From Declaring to Doing? An Examination of Recent Muslim Declarations on Religious Pluralism and Freedom

Abstract

Over the past decade, a series of declarations have been issued by religious and political leaders in the Muslim world in support of religious pluralism and freedom, as well as peaceful coexistence between faiths and civilizations. The distinctively Islamic nature of these narratives—with references to the Qur’an and the example of the Prophet Muhammad—makes them particularly promising for driving positive change in Muslim-majority societies. Nevertheless, specific challenges remain to be addressed, and considerably more work lies ahead.