In 2020, Indonesia recorded the largest population of Muslims worldwide, with around 239 million. This was followed with around 226.88 million Muslims in Pakistan and 213 million Muslims in India.

The average for 2013 based on 128 countries was 34.3 percent. The highest value was in Algeria: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Angola: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2013. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In 2024, Nigeria had the largest Muslim population in Africa, with around 105 million people who belonged to an Islamic denomination. Egypt and Algeria followed with 90.4 million and 39.4 million Muslims, respectively. Muslims have a significant presence in Africa, with an estimated 50 percent of the continent's population identifying as Muslim. The spread of Islam in Africa began in the 7th century with the arrival of Arab traders, and it continued through Islamic scholars and missionaries.

Associated with manuscript titled: Fifty Muslim-majority countries have fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than the 50 richest non-Muslim countriesThe objective of this research was to determine the difference in the total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths between Muslim-majority and non-Muslim countries, and investigate reasons for the disparities. Methods: The 50 Muslim-majority countries had more than 50.0% Muslims with an average of 87.5%. The non-Muslim country sample consisted of 50 countries with the highest GDP while omitting any Muslim-majority countries listed. The non-Muslim countries’ average percentage of Muslims was 4.7%. Data pulled on September 18, 2020 included the percentage of Muslim population per country by World Population Review15 and GDP per country, population count, and total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths by Worldometers.16 The data set was transferred via an Excel spreadsheet on September 23, 2020 and analyzed. To measure COVID-19’s incidence in the countries, three different Average Treatment Methods (ATE) were used to validate the results. Results published as a preprint at https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/84zq5(15) Muslim Majority Countries 2020 [Internet]. Walnut (CA): World Population Review. 2020- [Cited 2020 Sept 28]. Available from: http://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/muslim-majority-countries (16) Worldometers.info. Worldometer. Dover (DE): Worldometer; 2020 [cited 2020 Sept 28]. Available from: http://worldometers.info

This statistic shows the estimated number of Muslims living in different European countries as of 2016. Approximately **** million Muslims were estimated to live in France, the most of any country listed. Germany and the United Kingdom also have large muslim populations with **** million and **** million respectively.

Islam is the major religion in many African countries, especially in the north of the continent. In Comoros, Libya, Western Sahara, at least 99 percent of the population was Muslim as of 202. These were the highest percentages on the continent. However, also in many other African nations, the majority of the population was Muslim. In Egypt, for instance, Islam was the religion of 79 percent of the people. Islam and other religions in Africa Africa accounts for an important share of the world’s Muslim population. As of 2019, 16 percent of the Muslims worldwide lived in Sub-Saharan Africa, while 20 percent of them lived in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Together with Christianity, Islam is the most common religious affiliation in Africa, followed by several traditional African religions. Although to a smaller extent, numerous other religions are practiced on the continent: these include Judaism, the Baha’i Faith, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Number of Muslims worldwide Islam is one of the most widespread religions in the world. There are approximately 1.9 billion Muslims globally, with the largest Muslim communities living in the Asia-Pacific region. Specifically, Indonesia hosts the highest number of Muslims worldwide, amounting to over 200 million, followed by India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Islam is also present in Europe and America. The largest Islamic communities in Europe are in France (5.72 million), Germany (4.95 million), and the United Kingdom (4.13 million). In the United States, there is an estimated number of around 3.45 million Muslims.

