In The News

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...

For One Month Every Four Years, A New World Order Leaves America on Touchline

Simon Tisdall June 8, 2006
Football – known as soccer in the US – is not as deeply rooted in US history as it is for other countries around the globe. A US team hoisting the World Cup, therefore, could a most unbearable image for the rest of the football-crazed world. Luckily for US foreign policy, the chances of the nation flexing its hegemonic muscles on the pitch this summer are slim. Other international dramas,...

Panama: A Crossroad With Two-Ocean Views

Nancy Beth Jackson June 8, 2006
Panama has a history of invasions, but the latest comes from international investors, lured by favorable exchange rates, a mixture of European and American influences, along with amenities that include health-service discounts for retirees. Panama building permits have increased by 91 percent, and new projects begin almost every day. Two projects, both Spanish backed, compete to become the...

In Praise of Migration

Kofi A. Annan June 8, 2006
UN secretary general Kofi Annan not only suggests that borders are meant to be crossed, but also that those crossing national borders “have always been the motors of human progress.” Migration offers myriad benefits, including an increased menial and skilled labor force comprised of incoming migrants, as well as the high level of remittances that migrants send home, which totaled around $232...

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...

Muslims Craft Their Own Video Games

Rhonda Roumani June 7, 2006
Syrian video-game pioneer Afkar Media is committed to a positive portrayal of Islam through new video games that feature Muslims and Arabs as heroes instead of villains. Their most recent release, named “Al-Quraysh” for the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad, is a strategy video game that follows the history of Islam from the viewpoint of the Bedouins, Arabs, Persians, or Romans. Instead of being...

Why I Published the Muhammad Cartoons

Flemming Rose June 5, 2006
The furor and violence over the infamous Danish cartoons of the prophet Mohammad died down, yet crucial issues have not been resolved. “Jyllands – Posten” was the newspaper that originally published the cartoons. Editor Flemming Rose explains his motivation as well as the challenges arising from Europe’s unsuccessful attempts at multiculturalism. In the wake of the cartoon crisis, Rose argues...