Not long ago, a typical Al Qaeda video was grainy footage of Osama bin Laden murmuring in a rural Afghan cave. Now, militant Sunnis have upped their game. Daesh runs some of the best social media campaigns in the world, with high-definition videos, radio broadcasts, video games and a glossy monthly magazine. And it's working: So far, over 20,000 foreign fighters are estimated to have traveled to the "caliphate" in Syria and Iraq.

Mercedes-AMG's British driver Lewis Hamilton races during the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the Yas Marina circuit on November 23, 2014. AFP PHOTO / MARWAN NAAMANI

Though it doesn’t get much news coverage , there are millions of atheists throughout the Middle East, even in places like Saudi Arabia and Iran, where Islam supposedly pervades every aspect of daily life. Though they mostly stay quiet , the region’s non-believers are more numerous than most people imagine. Here are 7 surprising facts about atheism and agnosticism in the Middle East that may change the way you think about the region.

The US House of Re presentatives last week approved legislation that would stall America's program for accepting refugees, demanding stricter security provisions on the screening of Iraqi and Syrian refugees. To date, 32 American governors (out of 50) have issued statements saying they would bar Syrian refugees from settling in their states, citing risk of violent extremism, fears fanned by the recent Paris terror events . (Symbolic, as they lack rights to do so.) The US vetting process for Middle Eastern refugees is perhaps the most stringent on the planet ...

Friday's Paris terror attacks prompted a flood of negative commentary against Islam even before ISIS claimed responsibility. Professional pundits and amateur gasbags cite the killing spree as proof that Islam promotes violence. If Islam is a peaceful religion, why aren't Muslims outraged by ISIS ? T he answer riffs on the old adage, if a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound? Just because Muslim voices condemning terror are under-reported doesn't mean they are silent. Here are Muslim leaders who loudly decry terror. Let's counter fear with ...