The project had two main dimensions: the first is theoretical and the second is empirical, focusing on three case studies (Moscow, Tatarstan and Dagestan). The theoretical aspect of the project examines two main sets of questions: First, how the general concepts of extremism and moderation, and the associated concept of radicalization, are understood in the Russian context. How is radicalization linked to identity politics(ethnicity, nationalism and religion) and radical ideological movements? Second, how these concepts - moderation, extremism, and radicalization- applied in discourses and policies towards Muslim communities in Russia? What are the presumed internal and external influences? What are the comparisons and links with elite discourse in other European countries with significant Muslim communities, such as UK and France? The empirical aspect of the project examines how these general concepts and approaches help to illuminate and explains developments in regions of Russian where there exist sizeable Muslim communities. The three case studies chosen include a) the city of Moscow, where it is estimated that there are 1-2 million Muslims, representing at least 10% of the population; b) Tatarstan, which has an ethnic Tatar Muslim plurality and which is often taken to be the best example of the influence of moderate Islam; c) Dagestan, which is regularly taken to be the region with the greatest potential danger, apart form Chechnya, of Islamic radicalization. The dataset was originally intended to include transcriptions of elite interviews which would have been in the format of elite interview-audio files. However, as we warned might be the case, it did not prove possible to gain consent to recording the interviews. This project investigates the causes of Islamic radicalisation within Russia and their consequences for Russia's relevant domestic policies (for example ethnic, regional, immigration policies, and domestic democratisation), as well as its foreign policy response towards the Muslim world in the context of the global 'War on Terror'. There are four principal research questions:(1) How Russian policy-making and academic elites conceptualise the idea of 'radicalisation' and political violence. (2) How these discourses are translated into state practice and policy. (3) How these state-driven practices feed or undermine underlying processes of radicalisation. (4) How Russia's domestic context of combating radicalisation drives its foreign policy. The project methodology includes a discourse analysis of academic and journalistic writings and three regional case studies of Russian state policy towards Islam (Moscow, Tatarstan and Dagestan). Each case study relies on discourse analysis of public and media approaches, content analysis of relevant legal and state policy documents, and semi-structured elite interviews. The project co-ordinators will work with local institutes in Russia and will invite scholars from these institutes to the UK as research fellows. The project findings will be disseminated by four journal articles, policy briefings and a co-authored monograph. The interviews were in semi-structured format. Unfortunately, consent was not obtained for audio recording of the interviews. There were 20 principal interviews with Russian elites in academia and politics and among Muslim communities in Russia; in Moscow, Tatarstan and Dagestan.

Mali is a predominantly Muslim country with 94.84 percent of the population belonging to Islam. Of that 94.84 percent, only 0.8 percent is Shi’a versus the greater majority of Sunni Muslims in the country. While most of the population is Muslim, a small minority practice other religions as well; 2.37 percent Christianity, 2.02 percent Animist, 0.04 percent Other, 0.45 percent Atheist/Agnostic, and 0.28 percent Undeclared. Of the 2.37 percent of Christians in Mali, the majority of those are Roman Catholic.

Historically in Mali there has been a large diversity of religious beliefs and practices that not only coexisted but often intermingled. Malians have shown a great tolerance for other beliefs and typically do not let disagreements over religion escalate into violent actions. Many in Mali, especially in more rural areas, will mix Islam with traditional African practices from the region. While Muslim scholars see this as not only non-Islamic but also unlawful in nature, those that practice this mixture of religious beliefs do not view it as wrong. Because of the geography of Mali, there is a large mixture of ethnic groups and tribes in the south. As a consequence, it is in this region where most of these alternative belief systems can be found.

While religious pluralism and tolerance has been a common theme in Mali, the introduction of terrorist and extremist groups in the north has created a push by those groups for fundamental Islam and Sharia Law. This has disrupted the normal religious harmony in Mali. The presence of groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), Ansar Dine, and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) are causing issues for many in the northern areas because of the prevalence of hybrid forms Islam mixed with traditional African beliefs. The violence and enforcement of Sharia Law by such groups is causing significant numbers of people to flee to the southern regions of Mali.

According to a survey conducted in selected Middle Eastern countries in February to March 2022, 74 percent of all Muslim respondents are agreeing that Ramadan is the time to find the best deals. The share of Muslim respondents agreeing to Ramadan as the best time to find good deals are the highest in the United Arab Emirates, with a share of 87 percent respondents.

