Sexuality and eroticism in Islam
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Obituary: Egyptian LGBTQ activist Sarah Hegazy
"How can I survive in a society based on hate?"
In 2017, Sarah Hegazy was arrested in Cairo for displaying a rainbow flag, the symbol for homosexuality and queerness, at a concert. The activist recently took her own life in Canada. By Christopher Resch
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Interview with Malaysian artist Nadiah Bamadhaj
Freeing the body from conservatism
One of the most relevant Malaysian artists of her generation, Yogyakarta-based Nadiah Bamadhaj uses sculpture, drawing, collage and video to challenge the restrictive societal norms in Southeast Asian countries and explore body politics. Interview by Naima Morelli
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Profile: Christian Awhan Hermann
Finding a mosque for Germany’s first gay imam
Christian Awhan Hermann is the first openly gay imam in Germany. His mission: to give a voice to fellow Muslims who are facing discrimination. By Anna Fries
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Kurdish Art Rock band Adir Jan
Rainbow's hope in hell
The music of Adir Jan, a Kurdish singer-songwriter and saz player born in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin successfully brings together the diverse worlds of queer poetry, Kurdish folk, Sufi mysticism and psychedelic art rock in a music whose hypnotic rhythms bring together many different communities. By David Siebert
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Burkhard Hofmann's "And God created fear"
A psychogram of the Arab soul
In "Und Gott schuf die Angst: Ein Psychogramm der arabischen Seele", psychologist Burkhard Hoffmann draws on his own caseload to present some of the uniquely Arab hang-ups plaguing individuals in the Gulf region, highlighting the urgent need of Islamic societies to recognise the value of psycho-anaylsis. Gunther Orth read the book
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Matchmaking for millennials
Finding a spouse the halal way
Egyptʹs Harmonica app, intended for those seeking marriage, aims to be a cut above the average dating platform, providing a contemporary, science-based approach for individuals intent on making their own match with a life partner. By Mostafa Fathi
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The Book of Exposition
An archaeology of erotica
Nowadays credited to a fifteenth-century Egyptian polymath called Jalal adʹDin al-Suyuti, "The Book of Exposition" is an exploration of promiscuity under the societal constraints of the Arab-Islamic world, using bawdy and salacious scenarios to stimulate and evoke fantasies in the readerʹs mind. By Sherif Dhaimish
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Interview with Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji
When writing becomes a crime
The Egyptian military regime regularly targets authors, accusing them of "violating public morals". The trial of Egyptian novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji ranks as one of the most prominent cases in recent years. Interview conducted by Moritz B. and Luisa M.
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Ali Soozandeh's film "Tehran Taboo"
Nothing but taboos
German-Iranian director Ali Soozandeh says that he made the film "Tehran Taboo" in order to "break the silence". In doing so, however, he has sketched a portrait of Iran that is almost unbearable, especially for the critical viewer with a knowledge of Iran, says Massoud Schirazi
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Egyptian film controversy
Shams buys a man
Egypt is in uproar over a film: a single woman marries solely in order to have a baby via a sperm donor and then gets divorced. A female television presenter who showcased the film and its controversial theme on her programme has been given a prison sentence. By Dunja Ramadan
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Interview with Pakistani American actress Aizzah Fatima
"Human, flawed and funny"
Actor and writer Aizzah Fatima made waves in 2014 with her provocative play "Dirty Paki Lingerie" which explored what it meant to be a Muslim in the post 9/11 world. Fatima spoke to Roma Rajpal Weiss on her upcoming work – "The Art of Hijab, Kohl Black and The Right Way To Pray", a play that engages with the stigmatisation of hijab-wearing Muslim women in the Western world
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Sexuality in Iran
Facing a "sex putsch"
Sexuality is a taboo subject in Iran. But the country′s youthful society wants enlightenment and more sexual freedoms. What little support it receives from exile seems to be having a powerful effect. By Shahrzad Osterer and Farhad Payar