In The News

We're All Americans

Alfons Kaiser April 25, 2003
Anti-Americanism in Germany is widespread in the wake of the war on Iraq, and a major political rift between the US and Germany has formed. American culture has had a major impact on everyday life in Germany, however, and the Germans that condemn American politics cannot escape American music, clothing, and food. In that sense, Alfons Kaiser suggests, Germans are Americans, too. In fact,...

Saving the Remains

Nevine El-Aref April 24, 2003
When Baghdad fell, looters used the chaos to rush into the city’s museums and libraries and steal priceless ancient artifacts, including copies of the Koran, maps, and the world’s first calendar. Archaeologists around the world, furious that such important cultural objects were now lost, mounted a campaign to find them. The Arab League, in conjunction with Iraqi officials, has taken steps to...

Globalization's Challenge to Islam

Riaz Hassan April 17, 2003
The telephone, satellite television and the Internet have connected the Islamic community of 1.2 billion people across the globe. This connectivity has strengthened Muslims' sense of belonging to one community, which Islamic scholars call ummah. But it has also brought the realization that Islam, as practiced around the globe, is heterogenous. A group of Muslims in oil-rich Saudi Arabia have...

China's School Children Learn to Love English

Richard McGregor April 15, 2003
Many in China are well-aware that the country’s competitiveness in the global economy, today and in the near future, will require a population proficient in English. The government has encountered several logistical impediments in implementing English lessons in its curriculum: lack of qualified teachers, short supply of school materials, etc. Demand for English lessons, however, has given rise...

No Regrets in a Suburb Named After the Despot

Andrew Buncombe April 10, 2003
Ironic that a Baghdad suburb named after Saddam Hussein is home to a population that vehemently opposes him. The residents of Saddam City belong to the minority Shia sect and live in poverty. The attack on Iraq has provided the residents with a much over-due opportunity to publicly denounce Saddam. For the poor in Saddam City, the attacks are also an occasion to celebrate, by mass lootings of...

Sony Leads Charge to Cash in on Iraq

Julia Day April 10, 2003
Sony has registered the phrase “shock and awe,” used to describe US military tactics at the beginning of the war in Iraq, for a possible computer game. However, the game may not be sold in Britain and Europe if the scenario is set in Iraq owing to the European criticism of the war. Sony registered the name on March 21 one day after the war began. Other companies have also sought to capture patent...

Sony Leads Charge to Cash in on Iraq

Julia Day April 10, 2003
Sony has registered the phrase “shock and awe,” used to describe US military tactics at the beginning of the war in Iraq, for a possible computer game. However, the game may not be sold in Britain and Europe if the scenario is set in Iraq owing to the European criticism of the war. Sony registered the name on March 21 one day after the war began. Other companies have also sought to capture patent...