Muslim Countries' Lack of Democracy

Submitted by Amy Mack (United States), Jul 19, 2002 at 13:26

One of the greatest obstacles to the democratization of Muslim countries not mentioned in the article is the unwillingness of many Muslim countries to implement a separation of church and state. Many Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran, are explicitly theocratic. Their legal systems are based on religious precepts, and those practicing other religions are banned and/or persecuted. Even members of minority Muslim sects, such as the Sufi, are persecuted.

How in the world can Saudi Arabia ever become a democracy when Jews are not even permitted to set foot on sacred Saudi soil, lesC they "pollute" it? Even those Arab countries which are ostensibly secular, like Syria, Libya and Iraq, consider themselves to be Muslim countries, because there is no separation in Arab thought between "Arab" and "Muslim." The religion permeates all aspects of everyday life. Only Turkey has carried out a program of societal secularization and can be called a democracy, and there are many elements within Turkey which are not at all happy with this state of affairs.

Of course, one can use the examples of England and Austria, both of which espouse official state religions, but religious tenets do not enter into the legal system of either of those countries, and members of other religious faiths are permitted to practice their religions freely.

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