Civil Society

Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws
by Anam Gill

Recent attacks on churches and homes of Pakistan's Christian minority in Faisalabad underscore the nation's deep-seated sectarian divisions. Authorities often appear passive, raising concerns about the state's commitment to safeguarding religious minorities, especially in the face of mob violence.

Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws
Protests in Algeria
Interview on the 2nd anniversary of the Hirak movement in Algeria

After a year of protests, bans on assembly were imposed in Algeria in March 2020 in order to contain the pandemic. Journalist Lyas Hallas explains why the Hirak is now back on the streets – and what the protest movement is till lacking.

Rebels With a Green Cause
Cancellation of the Bisri Dam Project in Lebanon and its effect on other NGOs

The cancellation of the Bisri dam project is a stunning victory for Lebanon’s environmental activists. And they have no intention of stopping.

Trucks dump earth and trash into the sea as part of the land reclamation process at the Bourj Hammond landfill in Beirut.
The EU's Lebanon policy after the explosion in the port of Beirut

The EU needs to step up its long-term commitment in Lebanon after the Beirut explosion. Axel Müller has a few suggestions on what such a policy should entail.

Sudan’s Unfinished Revolution
One Year after the Massacre in Sudan’s Capital Khartoum

On 3 June 2019, Sudanese security forces massacred hundreds of demonstrators. Memories of anger and desperation among those revolutionaries who survived run deep. Can they help to build a democratic future for Sudan?

Shady Habash
Death of Shady Habash

The death of filmmaker Shady Habash makes author Wael Eskandar think of a friend who goes by the same first name - and of how the Egyptians deal with injustice and loss.