Tolerant Tirana

A fascinating article by Nathan Thrall about Albania, the Muslim world's most open-minded, pro-U.S. nation. It's even flirting with same-sex unions. Bad news: Nearly three-quarters of Albania's violent deaths are vendetta or revenge killings. As for Albanians' piety:

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Muslim world's most tolerant nation is also its most secular. A recent Gallup poll (free registration required) found that of every Balkan and Muslim-majority nation, Albania had the smallest proportion of people who said religion was an important part of their daily lives.