A far-right Dutch politician who once railed against Islam now spends his time defending it
Anti-Muslim policies are a key tenet of the Dutch far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) led by Geert Wilders. Many of those policies were devised by former lawmaker and once close confidante of Wilders, Joram van Klaveren. Today van Klaveren dedicates his life to defending Islam.
‘This is the biggest thing that all Latvians wait for’: Summer solstice festivities begin in Latvia
Midsummer, or the summer solstice, is a day of great celebration in many countries throughout the globe. For many people in northern Europe – in the Scandinavian countries, and the Baltics – midsummer is one of the most beloved holidays. The World’s Daniel Ofman reports from Riga, the Latvian capital, about how people there are celebrating the longest day of the year.
Palestinian arrests in the West Bank have skyrocketed
There’s been a 100% increase in the number of Palestinians detained since Oct. 7. And watchdog groups are sounding the alarm on what they claim are ‘brutal’ conditions inside Israeli prisons. The grounds for the arrests are often murky, and many are put into administrative detentions that can last for weeks or months. At least 27 Palestinians have died while in Israeli prisons in the last eight months. Rebecca Rosman reports from Israel.
Juneteenth offers a ‘window into the complexity’ of US history with slavery, says author
June 19 commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the US. But the legacy of African enslavement continues to reverberate in much of the world. Howard French, the author of “Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War,” speaks with host Marco Werman about the persistent damage in West Africa and beyond.
Even in the ‘Oasis of Peace’ — where Arabs and Jews are neighbors — residents struggle to talk about the Israel-Hamas war
“Oasis of Peace” (Wahat al-Salam in Arabic and Neve Shalom in Hebrew) is an intentional, cooperative community about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It sits on the Green Line, which delineates Israel and the occupied West Bank, where Arab and Jewish neighbors live next door to each other. But fostering a dialogue between everyone amid the Israel-Hamas war has been a struggle.
Lacquerware artisans are still displaced by earthquake in Japan
Thousands of people are still displaced following an earthquake in Ishikawa prefecture in Japan on Jan. 1. The epicenter of the quake was on the Noto Peninsula, an area known for its deep traditions, including a distinct style of lacquered tableware and teaware made in the town of Wajima. The earthquake triggered a fire in Wajima, and lacquerware craftspeople lost workshops full of specialized tools. Hannah Kirshner caught up with some of these artisans in Yamanaka Onsen, at the southwest corner of Ishikawa, where some have relocated, to see how the move might redefine this centuries-old craft.