Sharia

The extremist group ISIS wants to create a new caliphate in the Middle East. Tarek Masoud of Harvard’s Kennedy School explains why the concept is so important to so many Muslims.

Anti-gay sentiment is reaching a fever pitch in one state in northern Nigeria. Local authorities in Bauchi State are asking citizens to help find and jail men suspected of being gay. And the practice has the enthusiastic support of local residents.

For women who are devout followers of Islam, divorce can be hard to come by. For these women, it’s taken years, and some are still waiting, to get a divorce from a reluctant husband.

In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, women and human rights groups are demanding that Palestinian leaders do more to stop violence against women. The call comes in the wake of a murder in Bethlehem last week that has shocked the Palestinian public. Activists hope the case will raise awareness of domestic violence.

In his book, “In the Footsteps of the Prophet,” Swiss philosopher Tariq Ramadan explains why the prophet Mohammed is more modern than many believe and why reconciliation between conservative Muslims and secular societies is possible.