Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech to the United Nations will actually be aimed towards improving his reputation in the Muslim community as a "Third World hero," writes Mohamad Bazzi.

George Weigel argues that a real understanding of Pope Benedict's trip to the Middle East "must start at the true source of Benedict's own thinking: scripture."

Elliott Abrams reviews The Persian Night by Amir Taheri, in Commentary.

Michael Gerson disagrees with the lifting of a Holocaust-denying bishop's excommunication by the Catholic Church. The Vatican's mistake, he explains, will face high stakes and scandal.

Howard B. Schaffer, a former top State Department official on South Asia, says Washington should seek to prevent tensions in Kashmir from complicating U.S. security interests in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Michael Gerson finds that Barack Obama’s willingness to embrace a faith-based initiative is a good example of moderation without cynicism.

Michael Gerson writes that Barack Obama is properly understood as a man of the religious left, in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. However, while he has made progress gaining support in the religious community, his stance on abortion continues to keep him from gaining widespread evangelical support.

Religion's place in the Iranian political system has long been debated among scholars, but a president who blurs the line has refocused attention on the topic

Hossein Bastani, an Iranian journalist, discusses the split within Iran between the so-called neoconservatives, who support Ahmadinejad, and the more traditional conservatives, who support the older generation of leaders.

“Not only is it impossible to agree on a working definition of the word ‘moderate,’ but there is scant evidence that extremists really do moderate once they assume power,” says Steven Cook, dispelling “The Myth of Moderate Islam.”

“In the wake of liberal failures, do conservatives offer any hope to addicts and the homeless, to disadvantaged children in need of mentors and adequate education, to people living among the broken glass of durable poverty?” Michael Gerson discusses this and other questions regarding the viability of compassionate conservatism as he delves into the realm of biblical scripture and its application to modern politics.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan talks to Newsweek's Owen Matthews about Islam, modernity and Turkey's role in Israel-Syria communications

Pope Benedict’s first U.S. visit has focused on revitalizing the U.S. Catholic Church. He is also addressing religious freedom.

Paul Harrison, an expert in Buddhist studies, says recent unrest in Myanmar and Tibet showcases major challenges facing the religion.