History
A Costa Rican dance against colonialism becomes a paradoxical tourist attraction
Every year, in the Costa Rican village of Boruca, men dress in garish masks and costumes to reenact their ancestors’ battle against colonizers 500 years ago. In the ritual, Spaniards are depicted as bulls, while the Borucans depict themselves as devils, to reclaim a slur the Spanish once used against them.
Tens of thousands attend Friday prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem
On April 5, the final Friday in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan this year — a special time for Muslims worldwide — more than 3,500 Israeli police were deployed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Here, an estimated 57,000 Muslims attended Friday prayers.
Saudi Arabia’s conservative clerics have a new relationship with the government under Mohammed bin Salman
Social change in Saudi Arabia has long been deemed impossible due to the influence of the conservative clerical establishment. But as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman supports new cultural attractions, experts are wondering whether the power of these clerics has diminished. Raihan Ismail, professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University, spoke to The World’s host Carolyn Beeler about what role the clerics play in Saudi society today.
Aid worker says they can’t operate after 7 World Center Kitchen staffers are killed in Israeli strike
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed seven aid workers from the relief group World Central Kitchen (WCK) overnight. Among the dead were three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national, an American Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler speaks to Sean Carroll, the CEO of ANERA, which works closely with WCK, about the incident.
Brazil remembers the 1964 coup and victims of the dictatorship
Brazil is remembering the 1964 coup that began on March 31 that year. The event 60 years ago sunk Brazil into a brutal 21-yearlong dictatorship that would last until 1985. Today, the country is still grappling with the meaning and memory of what happened.
‘Imaginary Amazon’ exhibition counters negative stereotypes through contemporary art
University Art Gallery at San Diego State University has just unveiled an exhibit, “The Imaginary Amazon,” featuring works by contemporary artists, many of them Indigenous inhabitants of the forest. The artists’ intent is to address some of the stereotypical Western perspectives of the Amazon.