Shifting Sands: Instability in Undefined Asia Author: Strategic Foresight Group Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 04/28/2003 Category: Special Report There are periods in history when the world changes. The Second World War from 1939 to 1945, and the end of Cold War and apartheid from 1989 to

President Bush's trip to Africa poses many questions, including the nature of US influence there and elsewhere, the extent to which African states can play off the US against the EU, and the effect on weapons research. Matt Norton in this guest editorial takes a journey through some of the

Journalist Rob L. Wagner examines Saudi Arabia’s “soft” rehabilitation program to return Islamic extremists to the “true Islam.” Although the program in its seven-year history has suffered setbacks, its 10 percent recidivism rate points to potential long-term success. The program mixes religion and tough love to return reformed militants to

RE: To Drive, or Not to Drive; Not a Question for Saudi Women Author: Rob L. Wagner Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 02/10/2010   Dear Editor: I read with growing alarm Jaclyn Nardone’s essay entitled “To Drive, or Not to Drive; Not a Question for Saudi Women.”

In this report, journalist Rob Wagner analyzes the nuances of the contemporary Saudi feminist movement and its innovative methods of advocacy to garner support for women's rights and gender-neutral Sharia in Saudi Arabia. He highlights the challenges associated with the Saudi feminist movement in the face of anti-Western activism rejecting

Journalist Rob L. Wagner examines the growing wealth of Saudi Arabian women, who under Sharia have complete control of their finances. Changes in commercial and real estate laws have given women more flexibility in investing their money in business opportunities. However, Saudi society is slow to embrace such changes, creating

It is ironic that in the centralized education system of Pakistan, there are educational institutions with different curricula. This results from the existence of three main educational systems; public, private and madrassahs. The private system is expensive and out of the reach of majority of children in Pakistan. Therefore, public

The Wahhabi state of Saudi Arabia is the holy gem of Islam and the only country in the world that prohibits women from driving. Saudi women must wait for months at a time to do basic communal things, until their husbands, fathers, brothers or uncles are available to drive them