Qantara.de - Dialogue with the Islamic World

07/09/2026

"When Sliman Mansour passed away a few days ago, it felt as though a part of our childhood memories had passed away with him. His famous painting, "Jamal Al Mahamel" ("Camel of Hardship"), was among the first artworks we encountered as children in the refugee camp. Without realising it at the time, it became a part of our early artistic consciousness."

"Camel of Hardship" by Sliman Mansour, who died on 24 August, is one of the most recognisable images in Palestinian art. Asmaa Alghoul tells how it came to appear on walls across the country and why it remains deeply embedded in collective memory.

👉 https://qantara.de/en/node/44748

21/08/2026

Iranian cinema: For decades, directors like and have found success at the world's most prestigious film festivals. But some Iranian critics question whether international audiences reward films that challenge or reinforce views of .

https://qantara.de/en/article/iranian-festival-cinema-kiarostami-made-western-critics

🖊 Changiz M. Varzi
📸 picture alliance / Photoshot

23/07/2026

"I never thought these crimes would reach the ICC, so the confirmation of charges makes me very happy." — Survivor and witness

In July 2025, the German police arrested the Libyan Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri at Berlin Airport. The International Criminal Court has now decided to proceed with his trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

El Hishri is accused of being a senior commander at Mitiga prison, where he had authority over the detainees and was directly in control of the women's section. In this role, he allegedly personally abused and killed at least 159 detainees, and instructed guards and others to do the same.

The first Libyan suspect to appear before the court, his trial could expose a wider system of abuse affecting Libyans, migrants and refugees.

Our author Margharita Capacci was present at the preliminary hearings and has written about it.
👉 https://qantara.de/en/node/44719

09/07/2026

The HTS regime presents itself as the "liberator of Syria" while collaborating with key figures from the Assad era. Instead of conducting a thorough reckoning with the past, the new elites are consolidating power with the help of the old.

03/07/2026

As the United States marks 250 years of independence this Fourth of July, one part of its founding story is still often overlooked.

Muslims in the United States often face negative stereotyping and suspicion. Particularly in the years after 9/11, they have frequently been portrayed as outsiders.

What many may not know is that Muslims have been part of the American story since its founding. Scholars estimate that as many as 30% of Africans enslaved and taken to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries were Muslim — among them clerics, teachers, students, rulers and traders. Some were able to create written records in a language their enslavers could not understand.

Scholars of Islam in America, Nareman Amin and Leila Tarakji, have studied the writings of many of these enslaved African Muslims. Their accounts offer rare glimpses into their lives and the cultural traditions they carried across the Atlantic. In some cases, their ability to read and write even played a role in securing their freedom.

👉 https://qantara.de/en/node/44704

30/06/2026

As Morocco’s Atlas Lions advance in the 2026 World Cup with a victory against the Netherlands, bulldozers in Casablanca and Rabat are already clearing the way for 2030, when Morocco will co-host the tournament.

Locals are already paying the price. Long-standing residents are being relocated as part of ambitious redevelopment plans. While some are reluctant to leave their homes and livelihoods, others are keen to move out of buildings that have long been in need of renewal.

At the same time, Moroccan cities are seeing a tournament-driven surge in housing prices. National figures confirm this is also happening in Marrakesh, Tangier and Rabat. Once a quarter is earmarked for redevelopment, owners price in the expected windfall and rents rise.

While “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?” became the rallying cry of protests in September 2025, led by a youth movement known as Gen Z 212, construction continues apace: wider roads, new hotels, a vast promenade. Residents keep asking the same question: who is it for?

👉 https://qantara.de/en/node/44698 See less

As Morocco’s Atlas Lions take the field in the 2026 World Cup, bulldozers in Casablanca and Rabat are already clearing the way for 2030, when Morocco will co-host the tournament. Local residents are paying the price.

15/06/2026

Concepts of gender are shifting across the Arab world. Amel Grami is among the first gender studies specialists in Tunisia and the Arab region. In an interview with Qantara, she reflects on emerging approaches to gender analysis in the region and examines how colonial legacies have shaped existing perceptions.

Read the full interview by Mohammed Magdy via link in first comment👇

03/06/2026

: Robin Yassin-Kassab, author of "The Blood Between Us", on Syria and why the government’s focus on stability may prove a pitfall

Since December 2024, Syria has been oscillating between euphoria and disappointment. The British-Syrian analyst Robin Yassin-Kassab sees optimism as a resource, but the new government’s focus on stability as a potential pitfall.

18/05/2026

With "Dounana", Berlin-based musician Siba has struck a chord: rapped in Arabic, the track takes aim at colonialism and imperialism and is spreading rapidly online. With Qantara she talked about anger, injustice and empowerment.
https://qantara.de/en/node/44673

04/05/2026

Mohamed Mahdy has documented in "Moon Dust" the health crisis in Wadi Al-Qamar, a residential area in Alexandria located next to a cement factory. Exposed to severe pollution from coal and industrial waste, the neighbourhood has become a place where environmental damage shapes everyday life. For this work, Mahdy was awarded the World Press Photo 2026.

Since 2016, Mahdy has worked closely with the community, whose daily reality is marked by illness, legal struggles, and questions of visibility and voice. While court rulings and public attention have brought moments of recognition, residents continue to face structural neglect and uncertainty about lasting change.

In an interview with Qantara, Mahdy explains why he looks for his stories close to home and what he expects from international media.