The Middle East is largely Muslim but it’s also the birthplace of Christianity, Judaism, and many other religions. Many non-Muslims have left in recent decades, leaving relatively small populations of non-Muslims and Muslim minority sects.Now, the rise of Islamist political parties in the Mideast raises questions about the rights and protections such minorities can expect or whether they can expect them at all.

From unrest in the Middle East, to a rising China, to Europe's economic woes, the next Obama administration will face a series of foreign policy challenges. To learn more listen to this month's episode of America Abroad – Obama's Foreign Policy Challenges: The Next 4 Years.

The recent attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi underscored the dangers posed by extremist groups in Libya. But these risks extend beyond Libya, with the rise of jihadist organizations like al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar Dine, and Boko Haram. This month America Abroad takes listeners to Mali, Nigeria, Libya and Kenya to explore Islamism in Africa.

Arabs under thirty drove the region's revolutions, and they have emerged as prominent social and political actors. But with new governments now in power, are youth satisfied with the pace of change? On this month’s episode of America Abroad – Youth in the Arab World: After the Revolution – we travel to Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia to find out.

There is bipartisan consensus that unleashing America's entrepreneurial potential is vital to reviving the economy. Yet, there are many challenges facing today’s entrepreneur, from local regulatory and tax burdens to federal visa restrictions. This month’s episode of America Abroad : "American entrepreneurship in a Global Economy" explores the topic in depth and is part of a four-part series on entrepreneurship.

The next President of the United States may face some very tough foreign policy decisions early in his administration. So it’s important that American voters know where candidates stand on the key issues. From the volatile situation in Syria to the challenges posed by China, host Ray Suarez and our panelists discuss the foreign policy differences and similarities between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.

Mexico isn’t just America’s neighbor. It is also our third-largest trading partner, outpacing Japan, Germany and the UK combined. So what will a change in Mexico’s government mean for the U.S.?

The Middle East is largely Muslim but it’s also the birthplace of Christianity, Judaism, and many other religions. Many non-Muslims have left in recent decades, leaving relatively small populations of non-Muslims and Muslim minority sects.Now, the rise of Islamist political parties in the Mideast raises questions about the rights and protections such minorities can expect or whether they can expect them at all.

As global population grows, so does the demand for water. Yet less than one percent of the planet’s supply is potable, and estimates suggest that 40% of humanity will not have access to clean water by 2025. Explore the complex issues surrounding this precious resource in this month’s episode of America Abroad.

It's been called the most successful alliance in world history. President Obama and fellow leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, are meeting at an important summit in Chicago this month to discuss the future of the alliance.NATO troops have now spent a decade in Afghanistan, and more recently, NATO airpower helped to overthrow Moammar Ghaddafi in Libya. But in the face of economic stress, and war-weary publics in the United States and Europe, how will the alliance move forward?

“Because we have employed so many of the options that are available to us to persuade Iran to take a different course, the window for solving this issue diplomatically is shrinking.” –President Obama during a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron on March 14, 2012Iran’s nuclear ambitions have the world on edge. Because of its reluctance to admit international inspectors, and its progress in enriching uranium, the situation is increasingly tense. A nuclear Iran could lead to a Middle Eastern arms race and destabilize the world’s oil market. But are sanctions and other diplomatic efforts enough to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons?

Across the Arab world, Islamists are the new political power brokers. In elections in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco, Islamists won big. Similar results are expected in Libya, and if the Assad regime falls, they might well emerge on top in Syria too. After decades of repression by secular rulers, Islamists are now poised to transform the region's politics and culture. But it's still not clear what they plan to do with their power, and what that will mean for those who don’t share their views.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:“In the Asia Pacific in the 21st century, the United States of America is all in.”That was President Obama, speaking to the Australian Parliament this past November. As the United States refocuses its foreign policy and sets its sights on Asia, a drama is unfolding in North Korea.The sudden death of Kim Jong-Il and the succession to power of his young and inexperienced son has raised questions about Korea’s future and put the world on edge. What will the leadership change in North Korea mean for the future of America’s relationship with the two Koreas, for denuclearization or the reunification of the Korean peninsula?

PROGRAM OVERVIEW “Make no mistake, our strong presence in the Middle East endures, and the United States will never waver in defense of our allies, our partners, or our interests.”That was President Obama this past December, announcing the end of the Iraq war.But with the US economy lagging, and Americans focused on domestic issues, some of America's closest allies in the Middle East are worried about America's commitment to their defense.From Iraq and Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan, we’ll examine what America's influence and intervention in the Middle East in the past can tell us about America's involvement in the region in the future.Throughout the hour, Ray Suarez speaks with Ken Pollack and Michael Doran about the future of American policy in the Middle East. Ken Pollack is the Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, and Michael Doran is a senior fellow also at the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW “This isn’t just about our pocketbooks...this is about history, it is about war and peace, it’s about Europe’s place on the global stage.”–Charles Kupchan, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign ServiceThe creation of the EU brought along with it peace and affluence. And for a time, Europe appeared destined to become ever more integrated and prosperous. But today, the European debt crisis has made possible what was once inconceivable – the collapse of the euro, and even the unraveling of the European Union itself. We head to front lines of the crisis – Italy and Greece – to ask, ‘How did we get here?’ and what needs to change to bring Europe back from the precipice?

