Taliban in Swat

[DisturbedPervert]

I really don't care if Muslim countries are free as long as they can control those people that are trying to blow me up.

[Sheilbh]

Name as many muslim countries that are democratic, non-fundamentalist and not actively supported by the West.

Indonesia, Bangladesh, Senegal, Turkey, Mali (or Mauritania, I always get the two mixed up, one's a democracy the other's an unpleasant military dictatorship), Kosovo, arguably Bosnia and Lebanon, Malaysia (to some extent), arguably Nigeria and Tanzania.  Off the top of my head, that is.

[Sheilbh]

I can't believe Malaysia's democracy is less flawed than Turkey's

[DisturbedPervert]

I can't believe Malaysia's democracy is less flawed than Turkey's

That's because the people making the ratings are idiots.  Malaysia is a great place, but being more free than Turkey is a joke.

[Valmy]

Mali (or Mauritania, I always get the two mixed up, one's a democracy the other's an unpleasant military dictatorship)

Mauritania is a racist authoritarian military regime where Arabs stomp all over the black man.

Mali is a free and noble republic which if it did not have unfortunate things like practically universal female genital cutting would be an African paradise.

Amadou Toumani Touré is the George Washington of Africa...at least so long as he actually steps down once his term expires in 2012

[Martinus]

Neither Kosovo nor Muslim Bosnia would exist without Western Support.

And Turkey receives both Western support and until recently hasn't been a democracy, but a military dictatorship with a semi-democratic process. Once allowed the total freedom of choice, the people have elected... wait for it... islamists!

[Neil]

Iran's regime has been around quite a while.

30 years is not a while.
And it is deeply unpopular.

[Martinus]

Hey Eochaid, I fully agree with your point, but let's just say that your definition of "democracy" is a *little* bit broad.

Democracy Index 2008.

They list 30 full democracies, 50 flawed democracies, 36 hybrid regimes and 51 authoritarian states.

Lets have a look at my list, with democracy score:

Albania (5.91)
Algeria  (3.32, fail)
Bengladesh (5.52)
Bosnia (5.70)
Egypt (3.89, fail)
Indonesia (6.34)
Kosovo (not scored yet)
Lebanon (5.62)
Malaysia (6.36)
Mali (5.87)
Morocco (3.88, fail)
Senegal (5.37)
Tunisia (2.96, fail)
Turkey (5.69)

I admit some of the countries failed the democracy test, but other Moslem countries I didn't mention actually passed the test: Mali, Tanzania, Ghana, Palestine etc.

Kevin

Palestine is not a country. AND it uses sharia.

You: fail.

[Martinus]

Name as many muslim countries that are democratic, non-fundamentalist and not actively supported by the West.

Indonesia, Bangladesh, Senegal, Turkey, Mali (or Mauritania, I always get the two mixed up, one's a democracy the other's an unpleasant military dictatorship), Kosovo, arguably Bosnia and Lebanon, Malaysia (to some extent), arguably Nigeria and Tanzania.  Off the top of my head, that is.

Last time I checked Nigeria was applying sharia law in the muslim part of it.

[derspiess]

Iran's regime has been around quite a while.

30 years is not a while.
And it is deeply unpopular.

30 years is actually a pretty decent amount of time IMO.  The regime's grip on the country remains very solid, regardless of how unpopular it is with some Iranians.

[Valmy]

Neither Kosovo nor Muslim Bosnia would exist without Western Support.

Yes but he was saying that said country would collapse into a dictatorship without western support. 

[Valmy]

Last time I checked Nigeria was applying sharia law in the muslim part of it.

Nigeria is infected with a cancer that spreads ignorance and general stupidity and will eventually destroy the host.  I speak, of course, of oil.

[Neil]

Last time I checked Nigeria was applying sharia law in the muslim part of it.

What's your point?  Ontario applies sharia law.

[Sheilbh]

Also, Marty, of the democratic Islamic countries with the possible exception of Palestine, not one has ever elected a radical Islamist regime.  As I say, even in Pakistan, the Islamists have never managed to get even 20% of the vote.  So the dichotomy between democratically elected Islamists and unelected, Western supported dictatorships just isn't borne out, in any sense.  It's not based in fact.

[Admiral Yi]

Also, Marty, of the democratic Islamic countries with the possible exception of Palestine, not one has ever elected a radical Islamist regime.  As I say, even in Pakistan, the Islamists have never managed to get even 20% of the vote.  So the dichotomy between democratically elected Islamists and unelected, Western supported dictatorships just isn't borne out, in any sense.  It's not based in fact.

Didn't Algeria elect one that got promptly couped?