The dataset contains papers written between 2007 and 2016 by researchers and interns at the Center for Arab-West Understanding ( CAWU) in Cairo or by researchers and academics connected to CAWU. The papers aim at obtaining a better understanding of the role of religion in society, including:

• Relations between Muslims and Christians in Egypt;
• Problems around church building, the highly controversial topic of (alleged) kidnappings of Christian youth, claims of forced conversions, reports on sectarian incidents in Egypt and media critique to uncover biased reporting within Egypt as well as the stereotypical tone in Western media;
• The role of Christian and Muslim institutions in society and the political sphere;
• Activities of human rights organizations;
• Islam and politics.

All papers are:

• Descriptive and take different points of views serious as part of the description of events unfolding in society;
• Contributing to a better understanding of people between different cultures and beliefs.

Methodology:

Papers always include Egyptian source material. Authors were recommended to make use of the AWR database, conduct interviews in Egypt and where encouraged to contrast results with western news coverage.

Papers discuss one subject at length and were reviewed by Egyptian and/or Western academics, within the bounds of organizational possibility and edited by Cornelis Hulsman or others to guarantee academic standards. This has resulted in a number of unique studies about subjects that are rarely covered in depth elsewhere. These papers are completed texts but besides, additional texts from reviewers often include interesting suggestions for further research.