In The News

Back to the Great Game in Kazakhstan

Charles Tannock February 29, 2008
Kazakhstan borders two great powers, Russia and China, and lies within Europe’s sphere of influence. Its geography, together with its massive oil reserves and majority Muslim population, make Kazakhstan a point of interest for all three parties. However, the European Parliament has thus far ruled out courting the central Asian state because of human-rights violations. Charles Tannock, member of...

New Partners in Pakistan

Matt Phillips February 22, 2008
Long awaited elections in Pakistan, despite violence and low turnout that affected results, produced a strong repudiation of President Pervez Musharraf, whose party came in third place, according to unofficial results. An alliance between the two leading parties, the late Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-N, would fall just short of the two-thirds of...

Integrating Islam into the West

Phillip Blond February 21, 2008
The rule of law evolves gradually over time, casting judgment on behavior as right or wrong. Media reports that the archbishop of Canterbury suggested Great Britain should adopt some aspects of Shariah or Islamic law ignited immediate protests. “Unfortunately, the media storm masked the real message of the speech, which concerned the authority of the secular state and its impact on religious...

My Saudi Valentine

Rajaa Alsanea February 14, 2008
Love is universal, but methods for finding it differ from culture to culture. Today, most Saudi relationships begin with the help of internet networking sites, cell phones or servants who act as intermediaries. In a society that strictly prohibits contact between the opposite sexes, let alone open displays of affection, starting any relationship relies on immense trust and some amount of daring....

Danish Newspapers Reprint Mohammed Cartoon

Rosalind Ryan February 13, 2008
In 2005, the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Denmark published a set of cartoons, including one of the Prophet Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb. The cartoons sparked protests and renunciation throughout the Muslim world, while the West defends the right to free speech, no topics off limit. The crisis continues to show how the intentions of any one group often produce the opposite effect...

Iran: Does Government Fear Educated Women?

Iraj Gorgin February 12, 2008
Iran’s parliamentary research arm has reported on new trends of rising numbers of Iranian women enrolling in higher-education programs. Women in the Islamic society must contend with limited rights in the law and the workplace, and thus many pursue education to become competitive for the limited opportunities available to females, suggests one activist. Increased female enrollment could lead to...

Sharia Law in UK Is “Unavoidable”

February 8, 2008
Host nations often welcome new immigrants and attempt to accommodate cultural differences in many ways. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams takes that one step further: He suggests that some Muslims in the UK do not relate to the British legal system and adds that adopting parts of Islamic Sharia law, for example on marital or financial matters, may “help maintain social cohesion,” reports...