In The News

Foreign Views of US Darken Since Sept. 11

Richard Bernstein September 11, 2003
The world largely reacted with sympathy after the terrorist attacks on the US two years ago. Nonetheless, this feeling of solidarity and cooperation shifted to anger and resentment, especially after the US war in Iraq, which was conducted without large global support. As these brief interviews in the New York Times reveal, people around the world believe the Bush administration’s decision to go...

Al-Azhar on Air

Rania Khallaf September 8, 2003
After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US, Washington invested money and resources in trying to improve the image of the US in the Middle East. Now, it seems, the Middle East may be ready to launch its own media offensive. Egypt's venerable Al-Azhar University is considering launching its own satellite channel "to refute people's misconceptions about Islam and confront the...

Travel Advisory: British Abroad, Staggering About

Sarah Lyall September 4, 2003
Britons are taking advantage of cheap flights to Europe as a result of reduced air travel in the aftermath of September 11. They are not, however, visiting historic and picturesque cities like Prague to soak up the culture, but rather to imbibe the cities' cheap alcohol. Quickly becoming known around Europe as unruly and quarrelsome, British tourists are also known for spending a lot of...

Reality TV Rivets Africa, to the Churches' Dismay

Marc Lacey September 4, 2003
“Big Brother”, the reality television show that gained success in the Western world, has found a new audience in Africa. The African version has become the most popular show on the continent, with 30 million Africans tuning in to watch 12 young professionals from a diverse group of countries live together as housemates, sharing disagreements and romantic entanglements. While some religious and...

Is Islam Compatible with Democracy and Modernity?

Asghar Ali Engineer September 4, 2003
Claims that Islam is incompatible with democracy and modernity are terribly off-base, says Asghar Ali Engineer, a scholar and author at the Institute of Islamic Studies in Mumbai. The observation that science and democracy are not found in contemporary Islamic countries is fair, he says, but the root causes lie in historical, economic, and political circumstances – not in Islam. Authoritarian...

Dutch Groups Launch Gay Marriage Manual

September 2, 2003
In the latest battle over convergence on global attitudes and laws regarding homosexuality, Dutch gay rights groups have published a manual outlining how and why their country legalized gay marriage. The guide also offers advice to politicians and activists in other countries on how to promote equal rights for same-sex couples and gays and lesbians more generally. The handbook's...

International Public Concern about North Korea

August 22, 2003
The six-party talks on North Korea that will start on August 27 in Beijing is taking place against the backdrop of growing divergence over North Korea. A recent public opinion poll taken by Pew Global Attitudes Project shows that the country closest to North Korea - its southern counterpart is one of the least concerned about North Korean threat that the US and other powers are trying to...