In The News

Unearthing Pope’s Real Message

Nazry Bahrawi September 22, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to echo a Byzantine emperor’s attack on Islam and its perceived violence struck a raw nerve with many Muslims, but editor Nazry Bahrawi argues that Muslims need to promote a calm and rational form of Islam. Aggrieved Muslims could take cues from Christians who objected to novel, “The Da Vinci Code” – which challenged the foundations of Christianity by suggesting that...

What Went Wrong With the Dialogue Between Cultures?

Traugott Schoefthaler September 21, 2006
Cultural diversity in and of itself has value, and yet cultures continue to clash about which cultural practices work best for the world. Mutual respect for differences, along with language that can address those differences, is required in a civil world, argues author Traugott Schoefthaler. More than a billion Muslims throughout the world remain frustrated, questioning why Western values often...

The Jihad and the West – Part I

Riaz Hassan September 21, 2006
Before defining or reacting to the word “jihad,” the meaning must be considered in its historical context. This two-part series debates the meaning and role of “jihad” in a modern global society. In Part I, sociologist Riaz Hassan cautions that any interpretation that dismisses jihad as merely a violent manifestation of religious fanaticism strips the term of its complexity. Throughout history,...

Pope “Sorry” About Reaction to Islam Remark

Alan Cooperman September 18, 2006
Pope Benedict XVI issued a rare apology for comments that spurred angry reactions from Muslims around the world, but the Vatican reiterates its opposition to any violence in the name of religion. Extremists reacted to the comments with church bombings in the West Bank and Gaza and the murder of a nun who worked in a Somali children’s hospital. In his lecture, the pope had called attention to a...

Investing in Ethics: The Norwegian Model

Manfred Ertel September 15, 2006
As the world’s third largest oil exporter and a country that prides itself on promoting social justice, Norway has a pension fund of $250 billion, one of the largest in the world. Teams of ethicists investigate firms, when accusations emerge about exploited workers or environmental degradation, and offer advice. The fund, which earned more than 11 percent in 2005, influences corporations to...

Muslims Lash Out at Pope's Remarks

Tracy Wilkinson September 15, 2006
Muslim clerics and leaders have lashed out at criticism from Pope Benedict XVI about Islam and the concept of “jihad.” Some Muslim pundits suggest that the criticism was steeped in arrogance, considering that the Catholic Church sponsored ample bloodshed over the centuries. The Muslim Brotherhood expects an apology, and Pakistan’s parliament passed a resolution condemning the comments. The pope...

Living Under Police Protection: Advocates for Muslim Women Face Constant Danger

Cordula Meyer September 11, 2006
The legal system is often helpless, when it comes to intervention on cultural or family differences, such as assisting women who refuse to enter arranged marriages. Or the police help arrives too late. Muslim women who want to shed cultural restrictions endure taunts, brutal attacks and even death. Intimidation is so intense that some lawyers refuse to assist Muslim women in family disputes....