid Kermani poses questions about God. It feels like no one could have done it better. His writing elicits smiles, doubt and wonder. By Melanie Christina MohrMore

Islamic mysticism: A flute like the breath of God Interview with Navid Kermani: Solidarity, liberty, opennessNavid Kermani′s Peace Prize acceptance speech: Freeing Islam from the clutches of the fanatics
Hamburg lawyer Eigen Balin of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps (photo: Jewish World Congress)

Jewish Diplomatic Corps visits UAE

"Our preconceptions are at odds with reality"

Hamburg lawyer Eugen Balin is a member of the World Jewish Congress' Jewish Diplomatic Corps. At the end of 2021, a delegation of the Corps visited the United Arab Emirates, which established full diplomatic relations with Israel in the summer of 2020. Interview by Christoph StrackMore

Rabbi Elhanan Miller on interfaith dialogue: "People of the Book" brings Jews and Muslims togetherInterfaith dialogue: Religions responsible for helping create a better worldHouse of One: Berlin lays cornerstone for religious understanding
Shlomit Tripp and her puppet theatre "Bubales" (source: www.bubales.de)

Shlomit Tripp‘s Puppet Theatre "Bubales“

Vibrant, Jewish, intercultural

With her puppet theatre "Bubales“, the artist Shlomit Tripp gives audiences a light-hearted taste of Jewish life in a bid to build bridges between religions and cultures. She was presented with the Obermayer Award for her work in January. Ceyda Nurtsch met her and her cast of colourful charactersMore

Interfaith dialogue: "People of the Book" brings Jews and Muslims togetherJaffaʹs Arabic-Hebrew theatre: Model for a democratic, secular IsraelUri Shani's "Nemashim" theatre project: Creating a level playing fieldJews in Turkey: Netflix' "The Club" and Istanbul’s difficult past
Thabet Abu-Rass, co-director of Abraham Initiatives, a prominent non-profit organisation promoting equality between Jews and Arabs in Israel (photo: Noam Yatsiv)

Middle East

Young Arabs: "more Israeli and more Palestinian than ever"

May 2021 saw a deadly flare-up in Israel-Hamas hostilities, with eruptions of extreme violence in several of Israel's 'mixed' cities. Two weeks later, a broad-spectrum governing coalition – the first to include an independent Arab Israeli party – was formed. Noam Yatsiv reflects on this year's rollercoaster of events with Thabet Abu-Rass, co-director of NGO Abraham InitiativesMore

Interview with Arab Israeli MP Essawi Frej: "Israel is my country, the Palestinians are my people"Interview with Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm: The Haifa Republic – full equality for Middle East peaceEscalation in the Middle East: Israeli-Hamas hostilities: same old story, or is it?Israeli-Palestinian dialogue: Israel, Palestine – and nuance as the moral imperative
Etel Adnan, Lebanese American poet and artist (photo: Pierre René-Worms/RFI)

Etel Adnan, Lebanese American poet and artist

A woman full of questions and innocence

Etel Adnan, the artist who transcended the borders of culture and language, may have died in Paris, writes Lebanese author Elias Khoury, yet her death holds a mirror up to the stifling rhythm of what Beirut has become. Indeed, every death now seems a metaphor for the death of BeirutMore

Book review: Etel Adnan's "Conversations with my soul": Illuminating the obscureInterview with Etel Adnan: ''I react to what is happening in the world''Elias Khoury: "Lebanon has always rebelled against political repression"
Vinu Aram (photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa/picture alliance)

Religions for Peace conference in Lindau

Fighting hate speech, climate change and COVID-19 together

Religions are often a source of conflict. But the worldwide Religions for Peace movement seeks to change that by galvanising interreligious dialogue. Delegates from 90 countries are meeting this week in Germany. The involvement and commitment of young women at this year's conference is striking. By Christoph StrackMore

Relgions for Peace in Lindau: "Women are the ones who ensure religion survives"Interreligious dialogue: Like a UN General Assembly of religionsJewish-Muslim dialogue: Rabbis and imams together″Peace responsibility of religions″ conference: Religion′s potential for peace
The Iranian-German poet SAID in 2006 (photo: picture-alliance/dpa/dpa-zentralbild/M. Schulte)

Obituary: Iranian-German poet SAID

Shout your names

Among the authors writing in German who are not native speakers of the language, SAID, who was born in 1947, was among the most successful and the most unconventional. Highly politically engaged, he remained true to his position between cultures. He died on 15 May. By Stefan WeidnerMore

Interview with the Poet SAID: "I have defended my piety against the Islamic Republic"Professor Nasser Kanani on the Persian poet Hafez: "The joyful audacity of his spirit, the melody of his poetry"Contemporary Iranian literature: Reading outside the boxIran′s image in the West: Sheer incredulity
Rafik Schami (photo: Dieter Nagl/AFP)

Spotlight on bridge-builders: Rafik Schami

The story-teller from Damascus

Syrian-born Rafik Schami is a gifted storyteller and one of the most successful authors writing in German today. In his 50 years in exile in Germany, he has introduced the Arab art of storytelling to German literature and has been showered with prizes. But Schami is more than just a storyteller, he is also an outspoken critic of politicians and governments both in Europe and the Middle East. By Ceyda NurtschMore

Syrian–German author Rafik Schami: An exile in his homelandInterview with Rafik Schami: Defending the Assad kingdom"Das Integrationsparadox": Demanding a seat at the tableInterview with Rafik Schami: "The Rebellion's Perseverance Surprises Me"
Lamia Messari-Becker (photo: J. Schmitz – Urban Development)

Germany's Faces of Democracy initiative

"Role models with a migration background more important than quotas"

Lamia Messari-Becker, 48, is professor of construction technology and structural physics at the University of Siegen. Until June 2020, the native Moroccan was a member of the German government's Expert Council on the Environment. Messari-Becker is a member of the Club of Rome International, which campaigns for a sustainable future for humanity. She spoke to Sven Lilienstrom about democracy, climate protection and sustainabilityMore

Germany’s identity crisis: We are the people, tooElectioneering in the Federal Republic: Courting the immigrant voteQantara dossier: Spotlight on bridge-builders

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