In The News

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...

On a Russian Site, Cheap Songs With a Backbeat of Illegality

Thomas Crampton June 4, 2006
AllofMP3.com owes its global success to low prices and a large collection of music that is normally not available for sale online. However, despite its allure, Allofmp3.com may be illegal. Record companies complain and try to stop the site, but with little luck in a country where digital piracy thrives. AllofMP3.com holds a license issued by a royalty collecting society, but the International...

Hollywood Caters to a Ravenous Global Appetite

William Booth June 2, 2006
Hollywood is big business, but the largest portion of its revenues no longer comes from the US. Instead, Hollywood reaps more international than domestic profits, and as a result, the global marketplace influences everything from what films get made to how they are made. In fact, big Hollywood productions no longer make US audiences their primary target and aim to entertain thousands of...

India's 'Idol' Recipe: Mix Small-Town Grit and Democracy

Somini Sengupta June 1, 2006
Like previous versions in the US and the UK, "India Idol" is a singing competition that has become a favorite part of popular culture. The show invites aspiring singers to display their life dreams and perform for a national television audience that then votes for its favorites. The Indian show has two distinct characteristics: Women do not win, and rural and isolated regions of the...

Gulf States: Educational Reform's Real Goals

Ebtisam Al Kitbi June 1, 2006
The Arab Gulf states – Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman – are not known for eagerly incorporating reforms suggested by other countries. Education is an exception, however. Young students attending universities are products of a system that owes much – and some would say too much – to foreign influence. English has become the language of higher education in the Gulf...

The Contest for Memory

Naima Bouteldja May 30, 2006
In taking responsibility for their most ignominious periods, including colonialism and slavery, nations must display honesty and commitment. Gestures from the government of France to recognize its history have been undercut by attempts to revise the story of a colonial past depending on geography, sometimes emphasizing glory and achievement rather than bloodshed and victimization. France has...