Human rights in the Middle East

Human rights in the Middle East are often reported to be a cause of concern among many outsider observers, governmental and non-governmental. However, the state of human rights varies from nation to nation. For example, Jordan and Bahrain have a good progressive human rights record. Other nations like Syria and Saudi Arabia have been known for their very repressive regimes that have no consideration to human rights. There are some issues prevalent in most Middle Eastern countries, often due to their common Islamic background. 3 of the US State Department's Worst Human Rights Offenders are in the Middle East and North Africa: Iran, Syria, and Sudan.For example, the following topics are mentioned in the Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen articles:
 * Freedom of speech
 * Freedom of religion
 * Status of religious and ethnic minorities
 * Status of women
 * Status of homosexuals

See the following for more details on each country:
 * Afghanistan
 * Bahrain
 * Cyprus
 * Egypt
 * Iran
 * Iraq
 * Israel
 * Jordan
 * Kuwait
 * Lebanon
 * Oman
 * Pakistan
 * Palestinian Territories
 * Qatar
 * Saudi Arabia
 * Syria
 * Turkey
 * United Arab Emirates
 * Yemen