Recommended reading for Tuesday 28 Feb 2006

Foreign direct investment in UAE hits $18b :: Gulf News
Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, first female in the UAE cabinet, makes the announcement.

New realisation in the US after DPW controversy :: Khaleej Times -

There is realisation, too, that the whole debate is hurting America in some ways — like, for instance, a feeling might go around that things are being discussed on racial lines, which is not in keeping with the image of America. Feelings are also that the business interests of America will not be better served by this kind of negative stands.

Boing Boing Banned by US-based censorware company called Secure Computing - UAE community blog
Here's how Boing Boing responds (emphasis added),

We've decided not to rejig our editorial process to make it easier for a censorware company to block us for their customers. Instead, we're creating a clearinghouse of information on how to defeat censorware.Last week, we reported that Boing Boing was blocked by entire countries including the United Arab Emirates, and by many library systems, schools, US government and military sites, and corporations [in the US].

Textbook of American school in UAE seized over ‘smell of racism' :: Khaleej Times -

Over 100 copies of the social studies text book, 'World Cultures' taught to the sixth grade children were confiscated by the Ministry of Education yesterday, for allegedly presenting Islam and the Muslim countries including Gulf states in a negative light while glorifying Israel on the other hand, Khaleej Times has learnt.

It has been accused that chapter 25 of the book running from page 599 to 614 contains a deluge of derogatory remarks against Islam and the Muslim world, for example, dubbing Middle East as one of the most dangerously explosive areas in the world and the Muslim conquest of India as the most bloodiest in the world history, to mention a few.

The sub chapters clubbed under the title 'North Africa and the Middle East' also elaborate on the religion and life-style of Israel with pictures. "Israel is one of a few democracies in North Africa and the Middle East today. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Morocco are all kingdoms; the country of Syria has sponsored terrorism by giving aid to radicals in the Palestine Liberation Organisation, known as the PLO," read excerpts from page 610 of the book, copies of which Khaleej Times possess.

I'm not sure what's wrong with presenting factual information. Speaking of factual information, here's what some US critics of the same book have to say. It's pretty devastating. I wonder if the publisher has tried to suppress those voices.

UPDATE: Confiscated book was being taught for last 11 years