In The News

French Islam Wins Officially Recognized Voice

Elaine Sciolino April 14, 2003
As part of a national project to create what Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has called "an official Islam of France," delegates from mosques throughout the country voted for members of a new council that would officially represent France’s five million Muslims. Mr. Sarkozy said that organizing France's Muslims is the way to fight "the Islam of cellars and garages that has...

French's Unmentioned British Flavor

Floyd Norris March 28, 2003
American resentment over political issues has begun to take its toll on goods and services imported from countries such as France and Germany. French’s Mustard's ‘All-American’ publicity campaign aimed to distance its company (British-owned, in fact] from any connection to France – except the name. On French’s website, however, there were no American flags waving in the background, so as to...

A Stronger Europe for a Better World

Laurent Fabius March 26, 2003
The war in Iraq will undoubtedly be won, but what about the peace? Former French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius suggests three lessons Europeans should learn to better their own, and the world's position. First, Europe must cooperate to reinvigorate internationalism and multilateralism. Members should work toward this goal through strong encouragement and compliance with international law...

Transatlantic Relationship Can Still Be Rescued

Judy Dempsey March 23, 2003
The Cold War created a strong alliance between the United States and Western European nations – the former provided the funds to rebuild the latter after the devastation of World War II, and thereby created a ‘buffer’ of democratic states between the USSR and the Atlantic. Now, that buffer is no longer needed, and European nations such as France are daring to oppose American policies,...

American Bombs in Iraq Show Up Fractures in Europe

Shada Islam March 21, 2003
When the going was good, the European Union looked like a model of globalization. Fifteen countries appeared to have subjected their many historical, political and cultural differences to the altar of a united Europe. The European Union was emerging as the second superpower. But the bitter divergences among the EU members that have emerged over the American war against Iraq serve as a reminder...

From Mars to Venus Via the Atlantic

Lionel Barber March 16, 2003
Although a US-led war against Iraq has not yet begun, the damage it has produced is already painfully visible. The NATO alliance suffered some of these wounds. The Financial Times' Lionel Barber argues that many leaders of the alliance are either courting the pacifists, or steadfastly asserting power, thus engendering divisions and magnifying differences. However, amidst talk of building a...

More Japanese Saying Sayonara to Düsseldorf

Stephan Finsterbusch March 14, 2003