Detente between Tehran and Riyadh will not magically solve all the political and sectarian tensions in the Middle East.
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A political scientist explains the history of blasphemy laws in Muslim-majority nations and how they play a role in silencing dissent.
Day 3 of our Understanding Islam series. Many Muslims belong to one of two sects of Islam, which agree on most of the fundamentals of Islam but vary in others.
As fighting continues between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, neighbouring Iran has offered to mediate.
A huge new online survey of Iranians reveals only 40% identify as Muslim.
Distrust of the US – even if misplaced – can linger for decades, thwarting Washington’s foreign policy goals. A former US diplomat in Iraq reflects on that country’s skepticism of US aid efforts.
The Islamic State has appointed yet another ‘caliph’ after the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. What is the idea behind the caliphate?
For Muslims, Ashura marks the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammed’s grandson Hussain.
The US has supported a Saudi-led military coalition that has inflicted profound and deadly damage on Yemen. A Senate vote could end what a human rights scholar says is US complicity in genocide.
Trump recently tweeted about prayer rugs being left along the border. Many may not know the role and history of Muslim prayer rugs and why they are not likely to be left behind.
The Houthis belong to the Shiite branch of Islam. The Houthi insurgency began in the early 1990s, spurred in part by growing influence of different Sunni branches of Islam.
The Obama and Trump administrations have supported a military coalition that has inflicted profound and deadly damage on Yemen. A human rights scholar says the US is complicit in genocide.
The de Young Museum of San Francisco recently opened an exhibit devoted to the Islamic fashion scene. Here’s how Muslim women’s fashions challenge popular stereotypes.
Even when ISIS is defeated, unless different groups can repair their relationship, violent extremism will remain, and peace in Iraq will stay elusive.
Every time Iran has an election, its minority groups are suddenly the centre of attention – and then they’re quickly forgotten again.
Since Islam is predicated on law, variations in the interpretation of that law – along with geography and distinct legal schools – have all contributed to differences in the religion.
How far back in history does one have to go to find the roots of the so-called Islamic State? The first article in our series on the genesis of the terrorist outfit considers some fundamentals.
Attempts to build a nation out of Iraq have failed spectacularly. Why is everyone still so intent on keeping it together?
ISIS victories in Iraq do not come out of the blue; the group’s military success results from a long history of tensions between Sunnis and Shia and US policies that fostered such tension.
Top contributors
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Professorial Lecturer in Human Rights; Director, Ethics, Peace, and Human Rights MA Program, American University School of International Service
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Professor of International Relations, Lancaster University
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Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of California, Los Angeles
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Senior Research Fellow, Muslim Philanthropy Initiative at IUPUI and Journalist-fellow, USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, University of Southern California
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Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Middle East Politics & International Relations at Keele University, Keele University
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Adjunct Professor at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University
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Philip S. Bernstein Professor of Jewish Studies, University of Rochester
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Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations of the Middle East, Durham University
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Lecturer in Middle Eastern Politics, University of Exeter
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Researcher, Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT), United Nations University
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Affiliated Faculty of Bioethics, Religion, and Society, Department of Religious Studies, DePaul University
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Assistant Professor of Religion, California Lutheran University
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Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Northeastern University
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Professor of Political Science, San Diego State University
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Assistant Professor of HIstory, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
