Most progressive Islamic countries?

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6. Turkey's the best example of one...

It's a secular country. As is Indonesia, which is one of the world's most populous Muslim countries. There's probably quite a few countries in South East Asia, that while not being right up there with countries like Sweden and Norway when it comes to being socially progressive, are moving in the right direction, and have been for a while. Now the US has announced it's moving it's attention from the Middle East to Asia, I'm hoping it won't do anything to send things backwards...

What I'd also point out is there's more than a few non-Muslim countries that have appalling records when it comes to equal rights for all regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, but the media and Americans in general have a habit of only focusing on it if they can link it with Islam or Muslims...

As for freedom of religion, just off the top of my head, I've got two examples. Freedom of religion is in the Malaysian Constitution, and the same goes for Indonesia. I'm not sure about this renouncing of religion thing. I'm still technically a Christian, and I'm not aware of how I go about officially resigning from Christianity seeing I'm an Atheist. I'm positive there's plenty of agnostic and atheist Muslims around. I myself know a Muslim who's pretty militant about his atheism

I'm pleased that you've thrown open a discussion down here that you want to be positive and informative, and with one exception so far, I'm seeing that everyone is being constructive and wanting a positive discussion. I'm guessing that the thread I started in H&M on bigotry against minority groups at DU http://www.democraticunderground.com/124019934 may have been one of the discussions yr referring to, and I just wanted to make sure you knew that the reasons for the concerns I have about anti-Muslim bigotry being allowed at DU isn't talking about stuff where someone is actually criticising the treatment of women or gays in some Islamic countries, but stuff where the topic is American Muslims and someone comes along and talks about them not being like Americans. Or when the one DUer I've seen banned so far for anti-Muslim comments is congratulated in the thread for what they said by another DUer. They're the people I'm talking about, not someone like you who wants to learn about Islam and bigotry against Muslims and unlike a few other DUers has never said anything to give any indication that you would be bigoted towards Muslims...