 Weekend Roundup: Clash Of Cultures At The Beverly Hills Hotel The clash of cultures, never far below the surface, erupted once again this week in different ways in different places around the world. In The WorldPost, pop star Elton John writes that he will join other Hollywood celebrities in boycotting the Beverly Hills Hotel. The hotel is owned by the Sultan of Brunei, a country where anti-gay Sharia law is being implemented. Looking from the other side, we also published an account from India on how Muslim women are using Sharia courts there to promote gender equality. In a sequel to his earlier contribution, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown calls for the U.S. and U.K. to send satellite and surveillance aid to Nigeria to help find and free the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. On the flip side, Jumoke Balogun, Co-Founder of CompareAfrique.com, argues that American intervention in Nigeria -- militarily or in the form of the supportive #BringBackOurGirls hashtag -- will "ultimately hurt the people of Nigeria." | | | Conrad Black: Modi Will Thatcherize India Modi is running as the candidate who will replicate throughout the country the economic growth rates he has produced for 13 years in Gujarat, which with only five percent of India's population, now produces 25 percent of its exports. As he seems almost certain to take office with a heavy mandate, the world is entitled to consider the implications if Modi does, as he promises, Thatcherize the Indian government and economy. Twelve years of double digit economic growth would make India a mighty power in the world and change the world's strategic balance, opposite China, Russia and the Muslim world. This is neither a remote, nor an unfavourable prospect. Jehangir Pocha: How Money Subverts Indian Elections Some Indians cling to the warm and fuzzy notion that the country is slowly but surely fixing itself and improving its imperfect democracy. Indeed, several steps the government, Supreme Court and Election Commission have taken have done much in this regard. The introduction of electronic voting machines is often touted as an example. Stricter enforcement of "good conduct" norms has also helped. Politicians are now fined for provocative speeches, campaigning without prior permission and announcing sops close to polls. But all this is just a drop in the bucket. When India's election results are announced on May 16, many in this nation won't be sure whether it was their votes, or black money, guns and booze that determined who will run the world's largest democracy. | |
|  | How Indian Women Are Using Sharia Law To Fight For Gender Equality MUMBAI, India (RNS) Khatoon Shaikh had no formal education, never worked outside the home and lived in the kind of neighborhood that many people might call a slum. |
|  | Elton John: We Must Stand For Those Being Pushed Deeper Into The Darkness We can only get married because millions of people took a stand to defend and protect us. The gay people of Brunei -- and Russia, and Uganda, and many other countries -- need us to take another stand today. |
|  | Gordon Brown: U.S. And U.K. Should Provide Satellite And Gordon Brown: Surveillance Technology To Free Boko Haram's Kidnapped Girls Tackling this terrorist threat demands that we help locate girls who are now in captivity and show Boko Haram that their actions will be met with reprisals. Surveillance and other equipment has to be made available to the Nigerian authorities to root the terrorists out -- but we must also make sure that schools are safe for children to attend. A new 'safe schools' initiative is desperately needed in Nigeria with measures that include guards to reassure worried parents that schools are secure. |
|  | Jumoke Balogun : Dear Americans, Your Hashtags Won't #BringBackOurGirls. You Might Actually Be Making Things Worse. Simple question. Are you Nigerian? If not, I have news you. You can't do anything about the girls missing in Nigeria. You can't. Your insistence on urging American power, specifically American military power, to address this issue will ultimately hurt the people of Nigeria. |
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