Decoder: U.S.-Iran ties impaled on the past
Why are the U.S. and Iran at daggers drawn while Donald Trump has vowed to pull troops out of foreign…
I discovered a different Middle East in a desert and shop
I used to associate the Middle East with violence, devastation and instability. On a trip to Israel, I discovered hospitality…
Jordan’s female leaders give reason to hope
Women leaders in Jordan fighting for equal rights offer hope that feminism can be advanced without sacrificing our unique culture.
Jordan’s struggle to erase the stain of honor crimes
For decades, Jordan has struggled to introduce reforms and prevent honor crimes — one of the uglier vestiges of colonialism.
Pakistan commits to reform schools that teach militancy
For decades, militant religious schools in Pakistan called madrassas taught students to kill non-believers. Now, Islamabad is taking them on.
In Afghanistan, winning peace requires diplomacy
The war in Afghanistan is the longest military conflict in U.S. history. It has failed. The key to peace is…
Sri Lanka terrorist attacks reignite familiar problems
After extremists killed hundreds in Easter suicide bombings, Sri Lanka's minority Muslim population now has to worry about retaliatory attacks.
Unruly Indonesia gets more predictable
Two decades after it threw off an authoritarian regime, Indonesia is a rare democracy in a region dominated by autocratic…
Women’s rights can be advanced under Islam
Many Westerners hold misconceptions about Middle Eastern women. They are not powerless, and Islam is compatible with women's rights.
Decoder: Making sense of the India-Pakistan flare-up
A decades-long conflict over Kashmir escalated rapidly last week. Here's why fights between India and Pakistan matter to the world.