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

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.