National Interest's Paul R. Pillar discusses three problems with the fear of Islamist threat to democratization in Arab countries.

Ed Husain examines Islamism and the meaning of an Islamic state.

Pol Gradaigh explains why Egyptian parties are cautious of the term "secular," opting instead to define themselves as a "civic" state against Islamist ideology.

Robin Wright argues that Islam is emerging as an equally potent force as democracy in defining the new order in the Middle East.

Elliott Abrams and Dwight Bashir lead a conversation on the Iranian regime's persecution of members of the Baha'i faith.

Gregory Feifer discuses how government corruption and radicalization of Islam in the Northern Caucasus are deepening divisions in society and fueling violence in the area.

Raj Bhala, associate dean for international and comparative law and Rice distinguished professor at University of Kansas School of Law, discusses "Understanding Sharia: From Caliphate to Current Day."

From sharia law to reestablishing banks, Mark Urban questions what the rise of political Islam will mean for citizens of Northern Africa.

Sharia, or Islamic law, is increasingly in the spotlight as its political and economic role expands in the Muslim world and even in the West.

Yasmine El Rashidi examines why many Egyptians consider the violence surrounding the "Bloody Sunday" Coptic march as a dark turning point in the country's bid to build an inclusive democratic society.

The weekend's military crackdown on Coptic Christian demonstrations in Cairo underscores Egypt's sectarian problems, the entrenched power of the military, and the weakness of the country's economy.

Theo Padnos explains how the Assad regime exacerbated the Alawi-Sunni rivalry, bringing the country to the brink of today's sectarian war.

To understand the Brotherhood's prospects in Egypt's upcoming elections, one has to understand the organization itself.

A decade after 9/11, U.S. Muslims grapple with their place in American society in the face of concerns about homegrown terrorism and questions by non-Muslims over the threat they might pose.

The State Department released the 13th annual International Religious Freedom Report on September 13, 2011. It states, "The Secretary of State designates as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs) countries that have "engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom...Secretary Clinton designated eight countries as CPCs: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Uzbekistan. The Secretary applied CPC sanctions to six of these: Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan."

John Campbell says diplomacy and democracy--not firepower--is the best way to undermine Nigeria's growing Islamist threat.

Mohamad Bazzi reviews Robin Wright's Rock the Casbah.

Ed Husain says that a decade after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the need for Islam to come to terms with modernity is greater than ever.

While U.S. efforts to forge a better relationship with the Muslim world are important, it will also take leadership within that world to challenge the myths that lead to anger and disapproval toward the United States.

Western Europe's burgeoning Islamic population continues to spark concerns about Muslim assimilation and a cultural divide.