It may have been somewhat obvious to some that burning the Koran, however stupid, offensive and despicable it might be, falls within the realm of protected freedom of speech. However, Europe has taken a quite different, and much more, restrictive view on freedom of speech.

The Olin Business School has won a grant supporting the creation of a new study-abroad program in Israel. The business school will send students to attend classes at the Interdisciplinary Center in Israel and have them intern at Israeli companies.

Since the establishment of the Republic of Turkey by Kemal Atatürk on Oct. 29, 1923, the country has been fully entrenched in the Kemalist legacy. In 1928, the Turkish Constitution was amended to remove the phrase, “The religion of the State is Islam,” thereby making secularism the de jure replacement within the country.

The burqa debate is back on in France, and a Washington University anthropologist has become part of it. The French government has asked anthropology professor John Bowen to testify on the matter, as a parliamentary commission is investigating a possible ban on burqas in public places. France banned burqas in public schools in 2004.

Dr. Daniel Pipes, a conservative columnist and activist, will speak on campus about issues involving extremist Islamic groups Tuesday night, prompting a range of reactions from conservative supporters to Muslim detractors.