Interview with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
"Turkey Creates Balance in the Middle East"

Turkey's foreign policy has been under the spotlight in recent months, with many Western commentators expressing concern about a perceived swing toward a more Middle Eastern orientation. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu speaks to Ayşe Karabat about his country's new regional role

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Interview with Iran Expert Vali Nasr
The Power Lies in the Middle

Political scientist Vali Nasr is an advisor to US President Barack Obama and is viewed as one of the country's leading specialists on Iran. In his view, recent reform movements in the Islamic world are partially driven by a new middle class. Ramon Schack spoke to him

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The Transformation of Palestine
Divided, Shattered and Disoriented

The Heinrich Böll Foundation hosted a symposium on "The Transformation of Palestine" in Berlin. At the gathering, experts re-appraised the history of the Palestinians since the foundation of the state of Israel in 1948. Bettina Marx reports

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Massacres in Nigeria
More Than Religious Conflict

The latest bloodshed in Nigeria has again revealed deep divides in the country. In many regions, Christians and Muslims fiercely oppose each other - not just for religious reasons, but for political ones, too. Joscha Weber reports

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Motalakat Radio in Egypt
The Voice of Divorced Women

Mahasin Saber wants her "Radio for divorced women" to put the spotlight on the serious deficits in the male-dominated Egyptian society, and to make people aware of the discrimination suffered by women. So far, she's succeeding. Nelly Youssef visited her in Cairo

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Interview with Mariz Tadros
Contesting the Patriarchal Legal System

Mariz Tadros is an expert in development, gender and participation from Egypt. Martina Sabra talked to her about the importance of legal reform for Arab women and about the strategies of Arab women's organisations to overcome discrimination and gender-based violence in Arab countries

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Arabic in Latin Script
Lost in Arabic

Arabic was never easy. But if the language spoken by some 240 million people with its convoluted verb forms and guttural phonology suddenly starts appearing in Latin script, then things get really complicated. And at the same time very straightforward. Details from Mona Sarkis

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The 19th Century Urdu Epic "Hoshruba"
A Literary Treasure from Hindu-Muslim Culture

"Hoshruba" is a fantasy epic written in 19th century Muslim India. Now Muhammad Ali Farooqi has produced the first ever translation of "Hoshruba" into any language. In this interview with Lewis Gropp he talks about this unique epic, Urdu literature, and the colonially induced Urdu-Hindi divide

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Hubert Haddad's Novel "Palestine"
Caught between the Israeli Army and the Palestinian Underground

An Israeli soldier almost turns into a Palestinian underground fighter. This remarkable transformation is the subject of a novel by the Tunisian-French author Hubert Haddad. The motif may have something to do with the author's dual allegiances – Haddad is an Arab Jew. Kersten Knipp reviews his novel "Palestine"

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Sanctions against Iran
Is the West Getting Serious?

The international community feels threatened by Iran's nuclear activities, fearing that Tehran is trying to build a nuclear bomb. Iran disputes this view. Now the US says it intends to propose tough economic and political sanctions against the Islamic state in the UN Security Council. Three international experts discuss the matter in Quadriga, Deutsche Welle's International Talk Show

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