In The News

We're All Americans

Alfons Kaiser April 25, 2003
Anti-Americanism in Germany is widespread in the wake of the war on Iraq, and a major political rift between the US and Germany has formed. American culture has had a major impact on everyday life in Germany, however, and the Germans that condemn American politics cannot escape American music, clothing, and food. In that sense, Alfons Kaiser suggests, Germans are Americans, too. In fact,...

Saving the Remains

Nevine El-Aref April 24, 2003
When Baghdad fell, looters used the chaos to rush into the city’s museums and libraries and steal priceless ancient artifacts, including copies of the Koran, maps, and the world’s first calendar. Archaeologists around the world, furious that such important cultural objects were now lost, mounted a campaign to find them. The Arab League, in conjunction with Iraqi officials, has taken steps to...

If Nike Defends Itself, Is That a Commercial?

Linda Feldmann April 23, 2003
Nike Inc. is the world's largest athletic footwear company. Nike, with its 900 factories in 51 countries and more than 600,000 employees, is currently embroiled in a Supreme Court case in the US. This case stems from a 1998 lawsuit, in which San Francisco activist Marc Kasky charged that Nike had made false statements about sweatshop conditions in its Asian factories. Mr. Kasky asserted...

Junior Coalition Partners Seek Pay-Back

Richard McGregor April 21, 2003
Australia and Poland put troops on the ground in the war in Iraq and now await compensation for their efforts. Although Australia must play down its participation for fear of offending Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, benefits are already being recognized: a free-trade deal with the US is on the table, and one of its agriculture officials is already a member of the post-war...

Globalization's Challenge to Islam

Riaz Hassan April 17, 2003
The telephone, satellite television and the Internet have connected the Islamic community of 1.2 billion people across the globe. This connectivity has strengthened Muslims' sense of belonging to one community, which Islamic scholars call ummah. But it has also brought the realization that Islam, as practiced around the globe, is heterogenous. A group of Muslims in oil-rich Saudi Arabia have...

U.S. Boycott Being Felt, French Say

Robert J. McCartney April 16, 2003
French exports to the US, totaling almost $30 billion in 2002, may be off quite sharply this year, if the last two months are any indication. A major French industry group says that American imports of French wine are down dramatically, as 'Francophobia' has afflicted Americans unhappy with the France's failure to support the US-led war in Iraq. The boycott of wine and other...

No Regrets in a Suburb Named After the Despot

Andrew Buncombe April 10, 2003
Ironic that a Baghdad suburb named after Saddam Hussein is home to a population that vehemently opposes him. The residents of Saddam City belong to the minority Shia sect and live in poverty. The attack on Iraq has provided the residents with a much over-due opportunity to publicly denounce Saddam. For the poor in Saddam City, the attacks are also an occasion to celebrate, by mass lootings of...