In The News

Bush, in Africa, Promises Aid but Offers No Troops for Liberia

Richard W. Stevenson July 9, 2003
As his first trip to Africa commences, US President Bush is promising to promote democracy, fight AIDS, and increase trade with the continent, but he is offering no immediate assistance in the current bloodbath in Liberia. This reluctance to commit troops to the war torn country belies the emphasis Bush will be placing on the problems plaguing failing states like Liberia over the course of his...

African Pundits Heckle Bush for ‘Safari’

Jefferson Morley July 8, 2003
Africa’s online media has been attacking US President Bush’s agenda even before his five-day trip around the continent got under way.. Journalists in each of the countries he is visiting – as well as in some that he’s not – doubt Bush’s sincerity and motivations vocally or tacitly. Concern over American hegemony figured prominently in the South African and Zambian press, which maintained Bush...

A Helping Hand from Bush to Africans?

Abdallah Abu-Younis July 8, 2003
US President Bush’s agenda for his upcoming trip to Africa is packed with high stakes issues. AIDS, poverty, corruption, and state failure run rampant across the continent, threatening US interests by providing the shroud of chaos for terrorist groups. However, as this editorial in The Arab News points out, Bush must be careful not to generalize about Africa’s problems and solutions. African...

Indonesian Muslims Can Consume GMO Foods

July 7, 2003
Muslims in Indonesia are now free to consume genetically modified organism (GMO) foods. Though there has been no official statement, the highest Indonesian Muslim body authorized to approve and make religious rulings on processed foods distributed within the country, the Ulemas Council (MUI), has implicitly approved the products by not issuing a fatwa (legal advice). Without a fatwa, Muslims...

Recognition of Israel Not on the Cards: Musharraf

Salim Bokhari July 3, 2003
For Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the last leg of his four-nation trip to North America and Europe was one of the most important. After the US, France is the one country with which Islamabad has strong defence cooperation. Although his visits were primarily meant to build ties and goodwill with allies, Musharraf also used the opportunity to reiterate that Pakistan's recognition of...

Recognition of Israel Not on the Cards: Musharraf

Salim Bokhari July 3, 2003
For Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the last leg of his four-nation trip to North America and Europe was one of the most important. After the US, France is the one country with which Islamabad has strong defence cooperation. Although his visits were primarily meant to build ties and goodwill with allies, Musharraf also used the opportunity to reiterate that Pakistan's recognition of...

Free Press Essential for Hong Kong's Success

Zhiwu Chen July 2, 2003
In the largest demonstration since Hong Kong passed over to Chinese control in 1997, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the street on July 1. While the protesters are against a planned anti-subversion law, the issue at stake is more than simply free speech - it is also about the continued economic prosperity of Hong Kong. Over the last few decades, Hong Kong has transformed itself into...