This page gathers the evidence included in the study as direct documentation. The page numbers here are taken from the PDF/OCR files in the atlas library, and are treated as internal reference pointers rather than a substitute for printed editions in academic work.

Evidence Table

AxisSource and locationWhat the evidence establishesDegree of relevance
Freedom and human rightsThe State and Society, PDF p. 11Links pluralism and human rights as a single structure in the state and society.Strong
Civil stateThe State and Society, PDF p. 16Makes the civil state based on party pluralism and freedom of expression.Strong
Constitutional jurisprudenceThe State and Society, PDF p. 18Identifies the absence of constitutional jurisprudence and institutions guaranteeing freedom of opinion and opposition.Strong
Freedom of beliefThe State and Society, PDF pp. 134-135Reads the negation of coercion in religion as support for freedom of choice, and links state intervention in people’s choices to social backwardness.Very strong
Constitution and lawThe State and Society, PDF pp. 234-237Defines the constitution as the framework for the structure of the state and the basis of public freedoms, distinguishing it from ordinary law.Strong
Freedom of opinionThe State and Society, PDF p. 300Makes freedom of opinion constitutionally guaranteed, and makes law a regulator of practice, not a source for granting or denying freedom.Very strong
CitizenshipIslam and Human Beings, PDF pp. 132-134Reads citizenship as loyalty to the homeland and law within a system of rights and duties that does not negate other affiliations.Strong
Citizenship and rightsIslam and Human Beings, PDF p. 134Links the state of citizenship to equality among citizens in rights and duties and to the guarantee of rights and freedoms.Very strong
Citizenship and the civil stateReligion and Authority, PDF pp. 352-354Makes the civil, democratic, constitutional state a guarantor of the rights of all members of society without religious, ethnic, gender, or intellectual discrimination.Very strong
Social contractReligion and Authority, PDF p. 385Builds the state on a social contract between citizens and authority, and makes elections and the rotation of power the route to governance.Strong
Non-discriminationReligion and Authority, PDF p. 385Affirms equality of citizens in rights and duties, and rejects discrimination on the basis of religion, nationality, or race.Very strong
Separation of powersReligion and Authority, PDF p. 386Makes the separation of powers a basic principle of the state, and prevents the executive and judiciary from exercising legislation.Strong
Freedom of organization and oppositionReligion and Authority, PDF p. 386Links party pluralism and the freedom of parties, newspapers, and unions to the citizen’s right in the public sphere.Strong
No coercion in personal lifeReligion and Authority, PDF p. 386Rejects coercive intervention by state authority in individuals’ religious, cultural, intellectual, and political life.Strong
Human rights systemDrying Up the Sources of Terrorism, OCR p. 245Invokes the human rights system issued by the United Nations in the context of preserving religion and freedom.Strong, needs textual review

What has become established

  • There are direct textual evidences that make freedom a rights-based entry point, not a general slogan.
  • There is strong support for the constitution, law, separation of powers, and citizenship.
  • Citizenship in Shahrur is closer to legal equality and rights and duties, not to religious identity.
  • The negation of coercion works as an axis for freedom of belief, but it does not suffice as an independent axis for jihad, fighting, and violence.

Limits of documentation

  • Some pieces of evidence are extracted from the PDF using the file’s pagination, not from a vetted bibliographic citation.
  • The longer pieces of evidence are not quoted here verbatim; the page relies on close summarization with the page number to facilitate return to the original.
  • The file Drying Up the Sources of Terrorism needs further review because some of its passages are present in the OCR more than in the published atlas pages.