This article examines portrayals of Muslim women in US news media. I test two hypotheses derived from theories of gendered orientalism. First, US news coverage of women abroad is driven by confirmation bias. Journalists are more likely to report on women living in Muslim and Middle Eastern countries if their rights are violated but report on women in other societies when their rights are respected. Second, stories about Muslim women emphasize the theme of women's rights violations and gender inequality, even for countries with relatively good records of women's rights. Stories about non-Muslim women, on the other hand, emphasize other topics. I test these hypotheses on data from thirty-five years of New York Times and Washington Post reporting using a structural topic model along with statistical analysis. The results suggest that US news media propagate the perception that Muslims are distinctly sexist. This, in turn, may shape public attitudes toward Muslims, as well as influence policies that involve Muslims at home and abroad.

In December 2006, Environics Research conducted a major national survey of Muslims and multiculturalism in Canada, as part of its ongoing syndicated FOCUS CANADA research program. The research consisted of two national telephone public opinion surveys: - National survey with a representative sample of 2,045 Canadians (18 years plus) - National survey with a representative sample of 500 Muslims living in Canada The focus of this research is on the presence and experience of Muslims in this country, and draws direct comparisons with similar research conducted in 13 other countries by the Pew Research Center (many of the same research questions were used to provide for direct country-to-country comparisons). The Pew research included Muslim over-samples in Great Britain, France, Germany and Spain. Some of the topics covered in this research: General Public: - General attitudes about immigration in Canada - Personal contact with different ethnic groups (including Muslims) - Perceived discrimination against ethnic groups - General attitudes towards Muslims - Concerns about Muslims and terrorism - Islamic identity and extremism among Muslims - Integration of Muslims and other ethnic minorities into Canadian society - Canadian foreign policy and the mission in Afghanistan Muslims - Experience of being Muslim in Canada - Concern about the future of Muslims in Canada - Self identification within the Muslim community - The role and rights of women in ethnic communities - Islamic identity and extremism among Muslims - Integration of Muslims and other ethnic minorities into Canadian society - Canadian foreign policy and the mission in Afghanistan Please note, the cases in this dataset are comprised only of Muslim respondents. Data from the other component of this survey - the survey of the general population - may be found in the dataset titled "EFC064." Environics Focus Canada - Survey of Muslims in Canada (Dec 2006) Study Overview: http://queensu.ca/cora/_files/Environics%20Muslims%20in%20Canada%20-%20Overview.pdf Environics Focus Canada - Survey of Muslims in Canada (Dec 2006) Methodology: http://queensu.ca/cora/_files/Methodology%20for%20Survey%20of%20Muslims.pdf Copyright (c) 2007 - Environics Research Group

Religion and Bangladesh

Religion in Bangladesh is a sensitive issue, mostly because Bangladesh is officially a secular state but recognizes Islam as an official, state religion. Historically and doctrinally, Islamic scholars don’t accept nations that are secular because they think that religion, society and private life are all part of the great community they like to call ‘umma’.

The main religion in Bangladesh is Islam because it is practiced by almost 90 percent of the country’s population. The rest of 10 percent adhere to Hinduism. The type of Islam that is practiced in Bangladesh is Sunni Islam with a lot of Sufi influences. Sunni is the most numerous branch of Islam in the world. Countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have Sunni majority populations. The Sufi practices that influence the Islamic religion in Bangladesh are commonly known as mysticism. Sufi followers are poor men that don’t eat, don’t drink and spend their days in deep prayer in order to achieve spiritual connection with God.

Bangladesh has the fourth largest Muslim population in the world, with over 130 million followers, right after Indonesia, Pakistan and India. In its constitution, Bangladesh is recognized as a secular state. For a short period of time, when Bangladesh was under Pakistani rule, Islam was made the state’s official religion. But the Supreme Court or High Court of Bangladesh ruled that Bangladesh must return to the principles of the 1972 constitution, meaning that it mustn’t have an official religion.

