Claudia Mende

Language politics · 07.04.2026 A pupil shows his English textbook at a school near Algiers in September 2022. (Photo: Picture Alliance / AP | F. Guidoum) English is gaining ground in Algeria's education system, challenging the long-standing dominance of French, a remnant of colonial rule. But the shift is far from straightforward, testing the ability of schools and universities to adapt.

Algeria · 27.10.2025 A new independent, youth-led movement is reshaping Algerian culture. Four young artists reflect on their experiences and efforts to carve out space outside of official frameworks. https://qantara.de/en/node/44523 Print In cities like Algiers, Oran and Tizi Ouzou, a new generation of Algerian artists is forging alternative paths for culture through independent exhibitions, experimental music, visual arts, cinema and digital projects.

Lord Cromer was British Consul-General in Egypt when he coined the famous phrase in 1880: "Islam reformed is Islam no longer". Islamist apologists and representatives of traditional Islam in both Islamic countries and Islamic communities in the West would likely agree with him. After all, "Islam" is for them – and for most practising Muslims – something fundamentally complete that cannot be "reformed".