Study: 24 nations have ‘very high’ government restrictions on religion
January 15, 2014
The number of nations with “very high” government restrictions on religion rose from 20 in 2011 to 24 in 2012, according to a new study published by the Pew Research Center. Most of these nations are Muslim, Communist, or formerly Communist states.
76% of the world’s population now lives in nations with “high” or “very high” government restrictions on religions.
In addition, “the share of countries with a high or very high level of social hostilities involving religion reached a six-year peak in 2012,” according to the report. “The sharpest increase was in the Middle East and North Africa, which still is feeling the effects of the 2010-11 political uprisings known as the Arab Spring.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: jg23753479 -
Jan. 15, 2014 7:30 AM ET USA
Of the 24 countries mentioned in the headline--are you sitting down?--something like five-sixths are...Muslim. The report itself is so loaded with stats that it is difficult to follow. But, even at that, what emerges clearly from it is this fact: remove one religion from the mix, Mohammedanism, and instances of worldwide religious hostilities plummet. For anyone who has read the Koran and thought for one moment about its "teachings", the reason for this is painfully evident.
