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December 17, 2021

Middle East and North Africa
Understanding Sharia: The Intersection of Islam and the Law

Sharia guides the personal religious practices of Muslims worldwide, but whether it should influence modern legal systems remains a subject of intense debate.

People attend Friday prayers at the Wazir Khan mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.

April 3, 2024

United States
What Does the U.S. National Guard Do?

The National Guard is a special part of the U.S. military that answers to both state governors and the president. While it began as a “strategic reserve,” the guard has come to play an important role…

A member of the National Guard patrols the southern U.S. border in Eagle Pass, Texas.

April 18, 2024

Palestinian Territories
What Is Hamas?

The Palestinian militant group struggled to govern the Gaza Strip before launching a surprise attack on Israel in 2023. Now facing Israel’s military campaign to destroy it, Hamas’s future is in doubt…

Gun-toting Hamas militants ride a vehicle amid a massive crowd of the group's supporters

April 17, 2024

Iran
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

Conceived as the principal defenders of the 1979 revolution, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has evolved into an institution with vast political, economic, and military power.

Members of the Revolutionary Guards attend a parliamentary session in Tehran.

April 24, 2024

Cuba
U.S.-Cuba Relations

Cuba has long been a major foreign policy challenge for the United States. President Biden is the latest U.S. leader to grapple with how to balance democracy promotion with the desire for a better bi…

A man shows U.S. and Cuban flags at his house in Havana.

March 19, 2024

Palestinian Territories
Who Governs the Palestinians?

Power in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the so-called Palestinian territories, has been divided among three entities: a governing body called the Palestinian Authority, the militant group Hamas, a…

Palestinians wave their national flag as they rally beneath images of President Mahmoud Abbas and his predecessor, Yasser Arafat

March 19, 2024

Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Freedoms: What China Promised and How It’s Cracking Down

Beijing has tightened its grip on Hong Kong in recent years, dimming hopes that the financial center will ever become a full democracy.

Hong Kong police force a man's arms behind his back, as an officer stands close to the camera, in Hong Kong.

June 6, 2007

Religion
Religious Conversion and Sharia Law

A Malaysian court’s ruling against a Muslim convert to Christianity highlights the difficulties of blending sharia law with modern legal frameworks.