This volume originates from the proceedings of an international conference convened by the Department of History and Civilization, International Islamic University Malaysia, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen, in Kuala Lumpur, from 26 to 28 August 2005. Twelve out of thirty-five papers presented at the conference have been reviewed, thoroughly revised and published in this volume. The introduction and the twelve chapters address the question of Hadhrami identity in Southeast Asia from various perspectives and investigate the patterns of Hadhrami interaction with diverse cultures, values and beliefs in the region. Special attention is paid to Hadhrami local and transnational politics, social stratification and integration, religio-social reform and journalism, as well as to economic dynamism and the cosmopolitan character of the Hadhrami societies in Southeast Asia.

Documentary by Jihane Noujaim about war, truth and the media, focusing in particular on the 2003 Iraq conflict. Noujaim and her film crew visit the headquarters of Al-Jazeera, the first commercial non-state-owned Arab satellite channel, to find out what the news looks like from the 'other side'. As well as interviewing producers and journalists from Al-Jazeera, Noujaim talks to American correspondents from American news channels NBC and CNN. The resulting documentary raises difficult and disturbing questions about the ethics of a media-managed war, and the function of propaganda in Western society. The film premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.