The country has a mostly Sunni Muslim population, and the state is avowedly secular.

Until the late 1960's, India's Muslim voters overwhelmingly supported Congress, the dominant party at the time and one that has remained avowedly secular.

He felt that the mixed society he ruled would fare better in an avowedly secular state than one devoted to a single religion.

Culturally apart, the two groups are also divided along religious lines, with the Russians avowedly secular and the Sephardim more traditionally observant.

In the same way, he and the other Christian radicals were avowedly secular men.

Until then, it seemed, France's avowedly secular political system feared that the Roman Catholic Church could wield excessive influence through women who voted.

And, as it turned out, avowedly secular though he was, he had a rabbinical streak that proved to be a central part of his personality.

Part of the opposition was due to its avowedly secular nature but also because it was claiming the title "university".

But at the same time, Mexico is an avowedly secular state, to the resentment of many devout Catholics.

Sometimes, avowedly secular officials and politicians even try to outdo the Islamists in this tug of war over who can win the public's favor as the guardian of morality.