Program
Middle East
Islamic Institutions

We provide current and unbiased analysis on the interplay between Arab regimes and Islamic institutions as well as the relationship’s implications on regional policies.

research
Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention

The complex relations between the state and Islamic institutions in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco shed light on evolving governance and have important implications for Western policies of countering violent extremism and conflict resolution.

· June 7, 2021
commentary
Can the Islamic Republic Change?

In an interview, Karim Sadjadpour outlines what a realistic U.S. policy toward Iran should look like.

· April 9, 2021
article
Islamic Authority and Arab States in a Time of Pandemic

To contain the coronavirus, Arab governments are mobilizing official Islamic institutions. The most pressing goal is to shut down sites of potential contagion as Ramadan approaches.

· April 16, 2020
article
How Syria’s Regime Used Local Clerics to Reassert Its Authority in Rural Damascus Governorate

Although local clerics have helped the Syrian state reassert control, the regime is centralizing religious authority away from communities. Their future relationship is hard to predict.

· March 27, 2019