Senator Ted Cruz targeted Muslim Americans at the recent Republican midterm convention, declaring that Sharia law “has no place in America.” It was part of a broader surge of GOP rhetoric condemning the religious code followed by Muslims in the U.S. and around the world. Muslim American leaders are defending Sharia, comparing it to other religious codes like the Ten Commandments and Jewish law. Sabeel Ahmed, director of an outreach group called GainPeace, travels the U.S. to educate people about Sharia, emphasizing its guidance for living with faith and justice. He and his allies argue that anti-Sharia rhetoric by GOP politicians is a form of fearmongering.

A man initially accused of being a high-profile al-Qaida figure and who was tortured in CIA custody has appeared at a hearing to review his detention. Abu Zubaydah has been held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for 20 years without charges. A government official said Thursday that Zubaydah had “probably” served as one of Osama bin Laden’s most trusted facilitators. Zubaydah was detained after 9/11 and subjected to torture in CIA black sites. His lawyers say he was never in al-Qaida, but they acknowledge he knew bin Laden. They say Zubaydah is no longer a security risk and should be approved for transfer out of Guantanamo.

A building housing displaced Palestinian families has collapsed in Gaza City and killed at least 21 people including 11 children. The structure was heavily damaged during the Israel-Hamas war and there had been warnings about its safety. People remained missing or trapped under the rubble following the collapse Wednesday. Saudi Arabia said that its air defenses intercepted a drone headed toward Mecca late Tuesday. The Houthis have denied targeting Mecca. But the allegation drew widespread condemnation. Officials say Saudi Arabia is reaching out to allies for military help against the Houthis.

Several dozen presidential briefing documents have been declassified on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. These documents detail intelligence gathered about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida leading up to the hijackings that killed nearly 3,000 people and upended American national security. The records trace CIA analysts’ evolving understanding of al-Qaida and their efforts to warn of bin Laden’s attack plotting. CIA Director John Ratcliffe calls Friday's release “an act of exceptional transparency.” The documents include reports from April 1998 to Sept. 12, 2001. They don't appear to break any new ground on the planning of the attacks or on U.S. officials’ understanding of how they had unfolded.