One of the central tenets of liberalism is the separation of church and state, a position which is not held by many countries. The most obvious countries that reject that principle are Islamic states, such as Iran, that adhere to the principle that all laws must conform to religious principles, a position that is identified in liberal states as adherence to sharia law. There are many states with substantial Muslim populations that also believe in sharia law but which profess to be secular. The Pew Research Center has conducted a poll in some of those countries and the results indicate a wide range of views within the domestic populations.
The agony in Syria continues as bombings destroyed a pediatric hospital in the city of Aleppo. The hospital was partially staffed by Doctors without Borders and was in an area of the city held by rebels opposed to the government of President Assad. No one took responsibility for the attack, but it seems likely that the government was responsible given that the area was not under its control. But it is hard to tell: there seems to be nothing more than savage killing going on.
The Chinese Parliament has passed new laws governing the behavior of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China. The laws, which take effect next year, grant “broad powers to police to question NGO workers, monitor their finances, regulate their work and shut down offices.” It is not clear how the laws will be applied, but they have the potential to restrict severely the growth of civil society in China. Without the ability to forge alliances with citizens of other countries, the Chinese people will be completely dependent upon the good will of their government.
World Politics News 
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