Failed States and Religious Freedom

The journal Foreign Policy has a report on the increasing problem of failed states, a problem that is the most conspicuous symptom of the worldwide crisis of culture in the midst of which we are now living. The report includes this comment and this very instructive graphic:

Freedom of worship may be a cornerstone of democracy, but it may also be a key indicator of stability. Vulnerable states display a greater degree of religious intolerance, according to scores calculated by the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom. Persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh, Burma, Iran, and Uzbekistan has deprived millions of faithful of the freedom to follow their beliefs. But religious repression is often nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to muzzle the country’s civil society.

Double-click the image to see it enlarged. It says a great deal about our current situation.