A number of public figures and governments in the Arab world are advocating for the implementation of specific legislation to regulate the content and use of digital media. Specifically, they want to implement a system in which blog or website creators must “declare” that they are creating a blog or

In the midst of European antipathy regarding Turkish accession to the EU, Turkey is attempting to chart an alternative path to secular democracy and economic prosperity. Yet Turkey should go one step further and question the unbridled axiom that, without Europe, it is destined to the scrapheap of Mu

When the Taliban fell in 2001, my family and I were already settled in Pakistan after having fled our home country, Afghanistan, like so many others. The new political landscape born in 2001 brought newfound hope to Afghans, including my family. I remember the mounting enthusiasm for women’s rights

A group of Canadian imams have issued a declaration of principles that states their position on a number of issues including the sanctity of life, working for the common good of humanity, gender equity and civic engagement.
“In a time of heightened tension between the Muslim world and the West, Can

What drives a Western born-and-bred youngster, with all the privileges of an education, a modern lifestyle and freedom of speech, to violently attack his fellow countrymen? The growing phenomenon of home-grown radicals highlights the need to understand the root causes of such violence and develop a

In developing countries TB remains the third leading cause of death among women of reproductive age (15-44 years), disproportionately affecting pregnant women and the poor. This calls for immediate action to address the suffering caused by TB and to eliminate the disease as a leading killer of women

There is a direct link between TB and poverty. It is indeed a vicious cycle, as one begets the other. The stark reality is that tuberculosis saps the economy of the community, which in turn increases the likelihood of contracting TB. This point emerged several times during the recently concluded Ope

The Panchtantra is one of the earliest books of fables. Its influence can be seen in The Arabian Nights, The Canterbury Tales and most notably in The Fables of La Fontaine. Panchtantra, a book composed about two thousand years ago, needs to be re-examined today for its gender biased ideology.
In

Though there has not been a serious debate over whether a religious leader should enter into active politics at all, some sections of political leaders, followers of different religions and opinion makers around the globe send out their dissent notes whenever a religious leader speaks out his mind o

The 4th Open Forum Conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 18th and 19th August to address key issues in developing new drugs for tuberculosis, which kills nearly 2 million people every year and is becoming increasingly resistant to the current drugs. The conference, with a special focus on

The government of Israel recently announced its willingness to cooperate with a UN investigation into the raid on the Freedom Flotilla in which eight Turks and a US citizen of Turkish origin were killed. However, Ankara’s insistence that Israel admit its role as an instigator and Israeli Prime Minis

“It looks like the number of people affected in this [Pakistani flooding] crisis is higher than the Haiti earthquake, the tsunami or the [2005] Pakistan earthquake. And if the toll is as high as the one given by the [Pakistani] government, it’s higher than the three of them combined,” Maurizio Giuli

In early July this year, the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak announced that two women had been appointed judges in the country’s Syariah Courts. One of two court systems in Malaysia, these courts rule on cases that are subject to sharia law, which is based on Islamic principles.
Women’s gro

The Open Forum 4 on key issues in tuberculosis (TB) drug development is all set to begin in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (18-19 August 2010). This Open Forum 4, will raise and address key issues in TB drug development, with a special focus on regulatory affairs. The Forum will include sessions on the curre

The state of Pakistan is facing the most difficult and unmanageable time of its history. Terrorism and religious extremism have been damaging the socio-political structure of Pakistan, its relations in the region and across the globe, or the last few years. The recent floods have escalated some of t