Re: Where You Were, I Was
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"the reason Islamic societies have through many centuries tended towards totalitarian rule, and today so clearly do"
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There are no Muslim states today that could remotely be characterised as totalitarian. The only ones in recent history that arguably could have were Iraq (which was a secular, non-Islamic state), and Taliban Afghanistan.
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Nicky, I think you're picking bones over the exact definition of totalitarian. Call it "totalitarian-like", if you prefer. By the way, I'm curious: how do you NOT consider Saudi Arabia totalitarian? I think the only way to do that is to take an incredibly narrow view of the term: in Saudi Arabia, there is absolute rule, thought control, forced prayer 5 times a day, draconian laws and punishments, religious police roaming the streets...to me, that's "totalitarian." If it somehow misses your precise definition of the term, I suppose that's because I can't find a more apt word. Can you?
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