In The News

Can Nouri al-Maliki Deliver Peace?

Bernhard Zand July 6, 2006
With a background beyond reproof and mastery of the rhetoric that has been most effective in post-Saddam Iraq, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki bears the weight of his country’s hopes, along with those of the US, on his shoulders. His plans for a peaceful and united Iraq, described by some analysts as courageous, have even enticed some insurgent groups into the political process. But his...

Globalization and Muslim Identity Challenges and Prospects

Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk July 3, 2006
Providing five definitions, author Ahmed Ibrahim Abushouk describes how most Muslims understand “globalization” as an ongoing and ancient concept that is in its most rapid stage of development. Using the theories of scholars such as Francis Fukuyama and Samuel P. Huntington, Abushouk chronicles historical clashes between what have been termed as “Western” and Muslim civilizations, as well as the...

The Perils of Underestimating Ahmadinejad

Simon Tisdall July 3, 2006
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is not an easy foe for the US, and it would be a mistake to underestimate him as a “wildman” or “loose cannon.” Even as Ahmadinejad has let loose with extremist statements that are alarming, his political power is based on real concerns of the Iranian people. Despite the widespread perception that he is a mouthpiece for religious clerics, Ahmadinejad’s...

Melding Faith and Tolerance

Jim Hoagland July 2, 2006
Secularism dominated the globe for the last half-century, but a religious backlash of Islamic and Christian fundamentalism is making gains. Religious fervor is the reason behind some brutal violence, from blowing up abortion clinics to suicide bombings in Jerusalem. Citing the phenomenon as a response to the rapid modernization of the globe, Author Jim Hoagland calls on political leaders to...

Somalia: Why the International Contact Group Should Support the Islamic Courts Union

Abukar Arman July 1, 2006
The Islamic Courts Union (ICU) currently controls Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu, and has managed to bring a level of security to the city that had been unimaginable for the last decade. The ICU’s ability to bring a modicum of peace to the country means that the movement has, writes Abukar Arman, been embraced by Somalis as a “spontaneously formed populist uprising against the abuses and...

Move Over, Barbie

Amany Abdel-Moneim June 12, 2006
With Muslim women’s ever-growing adherence to traditional dress code, it is no wonder that a new doll, Fulla, is becoming popular in Egyptian and Middle Eastern markets. The doll’s physique and large assortment of accessories, from lace underwear to prayer mat, place her in the Barbie genre, but many young Egyptian girls feel more connected with Fulla’s dark hair, hazel eyes and ankle-length...

Islam and the West

June 8, 2006
Such a dichotomous opposition of terms as the “West” and “Islam” will inevitably be loaded with misunderstanding and contention. If words alone perpetuate misconceptions, then political, strategic and cultural relations between the two entities can be expected to be more complex. In discussing the current crises of understanding between countries like Iran and Iraq, and the US and Great Britain...