Jawad I. Ali, a lawyer who helps corporations structure sharia-compliant finance deals, discusses the boom in Islamic banking and the industry’s future.

Despite a walkout by political leader Ayad Allawi, the Iraq power-sharing deal can hold if Prime Minister Maliki keeps his word and if the formation of a new government stir up frictions among rival …

The Arab Spring severely weakened the narrative of Islamist extremists but they are now stirring anti-U.S. sentiments in fragile new democracies, says Mideast expert Ali Soufan.

"Engagement doesn’t preclude criticism," says Iranian historian Ali M. Ansari, so the West should be more forthright in speaking out against Iran’s human rights record.

Iraq’s political standoff may be resolved with a compromise candidate, says CFR’s Rachel Schneller. But it won’t happen according to a U.S. timetable. And it shouldn’t affect U.S. plans to withdraw c…