The problem with Islam gaining too much power in Bangladesh is that it unbalances the genders issues. Islamic edicts or fatwas have been issued mostly against women by religious courts as punishments for their nonreligious behavior. Global NGO’s are fighting such edicts in order to maintain a fair judgment when it comes to men and women. Bangladesh is a country where gender issues, as well as religious issues are very sensitive subjects.

This dataset contains the Arab West Report special reports published in the year 2003. The majority of the material in this dataset focuses on in depth analysis of Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt, however, Judaism is also the subject of a great deal of analysis in these reports. A number of the reports address relations between religious minorities such as 'dhimmi' status, and the complex relationship between national identity and religious identity. A number of reports are also media critique, a staple of AWR’s work.The AWR reports in this dataset also describe the early work of AWR, and introduce several of its early board members and affiliates. Authors include:- Cornelis Hulsman, Drs.- Sunni M. Khalid- Jeff Adams (Dr. Rev.)- Larry F. Levine (Dr.)- Victor M. Ordonez- Michael Reimer (Dr.)- Wolfram Reiss, (Rev. Dr.)- Johanna Pink (Dr.)- Nirmīn Fawzī- Hedda Klip- Munīr Hannā Anīs Armanius (Bishop)- Cassandra Chambliss- Adam Hannestad- David Weaver- Konrad Knolle (Rev.)- Usamah Wadi‘ al-Ahwani- Marjam Van Oort- Nawal al-Sa‘dawi- M.E. van Gent- Subhi ‘Uwaydah, (Rev. Dr.)- Andreas Van Agt, (Dr.)Institutional authors include AWR Editorial Board, AWR Board of Advisors, Center for the Study of Christianity in Islamic Lands (CSCIL), and EKD Presservice. All reports are written in English, though some reports feature Arabic text or cite Arabic sources.Team including job titles:Sparks, MA M.R. (Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Translation (CIDT))Adams, Rev.Dr. J. (Religious News Service from the Arab-World (RNSAW))Levine, Dr. L.Khalid, S.Reimer, Dr. M. (American University in Cairo)Ordonez, Dr. V.Reiss, Rev. Dr. W.Pink, Dr. J.Fawzi, N. (Religious News Service from the Arab World (RNSAW))Klip, Rev. H. (Swiss Reformed Church)Hannā Anīs Armanius, Bishop M. (Episcopal Church)Chambliss, C. (Intern-Center for Arab-West Understanding (CAWU))Hannestad, A.Weaver, D. (Church World Service, USA)Knolle, Rev. K. (German Reformed Church in Cairo)Al-Ahwani, U. (Religious News Service from the Arab-World (RNSAW))Oort, M. Van (Roos Foundation)Al-Sa'adawi, N.Gent, M.E. VanUwaydah, Rev. Dr. S. (Coptic Evangelical Church Ismailia, Egypt)van Agt, Dr. A.EKD Press ServiceCenter for the Study of Christianity in Islamic Lands (CSCIL)AWR Editorial BoardAWR Board of AdvisorsHulsman, Drs. C. Mr. (Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Translation This Thematic Collection contains links to the datasets of the Stichting Arab-West Foundation (AWF), in The Netherlands in close cooperation with the Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Translation (CIDT). These datasets cover the period 1994-2016. The data consists of the reporting of Dutch sociologist Cornelis Hulsman, reporting supervised by him, full-transcript interviews, audio recordings and summaries of these audio recordings.The Arab-West Foundation was established in 2005 to support the work of Cornelis Hulsman and his wife Eng. Sawsan Gabra Ayoub Hulsman-Khalil in Egypt. Cornelis Hulsman left The Netherlands for Egypt in October 1994. Sawsan Hulsman followed suit in 1995. They focused primarily on the study of Muslim-Christian relations and the role of religion in society in Egypt and neighboring countries, while obtaining their income from journalism.The purpose of this work was to foster greater understanding between Muslims and Christians in Egypt and to show non-Egyptians that relations between the two faiths in Egypt cannot be described in reductive black and white terms, rather they are diverse and complicated. Working towards mutual understanding of different cultures and beliefs helps to reduce tensions and conflicts. Too often, parties present themselves as the victim of the other which results in biased reporting. Sometimes this is done deliberately to gain support. What is lacking in cases like this, is an in-depth understanding of the wider context in which narratives of victimization occur. Hulsman found several