Culture Clashes
Tag details
Welcome to the 'Culture Clashes' tag page at Technorati. This page features content from the farthest reaches of the Blogosphere that authors have "tagged" with 'Culture Clashes'.
Latest blogosphere posts tagged “Culture Clashes”
-
‘Thou Shalt Not Suffer…’
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Witchcraft , magic , and sorcery have been concerns of mankind around the world and, apparently, for most of human history. In some cultures, ‘witches’ were honored, as shamans or folk medical practitioners of a sort. In others, they were feared and condemned. Over time, however, cultures affected by the Age of ...1 week ago -
‘2009 Is Not 2001′
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
The National Council of US-Arab Relations ( NCUSAR ) recently concluded its annual conference in Washington, DC. Videos, audio files, and transcripts of the conference are available at NCUSAR’s website, though not all speakers are yet posted online. Many of them are, however, including the transcript [10-page ...1 week ago -
Saudi King: ‘Confront Deviant Ideology’
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Saudi King Abdullah is perfectly clear when he warns of the danger of extremist Islam. I might argue that ‘devious politicized doctrine’ didn’t ’sneak in’, but was allowed in through inattention and assuming that those who wear the cloak of religion are worthy of respect purely for their costumes. There are ...1 week ago -
‘I Did Not Learn to Love Life’
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
MEMRI translates a piece from e-zine Aafaq by a reformist Saudi writer in which he tells of his upbringing in the Kingdom and how it led him to a life of extremism. The issues he raises are not new, unfortunately. The piece, at least as excerpted here, does not explain how he changed his mind. Reformist Writer ...2 weeks ago -
Agro-Imperialism?
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
The questions about agriculture—food, really—in the coming years is the subject of this piece appearing in tomorrow’s print edition of The New York Times . Judging by the adjectives he uses, the writer isn’t thrilled by one prospect, at least. He seems to think there might be something morally wrong with a ...2 weeks ago -
Seeking to End Blackmail in Saudi Arabia
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Here’s an interesting piece from Saudi Gazette on the recent rash (or reported rash) of the blackmailing of women in Saudi Arabia. The writer offers some ideas about how the phenomenon might be handled—including new laws and social efforts to inform women that they are only human and thus liable to error. I’d ...2 weeks ago -
Parsing the Problems of the Houthi
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Mshari Al-Zaydi raises an interesting point in his column today. He notes that while the Houthis are members of the Shi’ite Zaidi sect, that is not their only identity. They are also a tribe, the Houthi, who have issues as a tribe, not as a religion. He points out that to conflate the two is an error of logic, much ...2 weeks ago -
Two More Approaches to Maj. Hasan
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Here are two opinion pieces that fall on decidedly different sides of the arguments about Maj. Nidal Hasan, alleged to have killed 13 people at Ft. Hood. Marc Lynch, arguing on the pages of Foreign Policy, points out that refueling the ‘clash of civilization’ that puts Americans against Islam is probably not ...3 weeks ago -
Is Maj. Nidal Hasan a ‘Terrorist’?
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Here’s a piece from Slate, onlline magazine. The writer discusses the various definitions of ‘terrorism’ that are used in different contexts and wonders were Maj. Hasan, the alleged shooter at Ft. Hood last week, falls. The article exactly lines up with my view. Do read the entire piece. Is Nidal Malik Hasan ...3 weeks ago -
Saudi Women Lawyers, ‘Eventually’
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Change, unfortunately, comes slowly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It’s been at least 10 years since women have been academically qualified to serve as lawyers in the country, but the best the Minister of Justice can promise, according to this Arab News piece, is that they will ‘eventually’ be able to ...3 weeks ago -
Learning about US Education on Riyadh Radio
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
It’s good to see the US Embassy taking a proactive role on the confusing issues of going to school in America. Rather than a single set of rules and regulations, the US has 51 (or possibly more) state-level governments with their own Departments of Education. Each has its own ideas about how things should be done. ...3 weeks ago -
Looking at KAUST from the Inside
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Nathan Ball, an American student at KAUST, has a blog, Saudi Aggie. There, he writes about his experiences and perceptions at the university—and his side trips outside during breaks. In addition to just being an interesting read, Nathan’s posts are thoughtful. I’d like to particularly point out his most recent: ...3 weeks ago -
Blasphemy Laws v. Human Rights
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Here’s an interesting policy paper from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom taking to task the OIC’s effort to create international laws that punish ‘blasphemy’. The paper (an 8-page PDF web document) notes that criminalizing blasphemy does violence to generally understood protections to ...3 weeks ago -
Saudi Media Look at Iran, Houthis
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Asharq Alawsat runs two opinion pieces today that point to Iran as the force behind the recent (and perhaps on-going) clashes on the Saudi-Yemen border. Hussein Shobokshi provides a riff on the 1959 comedy film “The Mouse That Roared” as Iran’s motivation. Instigating the Houthis, however, was criminal, he ...3 weeks ago -
Belated Birthday Wishes for Petroleum
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
The anniversary slipped by largely unnoticed, but the commercial exploitation of petroleum began 150 years ago last August. The first producing well, in Titusville, Pennsylvania, was opened by Edwin Drake , an American entrepreneur. He first started the economically profitable business of refining crude petroleum ...3 weeks ago -
Muslims in the US Military
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
Directly related to the case of Maj. Hasan, The Washington Post runs this piece in its ‘On Religion’ online section. The piece offers a brief survey of the experiences and attitudes of a few Muslim soldiers in the US military. Most, it appears, don’t have the sort of problems that Maj. Hasan found. This piece ...3 weeks ago -
More on the Ft. Hood Massacre
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
I was asked to further comment on the event in which US Army Maj. Nidal Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Ft Hood, Texas. In particular, I was asked to point out what foreign media (i.e., other than American media) were saying. I’ve spent the day looking, not always fruitfully. German papers, for instance, are ...3 weeks ago -
Another Magician Sentenced to Death
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
The lesson here is to not practice magic in Saudi Arabia. The fact that practicing magic is itself something of a wonder makes no difference. Saudi Shariah courts look harshly on any act that can be construed as ‘magic’. Saudi Gazette/Okaz report that the defendent in this case admitted to the charges and had ...3 weeks ago -
Pointing Fingers
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
The tragedy that occurred at the US Army installation, Ft. Hood, dominates American media coverage, but it is also being reported in Saudi media. The facts, insofar as we know them at the moment, is that an officer, Muslim and of Palestinian descent, went mad and started shooting up the base. He killed 13 and wounded ...4 weeks ago -
Poverty in Saudi Arabia
Crossroads Arabia —
Authority: 524
I came across a web log, the other face of saudi arabia , that focuses on photographs of poverty in Saudi Arabia and offers views of the contrasts between the rich and the poor. I don’t know what the blogger’s purpose it, beyond his stated intent to show the poverty and misery that can be found in the country. He ...4 weeks ago
