Syrian Civil War
All topics-
The Syrian poet Hala Mohammad
"They are stealing the soul from our revolution"
In her essay, the Syrian poet Hala Mohammad looks back at the early days of the uprising against the Assad dictatorship and how her country subsequently slid into civil war. The regime, she says, forced the population into a war that Syria and the Syrians can only lose
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Freedom of the press in Syria
The truth can cost lives
Four years into Syria's civil war, neither the regime nor the jihadists are interested in free and fair reporting. As Samar Yazbek explains, it takes great courage to stand up and tell the truth under such circumstances
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Interview with Nader Othman, deputy PM of the Syrian interim government
People want professionals, not Facebook heroes
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces and the interim government it has formed have been subject to international criticism. They are regarded as ineffective, disunited and lacking support in Syria. Kristin Helberg spoke to the deputy prime minister of the interim government, Nader Othman, about elected provincial councils, progress and why Syria now needs engineers, not heroes
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The Druze in the Syrian conflict
Potential to tip the scales
For many years, Syria's Druze community was regarded as a loyal ally of Assad. Yet their pleas to Damascus to protect them against extremist groups fell on deaf ears. Now, on account of their increasing distance to the Baath regime, the Druze are at risk of getting caught in the crossfire. Details by Firas Maksad
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"Syria Speaks"
Challenging violence with creativity
The recent launch of "Syria Speaks: Arts and Culture from the Frontline" at events in The Hague and Amsterdam was in a sense a homecoming for a remarkable book whose roots lie in an exhibition of works by Syrian artists and cartoonists held at the Prince Claus Fund Gallery in Amsterdam in 2012. By Susannah Tarbush
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Radical Islamist groups in Tunisia
Tunisian-style jihad
The recent high-profile attack on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis shines a spotlight on the radical Islamist network that has emerged in Tunisia since the fall of the Ben Ali regime. An analysis by Hanspeter Mattes of the GIGA Institute for Middle East Studies
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Iranian foreign policy
Iran, Assad and the endless war
A nuclear agreement with Iran could also mean hope for the settlement of the Syrian conflict. An essay by Charlotte Wiedemann
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Interview with Rami G. Khouri
Fragmentation of the Arab world
The Palestinian-Jordanian political scientist and writer Rami G. Khouri sees links between increasing religious fanaticism and the reinvigoration of the old elites after the Arabellion. In an interview with Juliane Metzker, he looks back at four years of transformation, stagnation and instability in the Arab states.
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The geopolitical situation in the Middle East
Between terror and the dissolution of order
Indifferent superpowers and old rivalries: the megatrend in today's Middle East is the dissolution of a regional order. An analysis by Volker Perthes
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Four years of war in Syria
Where the uprising began and still lives on
The southern Syrian city of Daraa is the "cradle of the revolution" and the last bastion of the uprising against the Assad regime. Kristin Helberg on the special significance the provincial city has held since the start of the Syrian rebellion four years ago
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Art and performance project "The Forgotten"
Focusing attention on hidden realities
Once upon a time in a land far away, there existed a storytelling tradition known as "naghali". Iranian artist Golnar Tabibzadeh was inspired by this tradition to combine art and storytelling for her project "The Forgotten", which tells some of the heart-rending personal stories behind the daily news. Marian Brehmer spoke to the artist about her project and the Iranian art scene
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Peace initiatives for Syria
Negotiate locally, implement internationally
A comprehensive solution to the Syria conflict is still a distant prospect. And "freezing" the fighting will not succeed without UN monitoring. If the suffering of the people is to be alleviated and a foundation of trust laid for negotiations, local initiatives must be implemented with international support, says Kristin Helberg