October 2008 | Book by Suzanne Maloney

As the third book in the series from the Institute’s Muslim World Initiative on pivotal states in the Muslim world, this lucid and timely volume sheds much-needed light on Iran’s strikingly complex political system and foreign policy and its central role in the region.

Countries: Iran | Issue Areas: Religion and Peacemaking
April 2008 | Book by John N. Paden

As the most populous country in Africa and a major oil producer, Nigeria has long been recognized as the dominant force in West Africa. But its standing within the broader international arena, especially its comparative position within the Muslim world, has been less well understood. Indeed, does Nigeria's influence extend beyond the region? In this concise volume, John N. Paden answers this very question, contending that Nigeria is globally significant for a multitude of reasons, not least of which for the political resiliency it has demonstrated despite its complex ethnolinguistic and religious diversity.

Countries: Africa, Nigeria | Issue Areas: Religion and Peacemaking
December 2007 | Book by Graham E. Fuller

In fact, by acting independently and attempting to reconcile its constitutionally secular form of governance and vibrant traditional culture, it is now for the first time becoming positively viewed by others in the Muslim world as a state worth watching—and maybe even emulating.

Countries: Turkey | Issue Areas: Religion and Peacemaking