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From: "Sylla, Eleonore" <[log in to unmask]>
Press Release
Qantara.de - Internet Portal Forms a Bridge to the Islamic World
The German institutions Federal Agency for Civic Education, Deutsche
Welle, Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes and Institute for Foreign
Relations provide a platform for dialogue with the Islamic world
"Qantara" is the Arabic word for bridge. With their Internet portal
"Qantara.de" (http://www.qantara.de) the Bundeszentrale für politische
Bildung/bpb (Federal Agency for Civic Education), Deutsche Welle (DW),
the Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes (GI) and the Institut für
Auslandsbeziehungen/ifa (Institute for Foreign Relations) hope to form
and maintain a bridge to the Islamic world.
The website, which went online on March 13, will initially be available
in English, Arabic and German. The four-member editing team wants to
give both western and Islamic voices a chance to speak, providing a
forum characterized by openness and mutual respect, even in times of
crisis. Contributors include Egyptian literary scholar Nasr Hamid Abu
Zayd, German Muslim ex-diplomat Murad Hofmann, Islamic theologian
Halima Krausen, conflict researcher Heiner Bielefeldt and physicist
Ernst-Ulrich von Weizsäcker.
The portal takes up a variety of political, cultural and social issues.
Due to the present world situation, the current page naturally includes
a look at developments in Iraq. The German writer Michael Kleeberg and
his Lebanese colleague Abbas Beydoun will exchange correspondence about
the war. Other key topics are Turkey's EU candidacy, feminism in Islam,
interreligious dialogue and globalization. The featured articles
reflect both common interests and distinct differences, not hesitating
to broach controversial themes. A database is included, which provides
information on important projects promoting dialogue with Islam. New
topics and articles will be added to the site on a regular basis.
Qantara.de is sponsored by the German Foreign Office.
English version: http://www.qantara.de <http://www.qantara.de>
Arabic version: http://www.qantara.de/ar <http://www.qantara.de/ar>
German version: http://www.qantara.de/de <http://www.qantara.de/de>
Gruß,
ES
****
Eleonore Sylla
Bereichsleiterin Online-Redaktion
www.goethe.de/kug/deindex.htm <http://www.goethe.de/kug/deindex.htm>
Goethe-Institut Inter Nationes e.V. Kennedyallee 91-103 53175 Bonn *
0228/880 360 Fax 0228/880 355 e-mail: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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