patterns that are key to understanding Muslim-Christian relations in Egypt such as- the impact of a culture of honor and shame and- aversion in traditional areas for visible changes in public (which includes church buildings and making one’s conversion to another religion public).The datasets also include material on the place of Islamists in society, as well as wider information about Egyptian society since this is the context in which religious numerical minorities in Egypt live (the term minority is widely rejected in Egypt since all Egyptians, regardless of religion, are one. But in terms of numbers Christians are a minority).It was Hulsman’s ambition to obtain a PhD but the challenges of making a living in Egypt prevented him from accomplishing this goal. Up until the year 2001, Cornelis only had an income from traditional media reporting. After 2004 he became largely dependent upon working with Kerk in Actie (Netherlands), Missio and Misereor (Germany).Hulsman was dedicated towards non-partisan Muslim-Christian understanding. This began starting with a large number of recorded interviews, followed by research into why so many Christian girls convert to Islam (1995-1996). This work in turn led to the creation of an electronic newsletter called Religious News Service from the Arab World (RNSAW) and a growing number of investigative reports. In 2003 the RNSAW was renamed Arab-West Report. In 2004 they attempted to establish an Egyptian NGO but since no answer was obtained from authorities, the procedure was taken to the Council of State who ruled in 2006 that the request for NGO status was valid. This in turn resulted in a formal registration of the NGO with the Ministry of Social Solidarity in 2007. Because the outcome of this process was insecure in 2005 the Hulsmans established the Center for Intercultural Dialogue and Translation (CIDT) . CIDT was established as a tawsiya basita (sole proprietorship) on the name of Sawsan Gabra Ayoub Khalil since it was extremely complicated to do this on the name of a non-Egyptian. In the same year friends of the Hulsman family established the Arab-West Foundation (AWF). CIDT tawsiya basita was closed in 2012. A new company was established under the same name but now as limited liability company and again it was not possible for Cornelis Hulsman to become a partner.As a consequence the Hulsmans have been working since 2005 with an Egyptian company and a Dutch support NGO. Since 2007 they have also been working with an Egyptian NGO. This was important, since Egyptian law prohibits companies from receiving donations and carrying out not-for-profit work. NGOs, on the other hand, need to request permissions from the Ministry of Social Solidarity for each donation they receive. Such permissions are hard to obtain.CIDT functions as a thinktank with funding from Kerk in Actie (Netherlands), Missio and Misereor (Germany) and at times projects with other organizations. CIDT produces the electronic newsletter Arab-West Report and has built the Arab West Report Database based on these data. Publication of this data is accomplished through the Arab-West Foundation since it turned out to be extremely hard to register Arab-West Report in Egypt. CAWU became the prime organization hosting student interns from Egypt and countries all over the world, which was possible since CAWU does not charge student interns for its services and neither pays them for any work carried out. Student interns have been contributing on a volunteer basis to the database of Arab-West Report, writing articles and papers and being engaged in social media under the supervision of Cornelis Hulsman. Other student interns contributed to summary translations of Arabic media, always supervised by a professional translator of CIDT.CAWU has been promoting intercultural dialogue through a variety of programs including meetings and forums with community members, religious leaders and politicians from Egypt and the West. CAWU's aim is to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between Arab and Western communities by exposing biased media reporting and informing the public and important persons on complicated issues.- Availability -AWF's datasets are available to researchers upon request. Please go to the dataset you wish to download and request permission via the button 'Request Permission' on the tab 'Datafiles'. AWF will respond to your request.

