In many cases, Islamic financing requires the lender and borrower to share profits and losses.

VOA: special.2009.12.11

But he points out that this system can make Islamic financing costly.

VOA: special.2009.12.11

Where the U.K.has done it, given active support to it, if Australia wants to position itself as a financial services hub for the Asia-Pacific region, it has to,in my view, embrace Islamic financing too."

VOA: standard.2010.02.15

Islamic financing differs from conventional financing in its adherence to Shariah, or Islamic law, which among other things bans the charging of interest.

WSJ: Malaysia's AMMB Seeks Partner for Insurance Business

One reason for New York's low interest level: European and Asian governments have been eager to change regulations to adapt to and attract Islamic finance--for example, Britain struck down a law that double-taxed homebuyers who used a murabaha, a two-part Islamic financing structure, rather than a mortgage.

FORBES: Contenders For The Crown

El Obeidi also said that extremist militia in Libya were financing militant groups in Mali and al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb as well as providing them with logistical support.

CNN: Algeria attack may have link to Libya camps