Free Republic

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- A growing American interest in Iranian language and culture is sparking an expansion on U.S. campuses of full-fledged Persian Studies programs, led by the University of Maryland and the Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute. The new emphasis reaches beyond geopolitical concerns to focus on language acquisition, literature and other aspects of Persian culture. In response to this growing fascination among a diverse pool of students, Maryland's four year-old Center for Persian Studies - the first autonomous, interdisciplinary center in the field in the United States - will significantly expand its faculty, programs, research...

One of the most stinging criticisms of President Bush has been that he operates in a bubble where dissenting views are not welcome and genuine debate is rare. And while 51 percent of American voters reelected the president, exit polls showed that more of them felt the country was on the wrong track than on the right track. .....