Most recent articles by Sonja Hegasy
-
Narendra Modi and HindutvaWhy violence towards India's minorities is increasing
To what extent is Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government endangering India's founding principle as a secular state? Sonja Hegasy spoke to social anthropologist and political analyst S. M. Faizan Ahmed in Delhi
-
German-Indian journalist Navina Sundaram"Out of marginalisation, into the mainstream"
German-Indian journalist Navina Sundaram (1945-2022) is being rediscovered as a key documentary filmmaker. The online archive "The Fifth Wall" documents her work. The English edition was presented in Delhi, India, at the beginning of April. Sonja Hegasy attended the premiere
-
India opposition and the Bharat Jodo YatraRahul Gandhi marches for unity
From September 2022 to January 2023, Rahul Gandhi walked the length of India to demonstrate against Narendra Modi and the BJP's divisive policies and rhetoric. Sentenced to two years for 'Modi' defamation on 24 March, Gandhi has now been stripped of his parliamentary mandate. Sonja Hegasy met with political observer S. M. Faizan Ahmed, who joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi
-
Sarhan Dhouib's "Erinnerungen an Unrecht"Memories of injustice – for the liberation of Arab identity
The memory of experienced injustice plays a central role in the transformation of societies towards democracy. In the Arab world, the critical study of memory is only just emerging. The Tunisian philosopher Sarhan Dhouib from the University of Hildesheim has made an important contribution with his anthology, writes Sonja Hegasy in her review
-
Richard W. Bulliet's "Methodists and Muslims: My life as an Orientalist"The agency of historians. Or what Edward Said missed out on
Is it legitimate for a historian to compare 11th century Nishapur with 20th century Rockford, Illinois? What possible motive can there be for studying Middle Eastern societies if you have no biographical ties with the region? Eminent Middle East historian Richard Bulliet answers these and other questions in his witty memoir "Methodists and Muslims: My life as an Orientalist". Sonja Hegasy read the book
-
Contemporary political discourseWhat can Europe learn from Arab philosophy?
Michael Frey has written a fascinating book about the contemporary political thinker Nassif Nassar. Since 1967, Nassar has devoted his life’s work to the question of a fair social order both within and beyond Lebanon. Now Frey offers us the first introduction to his work in a European language. By Sonja Hegasy
-
15 years since the neo-Nazi NSU attack in CologneGermanyʹs constitution turns 70 – sorry, what happened on Keupstrasse?
Anyone mentioning Cologneʹs Keupstrasse and radicalisation in the same breath cannot simply brush the matter of NSU terrorism under the carpet. Commentary by Sonja Hegasy
-
Non-fiction: ″Religious criticism around 1900″Middle Eastern philosophy's take on Islam
How is the relationship between science, philosophy and religion discussed in the Muslim world, beyond the well-known dictum that Islam rules its states and societies and therefore also determines its morality and aesthetics? A new series by Berlin-based publishers Klaus Schwarz addresses this question. By Sonja Hegasy
-
Politics of remembranceCracks in the edifice?
Are those who remember past atrocities protected from committing the same mistakes? Germany has spent over 40 years addressing its past, yet even there recent events on the global stage have seen populist prejudices enter mainstream debate. By Sonja Hegasy
-
Inauguration of the Pierre Boulez Hall in Berlin"Music for the Thinking Ear"
The Pierre Boulez Hall of the new Barenboim-Said Akademie celebrated its grand opening in early March in the centre of Berlin. Sonja Hegasy attended the opening concert
-
The West and the Islamic worldDiplomatic hubris
European nations suspend civil rights in an era of terror, but preach to others about the rule of law. What might they do to regain credibility in the Middle East? By Sonja Hegasy
-
Book review: "Diamond Dust" by Ahmed MouradA dark political crime novel from Egypt
Ahmed Mourad's new novel asks whether evil is an unavoidable route to good, and how much violence is necessary in the fight against the corrupt and the unscrupulous. Sonja Hegasy on a literary slice of Egyptian life before the revolution