Gilberto:
I don't think any country (Muslim or not) will be ideal. But that's what I would like to see other countries move towards. Secularization in Muslim countries seems to take place as the result of force and repression. So I'm wary if you are somehow holding it up as a model.
What is forcing Iranian People to wish for secularization? It seems to me that Sharia laws are very undemocratic for today's world or in other words Islamic laws cannot go hand in hand with ideals of democracy. That's why we cannot find and will not find a just society under Islamic Sharia in this age. It did work well during the dispensation of Muhammad but not in 20th century and beyond.
Thanks to military in Turkey which has kept Turkey the most advanced and civilized Muslim country. Many Muslim clergy there would like to establish a Taliban like government in Turkey and revive the past Ottoman empire.Turkey is as secular as it is because the military undemocratically represses the Islamic parties.
http://www.religioscope.com/articles/2002/017_turkey_elect.htm
A few years back Algeria was going to have elections where everyone knew that the Islamic party was going to win, until the military stepped in to stop the elections.
I believe in many Muslim countries including Algeria if real democracy and justice exists, people don't like to join extreme Islamic militia. The clergy in many of Muslim countries are telling lies to their people to attract them to fanatic and fundamentalist aspect of Islam. Personally I am happy for Algeria for not having an Islamic country under Sharia.
Not that I'm an expert but it looks like a similar story can be told in Iraq. Sistani is a popular leader whose voice is listened to by many and its looking as if under democratic elections, and it seems like the religious parties are popular and will have a strong role in whatever government gets elected.
Most Shia religious parties in Iraq are supported by Iran. They want to set up a puppet Shiia government in Iraq. I sincerely hope that Shiia parties in Iraq supported by Iran could not win the election. They will create hell for their Sunni brothers. Sunnis in Iraq know this well and that's why the majority of Sunnis are boycotting the election. Actually Sistani is one of the few clergy who is in favor of separation of religion from politics.
regards, Firouz
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