BJC Blog RSS Feeds
Home arrow Blog arrow New Poll Updates Egyptian Attiudes on Religion, Politics
New Poll Updates Egyptian Attiudes on Religion, Politics E-mail
Written by Don Byrd   
Tuesday, 08 May 2012

A new poll from the Pew Global Attitudes Project finds some change among Egyptians since last year's questioning. One thing that has not moved, however is the question of religious freedom. 50% say it's very important for religious parties to be part of government, the same percentage answering that way a year ago. 38% say religious freedom is very important, compared to 36% last year, still far fewer than believe in press freedom (60%)  or free speech (62%). The number who describe an entwined religion and politics today has risen significantly.

A growing number of Egyptians sees Islam as playing a major role in the political life of the country – 66% currently compared with 47% in 2010. For the most part, those who believe Islam is playing a large role see this as good for the country, but more disagree with that view this year than last. 

 
 
Supreme Court Agrees to Hear City Council Prayer Case
In orders today, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Town of Greece, NY v. Galloway. The decision means the high court will have its say on the hot-button church-state issue of legislative prayer for the first time in 30 years. The 2nd Circuit ruled in Town of Greece that the prayer practic...
 
Arizona Lawmakers Seek to Broaden State RFRA
Arizona's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has been law for several years. The state's RFRA echoes the federal bill of the same name, requiring the government to demonstrate a compelling state interest to justify substantial burdens on religious exercise. Some lawmakers in Arizona ...