Between Two Worlds -- A Question of Dual Citizenship

How many countries recognize dual citizenship? The U. S. Office of Personnel Management Investigations Service's 2001 publication, "Citizenship Laws of the World"  identified 52 countries that recognize some...

Pardon my butterball, and other turkey tales

Thanksgiving turkey scraps will soon be in the fridge. Before the leftovers leave you cold, here are some turkey tidbits -- zero-calorie facts that are food for thought.MUSIC HATH CHARMS: According to Stephen...

"Brekekekex koax koax" -- The Greeks Have a Noise for It

A native of Colombia told me that her elementary school teacher taught her class how to sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." The Spanish-speaking children sang it in English, not Spanish, just as American kids sing...

The Catawba Indians -- Rocky Path to Success

Almost everyone who has taken Interstate 95 to Florida has driven through North and South Carolina -- the old Catawba Indian territory. The town of Santee, South Carolina lies halfway through the state and marks...

300 x 4 Spartans -- The Living Legacy of King Leonidas

The 2006 hit movie, 300, retold the ancient battle of Thermopylae in bold, graphic-novel terms. Reviewers and pundits of all political stripes saw the film as an analogy to the Iraq War, and audiences relived the...

Sunnis and Shi'ites for Beginners

LESSON ONE: The Big PictureMost Muslims the world over follow the Sunni branch of Islam.BUT: About 10%-15% of Muslims belong to the Shi'ite (also known as Shiite, Shi'a, Shi'ah or Shia) sect. The majority of...

"To Look Death in the Eye" -- The Kurds of Iraq

Part FIVE of a FIVE-part series on Iraq's ethnic minorities. • Go to Part One: Iraq's Yazidis -- A Minority within a Minority • See Part Two: The Turkomans of Iraq -- A Minority with Major...

The Ma'dan -- Iraq's Marsh Arabs

 Part FOUR of a FIVE-part series on Iraq's ethnic minorities. • Go to Part One: Iraq's Yazidis -- A Minority within a Minority• See Part Two: The Turkomans of Iraq -- A Minority with Major...

Iraq's Assyrians -- Four Beleaguered Christian Minorities

Part THREE of a FIVE-part series on Iraq's minorities.• Go to Part One: Iraq's Yazidis -- A Minority within a Minority • See Part Two: The Turkomans of Iraq -- A Minority with Major Impact• See Part Four:...

The Turkomans of Iraq -- A Minority with Major Impact

Part TWO of a FIVE-part series on Iraq's ethnic minorities. • Go to Part One: Iraq's Yazidis -- A Minority within a Minority • See Part Three: Iraq's Assyrians -- Four Beleaguered Christian Minorities• See...