History of the Near and Middle East
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Netflix series "Queen Cleopatra"
Controversial patchwork history
The decision by Netflix' latest documentary series to portray Cleopatra as an Egyptian and thereby an African ruler is partly aimed at rehabilitating her as a historical figure. But good intentions don't always produce good results, as Shady Lewis Botros argues
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Racism in Arab societies
It all depends on your origins
Criticism of prevailing religious and social conventions is still taboo in Arab discourse. But that urgently needs to change, so that we no longer judge people by their origins in future, but rather based on what they have achieved, says Egyptian writer Khaled al-Khamissi in his essay
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Tunisian music
Breathing new life into Tunisia's bagpipes
At his workshop in Tunisia's capital, Khaled ben Khemis pieces together a type of bagpipe once banned from the airwaves, but now embraced by artists infusing its sound into new musical styles.
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Romani-Syrian band Taraf Syriana
Poignant cross-pollination
The idea that Romani musicians have anything in common with their counterparts from Syria may seem far-fetched. Yet, listening to Taraf Syriana's debut album, it seems natural the two musical worlds blend effortlessly together. By Richard Marcus
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Iraqi heritage
Iraq artist battles to save ancient boating tradition
Young Iraqis row a flotilla of traditional wooden boats down the Tigris in Baghdad, celebrating an ancient nautical heritage in the now drought-stricken country. The United Nations ranks Iraq as one of the world's five countries most impacted by climate change
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Synagogue shooting in Tunisia
What next for Djerba?
Jews on the Tunisian holiday island of Djerba, where a gunman killed five people last week during a Jewish pilgrimage, are asking why – and what happens next. By Cathrin Schaer and Tarak Guizani
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75 years after the Nakba
Palestinians still long to return
On 15 May every year, Palestinians across the globe remember the "Nakba". Seventy-five years on, many still yearn to return to the land they left behind.
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Resurgence of Pakistan's Taliban
Terror returns with the TTP
When the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan just under two years ago, analysts warned that their return would also mean a return of the threat posed to neighbouring Pakistan by offshoot Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). By Mohammad Luqman
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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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20 years Iraq War
Farewell to the old world order
It is 20 years since the USA began its invasion of Iraq. Alongside the countless dead Iraqis and U.S. soldiers, it was the West’s credibility in the Arab world that would fall victim to this war. As Karim El-Gawhary argues, this loss is still having consequences two decades later
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Earthquake aid for Syria
Bashar al-Assad – pariah no more
While hundreds of thousands of people in northern Syria are still waiting for tents, water and medical aid, the Syrian regime is celebrating its comeback in the Arab world. Earthquake relief is serving as a fig leaf for Assad's rehabilitation, writes Kristin Helberg