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Yemen Opens $60m. Mosque

[Analysis] The nature of a news story often depends on the writer’s viewpoint. Without necessarily attempting to sway readers one way or another, the journalist may often be guilty of writing with a lack of impartiality. Take this week’s inauguration of a mosque in Yemen as a case in point. The local media hailed it as the country’s “grandest mosque” and an “architectural masterpiece.” However, the international media universally led its coverage asking how such a poor country could build a $60-million place of worship. The Associated Press, for example, wondered out loud: “Big mosque for president puzzles Yemen’s poor.” Its reportage used terminology such as “gargantuan” and “authoritarian president.” The truth is, both sides of the story are correct. The mosque will hold prayers for up to 45,000 worshipers and perhaps they will use the opportunity to pray for greater distribution of the wealth in their homeland.