UM: Middle East

By

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune previews an upcoming lecture there by Juan Cole, UM professor of modern Middle East and South Asian history and author of the soon-to-be-published “Engaging the Muslim World.” Says Cole: “In 2000, 75 percent of Indonesians said they had a favorable view of the United States, and this is the largest Muslim population in the world. Now it’s 25 percent. Our public image in Indonesia has suffered mainly because of the Iraq war. What we have to think about as a nation is: Are we harmed by having a poor image in the largest Muslim country?” [Source]