This survey was conducted by Zogby International from March 4 - April 2, 2002 in 10 countries. The goals of the poll were: To determine how adults in Arab and Muslim/non-Arab countries feel about specific items relative to the American people and culture To ascertain whether or not these adults differentiate between their feelings toward the American people and culture, on one side, and American policy in the Middle East region.

Japan's halal tourism industry is expected to have great growth, from 2025 to 2035, mainly because of more Muslim tourist arrivals seeking services compliant with their religion, the growing Muslim population in Japan, and the efforts of the country to become an even more welcoming destination for Muslim travelers.

With a market size slated to reach USD 598.9 Million in 2025, Japan's halal tourism market will grow at a CAGR of 5.5% and will reach 1,021.8 Million by 2035. The demand for travel options that are halal-friendly, such as halal food, prayer facilities, and accommodations that are culturally sensitive, has widely triggered the country's tourism infrastructures, positioning Japan as a future key destination for traveling Muslims from all around the globe.

For this survey, opinions were sought from respondents across Europe and the United States on several topics of national and international interest. These topics included: (1) the European Union (EU) and the United States as superpowers, threats facing the global community, (2) the United Nations (UN), (3) the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), (4) general opinions of various countries, institutions, and people, (5) actions taken by the George W. Bush Administration, (6) intervention policy, (7) Turkey's (potential) membership in the EU, (8) Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, (9) China's human rights record, and (10) political preferences and voter intentions. Regarding the EU and the United States as superpowers, respondents were asked whether it was desirable for the EU or the United States to exert strong leadership in the world, whether the EU or the United States or neither should be superpowers, if the motive for opposing the EU becoming a superpower was increased military expenditure, whether increased military expenditure was necessary for the EU to become a superpower, whether the EU should concentrate on becoming an economic power, and if a more powerful EU should cooperate with the United States. Respondents were asked about threats facing the world such as Islamic fundamentalism, immigration, international terrorism, global warming, the spread of diseases such as AIDS, a major economic downturn, and the spread of nuclear weapons, and whether they expected to be affected by any of them in the next ten years. With respect to the United Nations, respondents were asked their overall opinion of the UN, whether they believed UN involvement legitimized the use of military force, whether the UN could help manage the world's problems better than a single country could, and whether the UN helps to distribute the costs of international actions. Regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), respondents were asked whether NATO could help share the United States military burden, whether NATO was an essential part of national security, if NATO involvement legitimized the use of military force, if NATO was dominated by the United States, and whether Europe should maintain a defensive alliance independent of the United States. Respondents were asked to give their opinions on the following countries, institutions, and population groups: the United States, Russia, Israel, the European Union, Palestinians, Italy, Turkey, China, Iran, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Spain. In regard to the Bush Administration, respondents were asked whether relations between the United States and Europe were better or worse, whether Bush's efforts to improve relations between the United States and Europe were successful, what the future of relations between the United States and Europe would be because of Bush's efforts, and whether or not Europe should be more independent from the United States with respect to issues of security and diplomacy. Respondents were also asked whether they approved of Bush's handling of international policies. With respect to intervention policy, the following questions were asked: should the EU help establish democracies, should the EU be involved in monitoring elections, would the respondent be in favor of the EU supporting trade unions, human rights associations, and religious groups in an effort to promote freedom, and should the EU support political dissidents and impose political and economic sanctions in opposition to an authoritarian regime. Respondents were asked several questions regarding Turkey's membership in the EU, including whether Turkey's membership in the EU could help promote peace and stability in the Middle East, if Turkey's membership in the EU would be good for the EU in economic terms, whether a predominately Muslim country belonged in the EU, if Turkey was too populous to become a member of the EU, and whether Turkey was too poor to be admitted into the EU. Respondents were also asked what they felt was the best way to put pressure on Iran in light of its attempts to acquire nuclear weapons and whether or not the EU should limit its relations with China due to China's human rights violations. Respondents were also asked about their voting intentions for the next elections and what factors they took into consideration when deciding for which party to vote. The dat

