On the Eve of Hajj, Saudi and Iranian Officials Try to Define “Muslim”

by Derek Davison Top Iranian and Saudi officials traded barbs earlier this week over who is and isn’t a true Muslim, deepening the Middle East’s most prominent, longest-running, and deadliest diplomatic crisis. On September 6, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti, Abdulaziz… Continue Reading

What Have We Learned About Combating Terrorism after 9/11?

by Emile Nakhleh As our country commemorates the fifteenth anniversary of the horrendous terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, let’s identify some important lessons and learn from them. Otherwise, as Osama bin Ladin predicted nearly two decades ago, the nation would be… Continue Reading

The Latest Syrian Ceasefire

by Derek Davison Raising hopes for an end to, or at least a pause in, the devastating Syrian civil war, a ceasefire negotiated last week by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov went into… Continue Reading

Mark Kirk Wanted Release of Americans Held in Iran Before He Was Against It

by Eli Clifton Back in March 2015, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) placed the highest priority on seeking the release of Americans held in Iran. He, along with 18 of his Senate GOP colleagues, wrote to Secretary of State John Kerry… Continue Reading

Stealth Sectarianism

by Sanam Naraghi Anderlini Not a week goes by without Saudi Arabia and Iran ratcheting up their war of words. In the latest round of colorful insults, the Iranian leader called Saudi leaders “puny satans” incapable of managing Hajj while the… Continue Reading