In The News

France: Waiting for Reform

Patrick Sabatier May 8, 2007
French voters have increasingly become aware that their country is at economic odds with the rest of the world: high unemployment rates, high levels of debt and massive social benefits reserved for a shrinking majority. Most candidates vying for president, and most of their supporters, recognize deep inside that such a system cannot be sustained amid intense global competition. So the French...

Malaysia Backpedals on Modernity

Sadanand Dhume May 3, 2007
A fundamentalist streak of Islam within Malaysia is coming into conflict with the flourishing civil society that has made the nation a model of peaceful and democratic development in Southeast Asia. Muslims in Malaysia, unlike their Hindu or Christian compatriots, are ultimately subject to strict Islamic law, known as sharia. In fact, the national judiciary cannot override a ruling by a sharia...

The Strange Death of Multiculturalism

Ian Buruma May 1, 2007
European society once was organized according to religion. People headed to neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and even jobs based on religious affiliation and word of mouth from fellow congregants. Muslims began immigrating into European communities after secularization took hold, and secular society became alarmed about a religious pillar rising alone in integrated communities. “In the end, the...

Regime Change in the Arab World

Shlomo Ben-Ami April 30, 2007
The American-led invasion of Iraq was motivated, at least in part, by the desire to create a model state that would influence its Middle Eastern neighbors towards democracy. This did not happen, largely because the US policy of favoring pro-Western dictatorial regimes over hostile democracies did not end with the Cold War; therefore, the US has resisted the election of popular, yet threatening...

Cures for the French Disease

Eric Chaney April 25, 2007
More than 80 percent of registered voters in France cast ballots – selecting “young candidates who pledged to change French political habits,” writes Eric Chaney, a former French finance ministry official for “The Wall Street Journal.” Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and socialist Ségolène Royal will face off in the May run-off election, offering voters a clear choice between “giving more freedom to...

West Rises in China’s Back Yard

Ariana Eunjung Cha April 17, 2007
Social mobility in China means more comfortable and attractive homes, and developers move fast to build homes and offices with a Western aesthetic. In Beijing, small housing developments such as Venice Aquatic City and Thames Town are modeled after villages scattered throughout Europe. Many Chinese associate foreign styles with wealth, and view their investment in such developments as a step up...

“Halal” Labels Experiencing a Supermarket Boom

Peter Ziegler April 13, 2007
Religions often provide strict guidelines on food choices and preparation. With more than 1.7 million Muslims spread throughout the world, food products that abide by the rules of Islam, labeled as “halal,” are the fastest growing segment in the food market. The world’s leading meat producers in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, New Zealand, Great Britain and the USA are prepared to...