Globalisation
All topics-
"The Ministry of Utmost Happiness"
Novelist Arundhati Roy: "India is colonising itself"
Described as the "conscience of India" in Time's 2014 list of 100 most influential people, author Arundhati Roy has a voice that counts. Speaking in Berlin, she introduced her long-awaited second work of fiction. By Sabine Peschel
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The future of the Middle East
How about a Marshall Plan?
If we are ever to break the modern Middle East′s cycle of crises, we must not lose sight of the future. Across the Arab world four trends are already brewing a new set of problems for the coming decade. By Tarek Osman
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"The Pearl of Dari" by Zuzanna Olszewska
Treasuring their common Persian heritage
A book about young Afghan poets in exile casts a new perspective on Afghans in Iran. Marian Brehmer read the Oxford anthropologist Zuzanna Olszewska′s study
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Countering radicalisation with '180° Turn'
Together we are strong
Young people, mostly from immigrant backgrounds, are working for a Cologne initiative fighting religious fanaticism. They aim to combat the radicalisation of others of their generation by coming together as peers. By Nina Niebergall
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Right-wing populism in the USA
Trump′s deplorables
Hillary Clinton, the Democratic US presidential nominee, recently described supporters of her opponent, Donald Trump, as a ″basket of deplorables″. It was neither a tactful nor an elegant phrase and she later apologised for her remark. But she was more right than wrong. By Ian Buruma
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Cultural policy and architecture in Iran
Far from an Islamist Utopia
The Islamist hardliners in Iran see themselves as a bulwark against the cultural influence of the West; their goal is to create an authentically Islamic culture. But what does that mean for things like architecture? Aesthetic observations by Ulrich von Schwerin in Iran
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Islam and violence
Self-proclaimed jihadists
Does Islam have a violence problem? With their terror in the name of Islam, the jihadists have plunged an entire world religion into a crisis of legitimacy. Although Islamic scholarship has mechanisms at its disposal to limit the violence, these are no longer effective in this current era of globalisation. By Claudia Mende
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Global strategies in the war on terror
Eliminate the breeding grounds
One of the reasons for terrorism is a world order that is out of whack, which no longer reacts appropriately to crises around the globe, writes Syrian publicist Mohammed Dibou. Neither ″national″ nor ″continental″ measures can offer the protection craved by the West's citizens
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Urban appropriation in Jerusalem
Mamilla and the Tower of David
The Jerusalem district of Mamilla, located between West Jerusalem and the Old City, is an outstanding example of how urban planning decisions alter the public space and create a new visual reality with great political resonance. Felix Koltermann took a look around
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Terrorism debate
"Imagine there's a war and nobody notices"
Against the backdrop of the latest terrorist attacks in Paris, some think we should carry on enjoying our Western lifestyle and ignore the possibility of war. What an illusion! A contribution to the debate by Stefan Weidner
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Interview with the Turkish Roma musician ″Balik″ Ayhan Kucukboyaci
″We Roma are more than just entertainers″
Ayhan Kucukboyaci, better known as Balik Ayhan (Fish Ayhan), is one of Turkey′s most famous Roma musicians. He also works to preserve the Romani culture. Ceyda Nurtsch talked to him about the demolition of the world′s oldest Roma settlement, Sulukule, and the situation for Roma in Turkey
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Anti-construction protests in Turkey
″Reclaim Istanbul!″ – policy vs. architecture
Turkey′s construction industry is booming. As a key pillar of the nation's economy, President Erdogan's ambitious goal is to ensure it catapults Turkey into the world's top ten economies by 2023. But the AKP's ″urban transformation project″ has many downsides. By Ceyda Nurtsch