On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 21:47:56 +0700, Firouz Anaraki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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.
I don't see how there is enough information to really say that. It's not like the secular regimes in the Middle East are bastions of democracy either. And it is clear that in certain parts of the Muslim world, the people there clearly want religious parties to have a greater role in the government because they see the secular governments as corrupt and not promoting their interests. I would rather see people trying to promote good government in the region. Less authoritarianism, more freedom of expression. The government should be more accountable to their citizens. As long as that's what you are really talking about I think that would be a good thing. But if you don't really care about that and are trying to impose secularism on religious populations then you are promoting oppression of Muslims and I'd have little sympathy. > > 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 > 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.\ That would only work if the democratically elected representatives in the Turkish parliament wanted to have a Taliban-like government. If a country actually has a fair election and the Taliban win, then why shouldn't they form a government? In any case, I think you are just using the Taliban as a boogey-man. The religious parties weren't going to ban music and keep people from flying kites and make the women wear burqas. Religious women in Turkey are still working on being allowed to wear hijab instead of being forced not to. > > > 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. I think I could agree with that. I'm not trying to defend extreme Islamic militias. > 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. > And if you were Algerian and had a chance to vote in that election which was stopped, you would have gotten your one vote, but bulk of the rest of the Algerians would have outvoted you and you would have a democratic government where the Islamic political parties would have had a strong voice. Maybe it was just how I was taught in school or something. I learned to respect the democratic process more than the result. I mean, if we really believe all those pretty words about "one man, one vote" and how government rests on the consent of the governed, etc.then we should support democracy even if we don't like the result. Peace Gilberto "My people are hydroponic" __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com To unsubscribe, send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, use subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu
