In The News

Women’s Fate

Rasha Saad June 19, 2003
After decades of dictatorship, sanctions, and war, Iraqis are infused with a feeling of hopelessness. The current chaos after the US-led war against Saddam Hussein’s regime has only exacerbated the sense of despair. With the country’s infrastructure in shambles and uncertainty about Iraq’s political destiny, the sole goal of many young people is to leave the country. However, seeing the chaos...

Not Leading the World but Following It

Laurence R. Helfer June 18, 2003
On the issue of gay and lesbian rights, the US is behind the times, says legal scholar Laurence Helfer. While laws banning homosexual sex and preventing same-sex marriages are still upheld across the US, the recognition of gay and lesbian rights as human rights is increasingly part of a common global culture. Countries around the world – developed and developing, from Canada to Namibia – are...

‘Dubai Aid City’ Launched

Jamila Qadir June 16, 2003
Plans for “Dubai Aid City” were recently released by the United Arab Emirates with promises that the complex will have both humanitarian and economic benefits. The site, described as a “fully integrated aid distribution and storage facility,” will provide a strategic location for international aid organizations to dispense aid to surrounding locales, including Iraq, Eastern Europe, the Indian...

Immigrants Here in Record Numbers

Oscar Avila June 16, 2003
The face of the American Midwest is changing. In the past decade, large groups of immigrants have moved into the Chicago metropolitan area. People are coming from around the world, but the largest group has been Mexicans, many of whom are undocumented and poorly educated. Despite their illegal status, these immigrants have made contributions to the economy and reversed Chicago's population...

Asia Takes Starring Role

Kenny Stantara June 11, 2003
Hollywood has recently begun to take notice of South East Asian stars and movies, introducing actresses such as Fann Wong to American cinema and expanding the repertoire of Asian films released in the United States. Southeast Asia’s time in the US limelight is largely due to the influence of major Hollywood names, including actor Tom Cruise and director Francis Ford Coppola, who have ensured...

E-Mail Message Blitz Creates What May Be Fastest Fad Ever

Saul Hansell June 9, 2003
After the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency announced that they would create a deck of playing cards with the names and photos of the top Iraqi leaders to be distributed to border guards, Internet marketing companies all rushed to get reproduction rights. One company, GreatUSAflags.com, along with its partner Lionstone International, sold 1.5 million decks via email within a matter of days,...

What's Really Holding Islamic Nations Back

J. Bradford Delong June 9, 2003
Ever since the September 11 attacks, questions about the backwardness of Islamic countries have acquired a new urgency. In this article, economist J. Bradford Delong tries to answer what factors may have contributed to the bad economies of the Islamic world. He first cites the case history of the Industrial Revolution – how the Revolution touched almost all parts of the world but the Islamic...