In The News

Indonesia’s Progressive Form of Islam Is Not Something That Thailand Needs to Fear

Don Pathan April 17, 2006
Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country and plays a leading role in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. As a result, Indonesians question how Muslims of the Middle East determine international perceptions of Islam and recognize the potential for serving as a guiding force. Indonesia could offer a stabilizing influence in Malay-speaking southern Thailand where 1200 people have...

A New Challenge for Bangladesh

Sumit Ganguly March 30, 2006
Preserving democracy in an impoverished Muslim nation is no easy task. After separating from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh created a constitution embracing secularism and democracy. A 1982 military coup suspended the constitution, and Islam was eventually named the state religion. Extremists instigate violence against politicians with a secular platform, thus contributing to the government’s...

Democracy Isn’t “Western”

Amartya Sen March 28, 2006
Since the 1993 publication of Samuel Huntington’s “The Clash of Civilizations,” culture has made deep inroads into the vocabulary of the political scientist. Huntington argues that the post-Cold War world would be shaped by conflicts between “civilizations,” And US foreign policy would be tied inextricably to the preservation of Western civilization. Huntington’s supporters claim the ongoing war...

Iran the Great Unifier? The Arab World Is Wary

Michael Slackman February 7, 2006
With a confrontational foreign policy, the world’s only Shiite Islamic government is striving to fill a power void in the Middle East resulting from the fall of Arab nationalism and the absence of any dominant nation. Yet other leaders in the region are wary. Drawing popular support for its hardline stance towards the US and Israel, Iran maintains connections to militant groups such as Hezbollah...

No Level Playing Field in Football’s Globalisation

Larry Elliott January 14, 2006
In an increasingly prevalent variation on the “brain drain” issue that troubles small, poorer nations, “leg drain” is taking its toll on the world of football. But this trend is a mixed bag. A recent study suggests that globalization has a two-prong effect on the sport: It contributes to increasingly higher salaries for the best football players in Europe, yet also serves as an equalizer for...

Educating for the 21st Century – Part I

Sara Schlemm January 12, 2006
Two Yale students recently traveled to India and China, and in this series they write about how, through education, the two emerging countries are preparing for the 21st century. In the first part, Sara Schlemm explores why China seeks to raise the profile of its institutions by opening doors to more international students who wish to study in China. For years, China has seen many of its...

How US Immigration Evolved as the Nation Grew and Changed

Cynthia Crossen January 11, 2006
The notion of the US as a “melting pot” that welcomed immigrants of all nationalities is familiar, but does not accurately describe the history of the country’s immigration patterns. Early on, the government encouraged quick populating of the young nation, and European immigrants came in droves. By the 20th century, however, cities teemed with poor, unskilled refugees, and politicians introduced...