PROGRAM OVERVIEWIn a world that seems increasingly secular, the role of religion remains surprisingly strong. Across the globe, nearly nine out of 10 people say they have some affiliation with religion. Yet, at the same time, conflicts because of religion are on the rise.“People value the ability to practice their own religion more highly than they do the ability of others in their country to practice their religion. So you could call that somewhat of a religious intolerance gap.” –Brian Grim, Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public LifeNearly a third of the world's population faces restrictions on how they worship, risking arrest, imprisonment or even death. This hour, we head to Egypt, Malaysia, China and Russia to examine the religious undercurrents that are sharpening societal divides.

PROGRAM OVERVIEWIt’s become something close to accepted wisdom that the issues on which voters will decide the next election in 2012 will be almost exclusively domestic. But even the most cursory examination of the forces at work in this country today will tell you that what happens beyond American shores will change the way we live our lives over the next four years. Up for discussion this hour: How exactly do voters want the next president to handle affairs in Afghanistan and Iraq? What do Arab-American communities make of the US involvement in the Arab Spring? And – the billion-dollar question – which candidate holds the key to shielding American voters from economic turmoil in Europe?Throughout the hour, Ray Suarez and a panel of experts discuss American perspectives on foreign policy, as the race for 2012 gets underway. The panel includes: Carroll Doherty, Associate Director at the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press; Susan Glasser, Editor in Chief of Foreign Policy Magazine; and Jennifer Rubin, columnist and blogger for The Washington Post.

PROGRAM OVERVIEWThe program examines the history of the region, US policy towards Iraq, and how Iraq will likely function after the fall of Saddam Hussein.Segment 1: Garrick Utley revisits US policy towards the Persian Gulf since the Truman administration, and expores the history of modern Iraq and its foreign policy.Segment 2: Marvin Kalb examines the end of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, as senior members of the first Bush administration reflect on the decision not to extend the war beyond the liberation of Kuwait to include the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime and the possible occupation of Baghdad.Segment 3: Margaret Warner interviews two experts on Iraq about the possible future for Iraq after Saddam Hussein. Guests include Professor Edmund Ghareeb of American University and Professor Amatzia Baram of Haifa University.Segment 4: Steve Roberts moderates a videoconference discussion with students at Khaldunia High School in Islamabad, Pakistan to get their views on the Iraq crisis, US foreign policy after September 11th, and perceptions of America.

PROGRAM OVERVIEWAmerica Abroad examines the 200 year history of America's relationship with Europe, with a look ahead at transatlantic relations following the dispute over the Iraq War, and a look back at the 1956 Suez crisis. The program includes a special conversation with European students.Segment 1: Garrick Utley reviews America's relationship with Europe, beginning with the American Revolution and continuing through the post-Cold War period.Segment 2: Margaret Warner examines the future of transatlantic relations, including an interview with Christoph Bertram of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Ivo Daalder of the Brookings Institution, and Radek Sikorski of the American Enterprise Institute.Segment 3: Former participants, officials and observers in the United States and Europe reflect on the Suez crisis of 1956, a Middle East crisis (with some parallels to today) that appeared to threaten transatlantic relations during the Cold War.Segment 4: Steve Roberts moderates a discussion about Transatlantic relations with European students living in Washington, DC. In the discussion the students share their views on the Iraq crisis, US foreign policy after September 11th, and perceptions of America.Guests on this program include:Christoph Bertram, director of the German Institute for International and Security AffairsIvo Daalder, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former director for European Affairs on the National Security CouncilRadek Sikorski, Former Resident Fellow and Executive Director of the New Atlantic Initiative at the American Enterprise Institute

PROGRAM OVERVIEWAmerica Abroad analyzes the history of America's relationship with Korea before and after the Korean war; the nuclear crisis with North Korea in 1993-1994 that brought the United States to the brink of war; and current expert opinions and citizen attitudes in the United States and South Korea on the future of Korean security and the role of the United States on the peninsula.Segment 1: Garrick Utley provides an archival audio tour of the history of Korean security and America's relationship with the Korean peninsula.Segment 2: Steve Roberts moderates a videoconference discussion with undergraduate students at Korea University. In the lively discussion, students in Seoul share their perceptions of the United States, the US role on the Korean peninsula, and anti-Americanism in Korea.Segment 3: Marvin Kalb reflects on the decisionmaking in the period leading up to the 1994 Framework agreement, and considerations of a possible US pre-emptive strike against North Korea's nuclear facilities.Segment 4: Margaret Warner examines Korean security in the aftermath of the Framework agreement through to the present standoff with North Korea. Guests on this program include:Robert Gallucci, former chief negotiatior with North KoreaJoel Wit, senior advisor to Robert GallucciDonald Gregg, former CIA station chief in Seoul and ambassador to South KoreaAshton Carter, Assistant Secretary of Defense from 1993-94Arnold Kanter, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs from 1991-93Henry Sokolski, Deputy Director for nonproliferation at the Pentagon from 1989-93