Religion

Epiphanies from Tariq Ramadan

The Swiss-born grandson of the Muslim Brotherhood's founder made his career trying to prove that the West and Islam, secularism and belief, can coexist peacefully. With his George W. Bush-era travel ban revoked, Tariq Ramadan has now journeyed back to the United States, where his faith in faith has been put to the test by a painful year for American Muslims.

INTERVIEW BY BENJAMIN PAUKER | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011

Al Qaeda's M&A Strategy

Is franchising a successful way to build a global terror network?

BY DANIEL BYMAN | DECEMBER 7, 2010

Hitch Looks Back

Christopher Hitchens, the verbal pugilist and famed raconteur, recently debated his brother Peter on the subject of religion, his own diagnosis of lung cancer, and the value -- or not -- of prayer at life's end. We bring you the edited excerpts of Hitch's remarks.

DECEMBER 2010

The End of Christianity in the Middle East?

The brutal bombing of a church in Baghdad may be the final straw for this 2,000 year old minority community.

BY EDEN NABY, JAMSHEED K. CHOKSY | NOVEMBER 2, 2010

Killing the Messenger

Arundhati Roy was right to call India's presence in Kashmir a military occupation -- and throwing writers in jail won't solve the problem.

BY ANUJ CHOPRA | OCTOBER 28, 2010

In Praise of Laziness

An investigation into 14th-century heresy explains why the French refuse to get off their derrières.

BY ROBERT ZARETSKY | SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

What Arabs Really Think About Iran

The Arab world might have soured on President Obama, but opinion polls show that they haven't rushed to embrace Iran.

BY DAVID POLLOCK | SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

Could Britain Arrest the Pope?

It's unlikely, but not impossible.

BY JOSHUA E. KEATING | SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

How Anti-Semitism Helped Create Israel

At a desperate moment in World War I, British elites appealed to what they saw as the monolithic, all-powerful forces of "international Jewry" to turn the tide of the conflict -- and promised them Palestine.

BY JONATHAN SCHNEER | SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

The Billionaire Prince

Saudi Arabia's Al-Waleed bin Talal is back in the spotlight for allegedly being one of the financiers behind the planned Islamic center in downtown Manhattan. Here are 10 things that you should know about the colorful royal.

BY SIMON HENDERSON | AUGUST 27, 2010

America's First Muslim President

Muslim Americans helped elect George W. Bush, but now they're leaving the Republican Party in droves. It didn't have to be this way.

BY SUHAIL A. KHAN | AUGUST 23, 2010

The Holy Month

Muslims around the world prepare -- and pray -- as Ramadan begins.

AUGUST 11, 2010

Why Kosovar Independence Is Good For Serbia

Thursday’s court ruling could be a blessing in disguise for the Serbs.

BY DAVID BOSCO | JULY 23, 2010

Benedict's Crusade

Can the Pope bring God back to Europe?

BY NICK SPENCER | JULY 20, 2010

Bad Politics Is Better Than No Politics

Why Iraq's bloody democracy isn't so terrible.

BY JAMES TRAUB | JULY 9, 2010

Interview: Marjane Satrapi

An acclaimed Iranian graphic artist and filmmaker tells FP why Iran is changing -- and how her stories have become a window into revolutionary Iran.

INTERVIEW BY GOLNAZ ESFANDIARI, ESFANDIARI, GOLNAZ | JULY 8, 2010

The War Over Germany's Imams

Sent by Turkey as a check on Western influence as well as Islamist radicalism, Germany's holy men are at the heart of the battle over the future of Islam in Europe.

BY PAUL HOCKENOS | JULY 2, 2010

Mikey Weinstein's Crusade

Meet the man who's trying to purge evangelical Christianity from the Pentagon.

BY STEPHEN GLAIN | MAY 25, 2010

The Special Relationship

Foreign Policy gathered eight prominent figures in the Jewish community to discuss Peter Beinart's recent essay, and whether the ties that bond American Jews to Israel remain strong.

MAY 21, 2010

How the Dreyfus Affair Explains Sarkozy's Burqa Ban

Militant secularism has a long, troubled history in France, from paranoia over nun's wimples to the Dreyfusard anti-Jesuit campaigns. Where will it end?

BY RUTH HARRIS | MAY 12, 2010

Why Did the Pope Keep Quiet About Hitler?

Newly opened archives reveal what Pius XII knew and when he knew it.

BY HUBERT WOLF | MAY 6, 2010

Postcard from Tehran

Western journalists don't get too many opportunities to visit Iran these days. On my recent trip, I found economic discontent, growing political apathy, and plenty of Persian swagger.

BY HOOMAN MAJD | MAY 6, 2010

Yemen's Child Bride Backlash

After a 13-year-old girl's death, the conservative Islamists are retrenching -- with some bizarre, yet somehow effective, arguments.

BY HALEY SWEETLAND EDWARDS | APRIL 30, 2010

A Saint for Lost Souls

Mexico's increasingly destitute poor are turning to what the U.S. military calls a "death cult" for comfort.

BY D.E. CAMPBELL | MAY/JUNE 2010

A State for All Its Citizens

The United States should not be fooled by Israel's claim that it can be both Jewish and democratic.

BY NADIM N. ROUHANA | APRIL 22, 2010

Faith in Africa

A new Pew Forum survey on religion in Africa breaks ground on how far Abrahamic faiths have spread on the continent and how it has dramatically shaped societies there.

BY ELIZABETH DICKINSON | APRIL 15, 2010

Iraqiyya's Path to Power

Iraq's post-election wrangling has made it unlikely that former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi can reap the benefits of his election day victory. But if he plays his cards right, he just may have a shot.

BY AHMED ALI | APRIL 8, 2010

Time for a New Nigerian President

A former government minister tells the inside story of how trickery, corruption, political plots, and a power vacuum are tearing apart this West African giant.

BY NASIR EL-RUFAI | APRIL 1, 2010

Israel vs. the Diaspora

Why Israelis often bristle when Jewish Americans criticize their homeland.

BY EVAN P. SCHULTZ | MARCH 23, 2010

The Catholic Church’s Latest Abuse Scandals

FP's guide to the Vatican's spiraling crisis.

BY KAYVAN FARZANEH | MARCH 16, 2010