In The News

Across Europe, Worries on Islam Spread to Center

Dan Bilefsky October 13, 2006
Not long ago, politicians who questioned the possibility of reconciling European and Islamic values were accused of extremism and bigotry. Today, however, even moderates are pondering whether multiculturalism and tolerance should have limits. Europeans have begun to question whether Islamic religious beliefs and social values, which are at odds with typical European views on issues like...

How to Buy Image

Ayman El-Amir October 2, 2006
Some Muslim leaders ponder the value of investing in Western media corporations to encourage greater appreciation of Islamic culture and ideas globally. But buying a new image is not so easy, and propaganda makes no profits, warns journalist Ayman El-Amir. “A successful media venture has to be an integral part of the socio-economic and political fabric of the nation,” he writes. Value systems...

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...

Spy Agencies Say Iraq War Hurting US Terror Fight

Karen DeYoung September 25, 2006
A US intelligence document concludes what many have long suspected: The war in Iraq has encouraged Islamic extremist recruitment and violence, while weakening US influence in the global struggle against terrorism. The intelligence agencies agree that the US did succeed in weakening Al Qaeda, but extremism has spread and decentralized. President George Bush and other top administration officials...

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...

What Went Wrong With the Dialogue Between Cultures?

Traugott Schoefthaler September 21, 2006
Cultural diversity in and of itself has value, and yet cultures continue to clash about which cultural practices work best for the world. Mutual respect for differences, along with language that can address those differences, is required in a civil world, argues author Traugott Schoefthaler. More than a billion Muslims throughout the world remain frustrated, questioning why Western values often...

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,...