Promoting religious liberty has long been sidelined by policymakers as a niche concern, but its importance cannot be understated. The possibility to believe and disbelieve empowers people to think critically for themselves, arriving at a conviction as a matter of choice, as opposed to coercion. A society that respects religious liberty also allows diverse claims of truth to compete beside one another, creating an atmosphere of civil debate, transparency, and respect.
The modern doctrine of religious liberty may have been incubated in America, but there are ample precedents for it in the Islamic world. The Quran famously decrees, "There is no compulsion in religion," and medieval Muslim societies were generally far more tolerant of religious minorities than their counterparts in Western Europe. Today's Muslim world, however, is sadly lacking in religious freedom: according to a 2009 Pew Forum report, seven of the top 10 countries with the greatest government restrictions on religion are predominantly Muslim, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Malaysia.
When discussing the issue, there is a common misconception that religious freedom is important only for Christian missionaries operating in Muslim countries. In fact, the individuals who face the gravest threats are often Muslims themselves. The mechanisms of control are both overt and subtle, including government agencies that screen sermons, clerical police who enforce state-sanctioned interpretations of Islamic law, and widespread permissiveness of mob violence aimed at punishing "nonconformists."
