News and Analysis (4/27/2007)

Turkish Parliament most likely to vote in first Islamic-oriented president since the founding of the secular republic:

• Turkish Parliament to Select President (Associated Press)

Saudi Arabia completes massive preemptory crackdown on alleged terrorists plotting attacks on “‘public figures, oil facilities, refineries … and military zones’”:

• Saudis Arrest 172 in Alleged Terror Plot (Associated Press)

High profile US aid to support democracy and human rights activists have created fear in the Iranian government, prompting massive crackdown on the people meant to be helped:

• U.S. Aid Compromising Iranian Rights Activists (Washington Post)

Though some of Ahmadinejad’s rhetoric shows that sometimes they live a fine line between faith and politics, Iran’s Jewish community still find themselves living in peaceful coexistence with their Muslim neighbors and facing many similar problems:

• In Ahmadinejad’s Iran, Jews Still Find a Space (Christian Science Monitor)

With a 25% drop in executions, significant changes have been made in Pakistan’s penal system, however many more reforms are needed as it still has the most number of prisoners facing execution in the world:

• Pakistan ‘Tops Death Row League’ (BBC News)

 Seeing their rising market potential, advertisers begin courting American-Muslims:

• Rewriting the Ad Rules for Muslim-Americans (New York Times)

Alejandro

Alejandro Beutel is program assistant for the Minaret of Freedom Institute with expertise in religious freedom, democratization and security issues.