Democracy Lab Weekly Brief, September 14, 2012

Christian Caryl reports on the Salafi movement, which has been implicated in many of this week’s protests around the Middle East.

Mohamed El Dahshan laments his Egyptian compatriots’ overreaction to an insult against Islam — and also explains why he’s not worried about the introduction of veiled newsreaders on TV.

Peter Passell illuminates the causes of India’s recent economic slowdown.

In this week’s historical case study from Princeton’s Innovations for Successful Societies, Rushda Majeed details how an Indonesian leader brought change to an unlikely place.

Mark Katz argues why the time for military intervention in Syria has arrived.

Sharron Ward covers the politically motivated demolition of Sufi shrines in Libya, and explains how the groups behind the destruction threaten the country’s nascent democracy.

Guest blogger Allison Hugi describes how India’s fight against corruption is gathering speed at the grassroots.

Juan Nagel reveals the biggest issue that’s being left out of the presidential election in Venezuela — by both sides.

Endy Bayuni gives the latest on Indonesia’s fight against terrorism.

And guest blogger Jay Ulfelder sees signs that all is not well with democracy in South Africa.

And now for this week’s recommended reads:

Aljazeera English provides a useful timeline of the events leading up to this week’s assaults on U.S. embassies and other symbols of foreign influence around the Middle East. The Upworthy blog offers a collection of images of Libyans denouncing the violence in Benghazi.

The International Crisis Group presents a paper warning of the problems that lie ahead for the reform process in Libya. Nawaat, a collective blog in Tunisia, bemoans the deficiencies of the country’s democratic transition and reminds readers of the revolution’s original mission.

Writing for OpenDemocracy, Zahbia Yousuf and Marie-Joëlle Zahar assess the likely effects of Syria’s civil war on the delicate balance of power in Lebanon.

Democracy Digest outlines scenarios for potential unrest in Venezuela after the approaching presidential election.

The Guardian reports on a new study exploring the use of cash-transfer payments to reduce sexually transmitted diseases.

The Southeast Asia experts of the Center for Strategic and International Studies release a report from their recent trip to Burma that assesses the progress of the government’s reform program.

The Carnegie Endowment’s Thomas de Waal offers a useful take on the upcoming Georgian parliamentary election, including a nifty map that breaks down the trends.

And last but not least, The Monkey Cage blog offers an analysis of recent Russian legislation that prevents the country’s companies from complying with international laws without prior government approval. (The image above shows a Russian opposition sympathizer at a concert in support of the band Pussy Riot.)