"To shed light on the dark beginnings of Islam" is the call of Karl-Heinz Ohlig, editor of the volume "Early Islam". Its authors claim to be able to trace the actual emergence of Islam through recourse to "contemporary sources". Daniel Birnstiel has read the book
We’re familiar with Hafez, Forough Farrokzhad and Nima Yusij, but 21st century Persian poetry, the poetry of Iran written since the Islamic Revolution, is rarely accessible in German. Publishers Ali Abdollahi and Kurt Scharf are now seeking to change that with a comprehensive anthology. Gerrit Wustmann read the book for Qantara.de
On February 15, Bloomberg ran a story about the “freedom convoy” that seemed to illustrate Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theory of stupidity.
Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran minister who was part of the German resistance to the Nazi Party and to Adolf Hitler’s rise. His book, The Cost of Discipleship, is a me.
Two new German translations of the Koran are set to appear on book shelves just in time for the Frankfurt Book Fair. But why do we need more translations of the Koran, when there are already so many available? And: what are the key issues that arise when rendering the Koran into another language? By Peter Philipp
Angelika Neuwirth is one of Germany's most renowned Koran experts. In this interview with Kurt Scharf, she talks about the aesthetic dimension of the Koran, the trouble with translating sacred texts, and the notion of "inlibration"