Stardate 20011106.0910 (On Screen): Can an Islamic nation have a secular liberal democratic government? Indeed it can. There is one, and in many ways it's the most successful Islamic state in the world:
Turkey. It's not as liberal as the US, but it is far more liberal than neighboring Syria. Its economy is strong and not based on an accident of natural resources. It has a healthy and prosperous middle class and a strong legal system. And it has now legislated complete equality between the sexes. Though it already had more freedom for its women than most other Islamic nations, it has gone even further now in that direction. Turkey is the proof that Islam and democracy are not incompatible. Islam doesn't require theocracy.
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