In The News

Linked Global Groups Are Not Political Parties: Hizb ut-Tahrir and the Fantasy of the Caliphate

Jean-Pierre Filiu June 3, 2008
Some Islamists believe that establishing a broad jurisdiction under an Islamic leader, last seen with the Ottoman Empire in 1924, could deliver stability. Calling for such a caliphate is Hizb ut-Tahrir, or the Islamic Party of Liberation, which has re-emerged in Palestine since the divisive clash between Hamas and Fatah. Hizb ut-Tahrir refuses to participate in elections, and its supporters blame...

Pakistan’s Governance Imperative

Paula R. Newberg May 27, 2008
After a turbulent year in Pakistan, a civilian parliament has taken over the reins of government from General Pervez Musharraf and confronts a range of domestic and foreign issues. “Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gillani therefore faces not only the problems created by Musharraf’s national security state, but also the accumulation of decades of mangled constitutions, mixed civil-military law,...

Crisis and Response – Part III

Wenran Jiang May 23, 2008
An earthquake, 7.9 in magnitude, struck China on May 12, in the midst of global protests about the country’s crackdown on Tibet, complaints about press censorship and grumbling about trade imbalances. This YaleGlobal series compares the domestic and international responses to the earthquake disaster in Sichuan Province and the May 2 cyclone that devastated Burma’s Irrawaddy Delta. The Burmese...

In India, Death to Global Business

Manjeet Kripalani May 10, 2008
Insurgents attacked an iron-ore processing plant in India, setting equipment, buses and trucks on fire – and warned the officials in Chhattisgarh to stop shipping local resources out of state. The Naxalites, who abide by a Maoist philosophy and resent ownership and capitalism, resort to violence to disrupt state and corporate activities. The movement began in one village in 1967 and since spread...

Pakistan’s New Tack on Fighting Terror

Ashley J. Tellis May 9, 2008
Elections and changes in Pakistan’s government have set a new direction for what US President George Bush calls a “war on terror.” Washington is wary about plans by the government of Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani to seek a balanced approach on dealing with extremism, combining force with dialogue. Some hardliners in the US dismiss this policy as tantamount to giving terrorist groups time to re-group....

Facing Facebook

Magda El-Ghitany May 7, 2008
Facebook, an online social networking site, encourages young users to share photos, hobbies and cultural opinions. But in Egypt, the social site has emerged with a strong political edge. In April, a 27-year-old Egyptian woman was detained for 16 days after organizing a Facebook protest on rising food prices – and Egyptians expect the government to pursue online monitoring and regulation. But some...

Talking to Ourselves

Susan Jacoby April 23, 2008
The best ideas emerge when people hear out all opposing points of view. Unfortunately, Americans are less willing to attend lectures, read books or listen to radio that might offer new points of view. Instead, many increasingly read or listen to commentary that reinforces their beliefs. “Indeed, virtually everywhere I speak, 95% of the audience shares my political and cultural views – and...