Most recent articles by Joseph Croitoru
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Middle East conflictShoah and Nakba – two interlinked catastrophes
Asked about the Shoah, Palestinians often bring up the Nakba, the displacement of Palestinians associated with the founding of the state of Israel. An Israeli Holocaust researcher and a Palestinian political scientist have developed a concept aimed at promoting dialogue about these two interlinked national traumas. By Joseph Croitoru
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Khaled Khalifa’s “No One Prayed Over Their Graves”The maelstrom of Aleppo
Longlisted for the 2020 International Prize for Arabic Fiction and now available in German translation, Khaled Khalifa’s novel “No One Prayed Over Their Graves” details lives and loves lost against the backdrop of a city undergoing seismic change. Joseph Croitoru read the book
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Ukraine warLearn from Israel and you learn how to beat Putin
Across the political divides, Ukrainians regard the Jewish state as a model of both defensible strength and modern nation-building. The war is now putting this admiration to the test, reports Joseph Croitoru
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Documenta 15 and anti-SemitismYazan Khalili – an artist misunderstood?
Yazan Khalili is spokesman for The Question of Funding, a collective of artists taking part in the leading German contemporary art festival Documenta 15. Here, he responds to allegations that he has in the past spread anti-Semitism. By Joseph Croitoru
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Middle East in the Second World WarNazis had their sights set on Palestine
Newly discovered aerial photographs taken by the German Luftwaffe show what a keen interest the Germans took in British-controlled Palestine during the Second World War. Not only that, they provide a unique pictorial record of the region during this period. Joseph Croitoru reports
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"Neo-Taliban" in Afghanistan?Democracy Taliban-style
In league with the village mullahs: the Taliban have taken Afghanistan by storm. The rebels' victory is the result of a social revolution in Afghanistan, writes Joseph Croitoru in his analysis
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Turkey and northern SyriaRecep Tayyip Erdogan's deadly serious colonial project
The neo-Ottomanism propagated by Erdogan has long been more than rhetoric and symbolic politics. This can be seen from recent developments in parts of northern Syria, where Turkey is in the process of permanently securing its sphere of influence. Joseph Croitoru reports
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Immigration, Islamophobia and the AfDGermany's "welcoming culture" – for some a dirty word
Shortly after the expression was coined and found its way into German discourse, the concept of a "welcoming culture" was already being targeted by Islamophobic circles – and was finally taken down by them in a prolonged process. Joseph Croitoru on the history of a German hot-button topic
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A sacred site in JerusalemThe new Saladin
Now that he has converted Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is setting his sights on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Joseph Croitoru explains why the call to "liberate Al-Aqsa" is being elevated to a state ideology in Turkey
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The politicisation of Islam scholarship in EuropeMuslims under scrutiny
Muslims are facing intense scrutiny by academic researchers. A wide variety of disciplines are involved. But are contexts and outcomes being reflected upon with a sufficiently critical eye? By Joseph Croitoru
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The Prophet and ShariaIslamic family law reform – a question of interpretation
Equality in divorce, a ban on polygamy: reformers of Islamic family law have a clear agenda. They are exploiting the ambiguity of traditional jurisprudence. By Joseph Croitoru
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Iraqi JewsIraqi Judaism lives on in literary form
Interest in the Iraqi-Jewish cultural heritage is growing – both in Israel and Iraq. Novels in which emigrants and their children evoke the lost world of their forefathers are proving especially popular. By Joseph Croitoru