Society

Detention Centers in Libya
Detention Centers in Libya

Many of those who seek refuge in Europe find themselves stranded in a Libya at war with itself. Women and daughters await the results of the UN’s resettlement lottery on mattresses amid the bombs. While husbands and sons face forced conscription.

Interview with Raphael Luzon on the fate of Libyan Jews
Interview with Raphael Luzon on the fate of Libyan Jews

Raphael Luzon has been hosted by Gaddafi, kidnapped by Islamists and was asked to help with drafting the new constitution. In this interview he explains why one always needs to play it tough in Libya and why Gaddafi and Berlusconi got along so well.

Twitter, Facebook and censorship in Egypt
Twitter, Facebook and censorship in Egypt

Viral videos reinvigorated resistance in Egypt. Still, social media platforms help to stymie criticism. How Twitter and Facebook cosy up to the Sisi regime and facilitate its latest crackdown.

Interview with Naseef Naeem on constitutions in the Arab world
Interview with Naseef Naeem on constitutions in the Arab world

Legal scholar Naseef Naeem on his new book “The State and Its Foundations in the Arab Republics”, the pitfalls of European notions of democracy, and why the real challenge for global legal standards arises further east.

The demographics of Iraq’s protest movement
The demographics of Iraq’s protest movement

Are the largest protests in Iraq’s history seeing the left's comeback or the birth of a new youth movement? A Communist party veteran and an icon of the 2019 popular protests explain to Iraq researcher Inna Rudolf why they are taking to the streets.

Christians in Jordan, church and legal reform
Christians in Jordan, church and legal reform

Christians in Jordan are striving for change within the church, with women in the lead. Gender inequality in inheritance law is a particularly thorny issue.

War and famine in Yemen
War and famine in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition and the Iran-backed Houthis fight a war of attrition. The strategy of economic warfare doesn’t change the military equation, but has devastating effect on civilians. A visit to a country scarred by famine, disease and neglect

Scouts Movement in Libya
Scouts Movement in Libya

They even defied Gadhafi to establish one of the most long-standing institutions of Libyan civil society. Now, with the civil battle for the capital ravaging the country, the Scouts movement’s help is needed once more.