This publication is now archived. What is the United Nations’ role in Iraq?It is a big player on the humanitarian scene--its agencies have, for example, distributed 1 million tons of food and million…

Backgrounder: Some experts say a "Shiite crescent" holds the potential to transform Islamic politics in the coming years.

This publication is now archived. Why was the United Nations targeted in Iraq?We don’t know. It remains unclear who was responsible for the August 19 truck bomb that killed at least 23 people at the …

The anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, virtually unknown before the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s government, has leveraged his family name to become one of the most influential Shiite leaders in m…

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