Ten years ago, the only people using the term "Islamist" were policy wonks and government officials. Now, it’s the media catch-all for everything from politically active Muslims to Islamic extremists. A religion scholar offers his definition, and describes the different ways “Islamism” is emerging in the Arab world.

Pictured: An "Islamist" flag popular among Arab Spring protesters. The Arabic reads, "There is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his prophet." 

John Esposito, Professor of Religion and International Affairs at Georgetown University

 

“The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” purports to document the minutes of a secret meeting of Jewish leaders, who lay out their plan to control the world. First published in 1903, it’s had remarkable staying power, despite being thoroughly debunked. Richard Landes explains why it continues to surface as an historical document, everywhere from the shelves of Walmart to the charter of Hamas.

 

Pictured: A 1934 edition of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion."

 

Richard Landes, Co-Editor of "The Paranoid Apocalypse: A Hundred-Year Retrospective on The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"

 

One hundred years ago this month, a man with a long white beard and a radically new vision of society brought the Baha’i faith to America. The son of the religion’s founder, Abdu’l-Bahá preached a message of equality among genders, races and religions.

Pictured: Abdu’l-Bahá in 1911.

Layli Miller-Muro, executive director of the Tahirih Justice Center