“Muslims around the world express broad support for democracy and for people of other faiths being able to practice their religion freely,” according to a major new survey. “At the same time, many Muslims say religious leaders should influence political …

The United States should give a higher priority to advancing global religious freedom as a matter of national security, says a major new survey. The persecution of people of faith is inherently dangerous because it has the effect of …

The failure of young democracies in so many regions of the world has had enormous consequences, writes Joshua Kurlantzick. Most obviously, the renewed strength of authoritarian rule means that billions of people continue to live under repressive or pseudo-democratic …

An electric fire fault sparked the blaze that killed 13 Muslim youths in an Islamic school in Yangon today, Irrawaddy reports.

“But on the heels of widespread religious and ethnic violence last month, some fear the deaths could add …

The global swing states of Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Turkey are prepared to play a role in promoting human rights and democracy, writes Brookings analyst Ted Piccone. But this is to be done on their own terms: through quiet diplomacy …

The rise of four powerful democracies – Brazil, India, Indonesia and Turkey – could bolster today’s international order. Yet this outcome is far from assured.

The degree to which the four “global swing states,” as this project calls them, …

The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood and resurgence of Wahhabi/Salafi groups in the wake of the Arab awakening highlights the urgent need for “a renaissance of Islamic pluralism, tolerance and critical thinking,” according to two leading commentators.

“What we are …

“It is fashionable these days for Western leaders to praise Indonesia as a model Muslim democracy,” writes Andreas Harsono, citing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s statement, “If you want to know whether Islam, democracy, modernity and women’s …

Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi today said that Burma needs less “euphoria” and more “sustainable, sound aid” as it embarks on a tentative political transition. Her comments came as the resignation of a conservative hardliner – an abrasive figure …

Indonesia’s transition from authoritarianism has been described as democracy’s greatest gain since 1989 and the country has emerged as a key actor in promoting good governance and human rights in Asia. But is democracy regressing in the world’s most important, …