US Department of State July-December, 2010 International Religious Freedom Report

all of it here. TURKEY section here.   Quotes: Section I. Religious Demography The country has an area of 301,383 square miles and a population of 77.8 million. According to the government, 99 percent of the population is Muslim, the majority of which is Hanafi Sunni. According to representatives of various religious communities, the actual … Read more

“You’ve got to stop this war in Afghanistan” A good man states before he dies. RIP: Richard C. Holbrooke

Holbrooke the dove from FP Passport by Blake Hounshell The last words of Richard C. Holbrooke, a lion of U.S. diplomacy, were “You’ve got to stop this war in Afghanistan” — a sentence worth pondering as the United States heads into a fresh round of debate over a conflict that has ground on for more … Read more

The Republic is 86

Instead of self-congratulations here how we stand at our human rights record:

Turkey’s dirty stories on display – Hurriyet Daily News and Economic Review

Turkey

Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
October 26, 2009

The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and other laws and policies contributed to the generally free practice of religion; however, constitutional provisions regarding the integrity and existence of the secular state restrict these rights.
The Government generally respected religious freedom in practice. There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom by the Government during the reporting period. The Government continued to impose limitations on Islamic and other religious groups and significant restrictions on Islamic religious expression in government offices and state-run institutions, including universities, for the stated reason of preserving the “secular state.” Authorities continued their broad ban on wearing Islamic religious headscarves in government offices as well as public schools. The Government also continued to oppose “Islamic extremism.” Religious minorities said they were effectively blocked from careers in state institutions because of their faith. Minority religious groups also faced difficulties in worshipping, registering with the Government, and training their followers. Although religious speech and persuasion is legal, some Muslims, Christians, and Baha’is faced some restrictions and occasional harassment for alleged proselytizing.

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