In The News

No More Fanaticism as Usual

Salman Rushdie November 27, 2002
Globalization of the media allows us to hear and see almost instantly news from around the world, creating a space for global perspectives on important issues that affect people everywhere. Recounting recent events in Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, and the Netherlands involving religious violence and Islamicists, author Salman Rushdie calls on fair-minded Muslims the world over to stand up for their...

Tragic Mistake

November 24, 2002
The globalization of television and bigger opportunities for commercial gain by promoters of beauty contests have in recent years expanded the number of countries who want to host such international contests. But that commercial drive has run up against tradition and religious beliefs in many countries. A Saudi Arabian English-language paper blames the Nigerian government for the violence by...

The Globalist Cookbook

Chris Mooney November 24, 2002
Images of American cultural dominance – McDonald’s, Hollywood, and megastores – rile groups as diverse as Muslim fundamentalists, French nationalists, and anti-globalization activists. But Tyler Cowen, a pro-free market cultural economist, sees opportunity in the globalization of culture. “Capitalist multiculturalism” offers consumers different options – in their restaurants, music, and fine...

100 Die in Nigerian Riot over Miss World Article

November 22, 2002
International television programs are not yet universally accepted in Nigeria. Conservative Muslims have shown serious misgivings about the upcoming world beauty pageant soon to be hosted in their capital city. The nation’s leading newspaper struck a discordant note when it published an article suggesting that Prophet Mohammed desired to marry a Miss World beauty queen. Subsequently, Muslim...

Manitu’s Shoe Walks onto U.S. Movie Screens

Carola Schlagheck November 15, 2002
Only infrequently do German films make it to the United States, but the makers of “Manitu’s Shoe” hope that it will be as successful across the Atlantic as it has been around the world. This version has been dubbed in English, using accents familiar to American audiences. The film’s voice-overs are adapted to incorporate the dialect of the country in which it is shown, thus ensuring the comedy’s...

Brain Drains Are Not So Bad After All

Jean-Pierra Lehmann November 13, 2002
It is well-known that a brain drain benefits the receiving nation. This nation profits through the innovations and improvements made by the best and brightest immigrants. However, what is not always recognizable is the fact that a brain drain benefits the sending nation as well. The fact that the best minds of a nation leave to live elsewhere puts tremendous pressure upon the home nation to...

Al Jazeera to Take on CNN, BBC in English

November 3, 2002
Though details are not yet cemented, the Al Jazeera satellite television network hopes to offer an English-language channel in late 2003 that will compete with top international news such as CNN and BBC. Already a leading force in Arab-language television, Al Jazeera is globalizing its audience by entering the English language market and publicizing the pro-Arab and pro-Muslim perspective that...