In The News

Afghan Archaeology on Road to Recovery

John W. Betlyon October 12, 2004
Continuous domestic and international turbulence has left Afghanistan's cultural sites severely damaged, especially after the mass plundering by the Taliban. As Afghans start to rebuild, the country is attracting archaeological researchers back to restore its cultural heritage; the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), along with many other foreign research...

Making Innocents Pay for Other's Sins

October 6, 2004
The continually fragile security situation in Iraq has bred a climate of fear for most foreigners present there. Soldiers, journalists, and independent civilian workers have all been the victims of kidnappings by insurgent groups in Iraq. Some of the kidnapped make it back to their countries or families, but many abductions have ended in execution, complete with grisly recordings. In light of the...

Lack of Arabic Speakers is a Crack in US Security

Daniel Sneider October 5, 2004
The growing realities of world geopolitics have given non-traditional languages an elevated profile in the US-waged war on terrorism. The recent revelation that over 123,000 hours of FBI-collected audiotapes of terrorist "chatter" had been left untranslated has further sparked a movement toward developing competent translation and cultural agents. The US Army's Defense Language...

Muslim World's Brush with Democracy Turns into an Embrace

Jonathan Power September 20, 2004
Contrary to popular Western belief, free elections in largely Muslim states would not lead to domination by violent terrorist regimes, argues columnist Jonathan Power in this Khaleej Times article. Indonesia and Turkey are shining examples of Muslim nations that have used the democratic system to oust militants and put stable moderates in office. With an increasingly freer media, the governments...

The Road to Madness

Ibrahim Nafie September 17, 2004
After the fall of communism, did Western politicians and intellectuals chose to paint Islam as the next great threat to civilization? So claims Ibrahim Nafie, chairman of Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper, in a new book. Nafie argues that US policymakers, fueled by racist hysteria and a desire for strategic control of Middle Eastern resources, have attempted to "reconfigure economic,...

Countering Terror with an Amnesty: Why It Makes Sense

Bouchaib Silm September 15, 2004
In a move that contrasts sharply with the US approach to combating terrorism, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Abdullah granted amnesty to several Al-Qaeda members. Providing a historical and psychological analysis of amnesty in Islamic religion and society, this Straits Times article explains why amnesty might ultimately defuse the cycle of violence from Islamic militants worldwide. Consistent with...

Turban Chaos

Ranvir Nayar September 14, 2004
France’s 5,000 to 25,000-strong Sikh population joins French Muslims in protesting the controversial Law of Secularism, which bans the wearing of religious symbols in public schools. Upon returning to school campuses, Sikh students wearing turbans were denied access, despite previous assurances from French authorities that they would be the exception to the rule. Defiant parents are preparing to...