BackgroundDespite the availability of effective HPV vaccines, their acceptance in Islamic countries is often influenced by religious beliefs, practices, and misconceptions.ObjectiveThis review aimed to identify the current literature on the religious beliefs and any misconceptions toward HPV vaccine acceptance within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries.MethodUsing key terms, a systematic search in MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL yielded 23 studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The scope of this review included all research articles published in English until October 31, 2023. A form based on the aim of the study was developed and used to extract the data.ResultsThe review highlights the complexity of the relationship between religious beliefs and HPV vaccine uptake. The findings reveal significant objections among a number of Muslims. Some of them believe vaccines lead to infertility and sexual promiscuity, defy religious norms, are a sneaky way to inject good Muslims with haram ingredients, and are an abandonment of righteous principles in general.ConclusionsVaccine hesitancy is a result of doubts regarding the vaccine’s safety, necessity, and compatibility with religious beliefs. It is recommended to encourage HPV vaccine uptake in Islamic countries by using public health strategies that adopt a holistic approach that incorporates religious, cultural, and social aspects.

Culturalists claim that political outcomes, such as respect for human rights, are deeply rooted in culture. Some have singled out Islam as particularly problematic. We assess whether Muslim societies suffer higher levels of political terror compared to others. Our results show that countries containing larger shares of Catholics, and those dominated by Catholics, fare the worst. The share of the population Muslim and Membership in the Organization of the Islamic Conference predicts lower levels of political terror. Claims about the uniqueness of Islam for accounting for political repression seem to be exaggerated. Consistent with the findings on religion and democracy, our results indicate that it is the Arab region, not religion that matters, but Latin America shows the largest impact. Substantively, political and economic factors matter a whole lot more than do the variables on religion. This is good news for policy that seeks to end the scourge of political repression.

IntroductionAlthough the number of people receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Indonesia has increased in recent years, little is known about the specific characteristics affecting adherence in this population. Indonesia is different from most of its neighbors given that it is a geographically and culturally diverse country, with a large Muslim population. We aimed to identify the current rate of adherence and explore factors that influence ART adherence.MethodsData were collected from ART-prescribed outpatients on an HIV registry at a North Jakarta hospital in 2012. Socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics were explored as factors associated with adherence using logistics regression analyses. Chi squared test was used to compare the difference between proportions. Reasons for missing medication were analyzed descriptively.ResultsTwo hundred and sixty-one patients participated, of whom 77% reported ART adherence in the last 3 months. The level of social support experienced was independently associated with adherence where some social support (p = 0.018) and good social support (p = 0.039) improved adherence compared to poor social support. Frequently cited reasons for not taking ART medication included forgetting to take medication (67%), busy with something else (63%) and asleep at medication time (60%).DiscussionThis study identified that an increase in the level of social support experienced by ART-prescribed patients was positively associated with adherence. Social support may minimize the impact of stigma among ART prescribed patients. Based on these findings, if social support is not available, alternative support through community-based organizations is recommended to maximize treatment success.

Muslims residing in Oslo, Norway will be fasting in the middle of the month of Ramadan for a total of ** hours and ** minutes, between the times of **** am and **** pm. During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, observing Muslims worldwide abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual activities from sunrise to sunset.RamadanThe Islamic calendar is based on the lunar year; therefore, it is ten days shorter than the Gregorian solar calendar. Thus, Ramadan will take place from the 1st to the 29th of March 2025. The fasting hours are calculated from dusk until dawn of each day for the whole of the month of Ramadan. Differing fasting times in different places result from the fact that the length of each day varies based on the latitude of each location and changes each day due to the Earth's orbit around the sun. However, there might be slight interpretational differences between different schools of thought and branches of Islam. Muslim worldAccording to the latest estimations there are over *** billion Muslims worldwide. It is estimated that that by 2026 the Muslim population will increase to over **** billion narrowing the gap with Christianity, whose community is projected to grow to just over ***** billion by then. The majority of Muslims worldwide are located in Asia, though it is only a quarter of the continent’s population.