A World Spinning Backward

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American Spectator:

America's First Amendment helps safeguard something that is not only precious but rare.

Rather than celebrating the triumph of democratic capitalism, the world appears to be dividing between generally liberal Western-oriented states and a gaggle of authoritarian systems united only in their disdain for individual freedom and dignity -- and not just for democratic politics and free markets. A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion found increasing restrictions on religious liberty between 2006 and 2009.

Two years ago, Pew reported that 70 percent of humanity suffered from either government persecution of or social hostility to religion. Add more moderate restrictions of the sort which Americans would still reject and an incredible 86 percent of the world’s peoples did not enjoy genuine religious liberty.

That trend is growing. According to Pew's new study, "more than 2.2 billion people -- about a third of the world’s population -- live in countries where government restrictions or social hostilities involving religion are increasing. About 1% live in countries where government restrictions or social hostilities are decreasing."

In many cases these restrictions are not minor. Explained Pew: "The number of countries in which governments used at least some measure of force against religious groups or individuals rose from 91 (46%) in the period ending in mid-2008 to 101 (51%) in the period ending in mid-2009. This violence was wide-ranging, including individuals being killed, physically abused, imprisoned, detained or displaced from their homes, as well as damage to or destruction of personal or religious properties."

These are astonishing, and horrifying, findings in what is supposed to be an enlightened age. As much as Americans want to believe that everyone else would be like Americans if given a chance, the so-called Arab Spring so far has matched a desire for political liberation with a preference for religious intolerance. Tyranny may end up being transformed rather than eliminated.

The most serious problem remains countries with Islamic majorities or some provinces with Islamic majorities. Those which suffered increases in government persecution or social attacks included Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Only communist or formerly communist nations demonstrated such rising hostility toward religion.