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Topics in recent editions of Art&Thought

About Fikrun

Fikrun wa Fann is a cultural magazine that encourages and makes a contribution towards shaping cultural exchange between Germany and Islam-orientated cultural groups. Authors from Germany, Europe and the Islamic world have their say alongside other international voices. In addition to information and dialogue with and within Islam-orientated countries, Fikrun wa Fann also offers a literary forum for current socio-political debates.

Coming to Terms with the Past

Very few societies have the good fortune to boast a truly unproblematic, non-violent past. Germans have acquired a reputation as both experts and model students in the discipline of coming to terms with the past. More on this topic

Mapping Democracy

Democracy is being discussed in very different contexts at present; for instance, as the political system of the future in the Arab states of North Africa seeking a new political order after the overthrow of their dictators. More on this topic

Music Between Cultures

A particular characteristic of the Arab revolutions was, and is, the role played by music, especially popular music in its various forms, such as hiphop, rock, and techno. Music speaks more directly to people’s emotions than literature or the visual arts, and these days, thanks to electronic media, it is also easy to distribute. More on this topic

From 9/11 to the Arab Revolutions

2001 to 2011 – a decade between religious fanaticism and the spirit of democracy, between trauma and collective heroic deeds. Over these ten years, terror, war and revolutions have shaped every-day life in the Islamic world. In revolting against the dictatorships, the young generation is now fighting for a new identity. More on this topic

El Anatsui, Ozon Schicht und Yamswurzeln. Aus der Ausstellung: Who Knows Tomorrow. Neue Nationalgalerie Berlin. © Stefan Weidner

Gender Questions

How compatible are Islam and emancipation? A look at Muslim women and their situation between the hammer of the burqa and the anvil of Western irreverence.More on this topic

Internetcafé in Antanarivo, Madagaskar. Foto: Markus Kirchgessner

Media

The media landscape in the Arab world is characterised by both censorship and freedom of the press. Using such media not only holds danger, but also opportunities for freedom and democracy. A report on the situation of the media in the Arab world and the image of Islam portrayed in Western media.More on this topic

Studenten am Tianmen-Platz 1989; Foto: Sadayuki Mikami/AP

1989 – The Fall of the Wall

The developments originating from Central Europe in 1989 left behind a complex legacy in the non-European world. German-German histories, the end of apartheid in South Africa and the distortion of the perception of Islam – looking at the year 1989 from a global perspective.More on this topic

Without words. Photo: Alexandra Demenkova

Language

We can speak in different languages, speak in dialect, speak literarily and speak different global or cultural languages. But what actually is language? A report on the essence of language, language culture and the "flavour" of words.More on this topic