James Zogby

President, Arab American Institute; author, 'Arab Voices'

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in the Middle East with a rather full plate. I don't want to pile on more, but there is an issue connected to both the Syrian civil war and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that must not be ignored.

Bernard-Henri Lévy

French philosopher and writer

The honor of Muslims is Islam, simply Islam, when it is true to its principle, which signifies (as everyone knows, but unfortunately, some have often forgotten): peace.

Edit Schlaffer

Founder, Women Without Borders/SAVE

Western anti-Muslim sentiment needs to be balanced by Muslims voicing their determination to confront the Islamist threat and expose the abuses of Islam by a small minority of extremists.

Christopher Hayes

Host, 'All In with Chris Hayes'

Terrorism as a category has gotten massively stretched until it's almost lost its meaning in this day and age, but there's a real reason why it's a specific category.

Natasha Tynes

Jordanian-American Journalist

Hosting Syrian refugees has put a major strain on Jordan's limited resources including, health, education, and state-subsidized electricity and water.

Brian Levin, J.D.

Director, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, California State University

Omar Bakri Mohammed, 54, who has harnessed a dangerous sliver of American and British youth to religious terror and extremism is a notorious English-speaking hate cleric who for almost two decades, while on public assistance, fomented radicalism in the United Kingdom.

Ray Chambers

UN Special Envoy for Health Financing

In my UN Special Envoy positions I have had the honor to work with some of the best policy makers, researchers, and practitioners of global health. And I am always excited when my path crosses with Dr. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organization.

Robert D. Atkinson, Ph.D.

President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

To be clear, a strong, growing, and collaborative trade relationship between the United States and India is in both parties' best interests. But India's recent trade policies are placing that relationship in jeopardy.

Joe Mirabella

Director of Community Campaigns, All Out

A peaceful demonstration of approximately 20 people from many civil society organisations was held at the Daily Monitor building on Thursday, May 23 to protest the crackdown. Police officers in riot gear broke up the march and arrested 5 attendees.

Robert Walker

President, Population Institute

Gender equality is a moral imperative, but it is also an economic and social imperative. No country, no society, however industrious or blessed with resources it may be, will ever reach its full potential so long as women are denied theirs.

James P. Farwell

Defense consultant; author, 'Persuasion & Power: The Art of Strategic Communication'

International terrorists networks need more than ideology to function. They need money. That money, often laundered through legitimate fronts, helps recruiting. It helps terror networks subvert states, societies, and economies.

Alan Elsner

Author, 'Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America’s Prisons'

As Secretary of State John Kerry labors to launch a new Israel-Palestinian peace initiative, it is legitimate to ask how firmly the government of Israel still believes in a two-state solution.

Maria Burnett

Senior Africa researcher, Human Rights Watch

The ability to criticize government policies and action, to debate the quality of governance and service delivery, to complain when a "development" initiative violates rights, to scrutinize the president and his inner circle all hang in the balance in Uganda.

Timothy Beardson

Author, 'Stumbling Giant: The Threat to China's Future'

China's environmental problems are immense, not least those connected to its voracious and inefficient use of coal. In 2011, for example, the country used almost half of global coal consumption, although its economy is still around half the size of the U.S.

Global Yodel

Because Your Home Is Someone Else's Destination -- GlobalYodel.com

In the U.S., Memorial Day weekend usually marks the beginning of summer vacation. But in some places in China, school vacations aren't as big a cause of celebration.

Rena Pederson

Former speechwriter at the U.S. Department of State

A series of decision points for Thein Sein will soon tell whether Burma means business: Will the military-dominated Constitution be liberalized to allow more inclusion? Will cease-fires with ethic groups be honored? Will more political prisoners be released?

David Westin

Author, 'Exit Interview'; Former President, ABC News

The needs created by the Syrian exodus will go on for years to come. The real test will be whether we have the staying power to support the efforts in Zaatari and elsewhere as months drag into years.