Arab Spring

[randolph]

Originally Posted by Elonar

Wherever any religious group claims exclusivity, follows that its followers reject and condemn out of hand anybody who is not of their religious persuasion or approved by them. The most extreme form results in religious-cleansing. This may be prompted as much by political imperatives as religious ones. A typical example is the fate of the Cathars, but the Middle East promises unfortunately to provide more.

Exclusivity is divisive and socially polarising, and per se must be the enemy of any democratic system.

I would like to get back to a renewed discussion of the ' Arab Spring ' and its significance to the balance of power in the Middle East. Any offers ?

Yes, I agree, perhaps we should have a religious thread.

The Arab Spring is the momentous event in recent history. The politicizing of religion in both the east and west is going to have a major bearing on whether the middle eastern countries can achieve a truly democratic state.