The Intersection of International Religious Freedom and Global Counterinsurgency

Below is the first paragraph to an article I wrote about religious freedom. If you would like to read the entire article please send me an email. I hope to have it published soon. If you have read it please post comments.

Democracy is hard. Many in the foreign policy community have correctly noted that democracies are more stable and less likely to start wars with their neighbors. In the Bush Administration democracy promotion was a major focus of American foreign policy and a key element in the fight against religiously inspired violence globally. However, events such as the free election of Hamas by the Palestinians or the growth of “independent” legislators aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt show the dangers and unintended consequences of blanket democracy promotion. This essay will argue that America should promote religious freedom first, thereby setting a firm foundation for further democracy development. It will also discuss how military professionals, as agents of US foreign policy, should promote religious freedom in order to help drain support away from religious radicals in the global counterinsurgency.