In The News

The Jihad and the West – Part II

Mohammed Ayoob September 26, 2006
Jihad as armed struggle was associated with early expansion of Muslim territories and then took on a more defensive connotation in the 19th century, after Muslim nations were subjected to colonization by European powers. This two-part series explores the role of jihad in modern society, and the second article calls on Islamic scholars to consider dispensing with the term when it comes to...

Unearthing Pope’s Real Message

Nazry Bahrawi September 22, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to echo a Byzantine emperor’s attack on Islam and its perceived violence struck a raw nerve with many Muslims, but editor Nazry Bahrawi argues that Muslims need to promote a calm and rational form of Islam. Aggrieved Muslims could take cues from Christians who objected to novel, “The Da Vinci Code” – which challenged the foundations of Christianity by suggesting that...

The Jihad and the West – Part I

Riaz Hassan September 21, 2006
Before defining or reacting to the word “jihad,” the meaning must be considered in its historical context. This two-part series debates the meaning and role of “jihad” in a modern global society. In Part I, sociologist Riaz Hassan cautions that any interpretation that dismisses jihad as merely a violent manifestation of religious fanaticism strips the term of its complexity. Throughout history,...

Iran Befriends Iraq

Dilip Hiro September 19, 2006
Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship in Iraq relied on mass murder, torture and chemical warfare against its own citizens. He was also the last of several Iraqi rulers who elevated the Sunni minority at the expense of the Shiite majority. During the years of repression, the Shiite sect in Iraq sought refuge in the mosque, much like their spiritual brethren in Iran, who became more devout during the...

9/11: Historic Turning Point, or Bump in the Road?

Brendan Simms September 11, 2006
For many, 9/11 marked a turning point in history, for both the US and the world. Initially, the world came together in condemning the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. But eventually, some analysts suggested the attacks resulted from the US ignoring the plight of marginalized people, and other analysts claimed that the US had appeased Islamic fundamentalism for too long and...

Making Globalization Work

Joseph Stiglitz September 8, 2006
Joseph Stiglitz, winner of the Nobel Prize for economics in 2001, complains about unfair trade, excessive debt and poverty, yet still argues that globalization offers enormous potential if managed properly by nations. He compares complaints about globalization to complaints about unemployment during the Great Depression of the 1930s: If governments had ignored economist John Maynard Keynes’ call...

Japan's History Problem

G. John Ikenberry August 28, 2006
By not admitting errors during World War II, Japan remains isolated, with closest neighbors – China and South Korea – suspicious of its goals. With annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, the prime minister defiantly resists any remorse about Japan’s aggression more than sixty years ago. Ironically, Japan has won respect throughout the world for its constitution that emphasizes peace and...