A soft revolution in the Muslim world

[JimH52]

A Quiet Revolution Grows in the Muslim World - TIME

The flap underscores an emerging political trend. Since 9/11, polls have consistently shown that most Muslims do not want either an Iranian-style theocracy or a Western-style democracy. They want a blend, with clerics playing an advisory role in societies, not ruling them. As a consequence, Islamist parties are now under intense scrutiny. "Islamists, far from winning sweeping victories, are struggling to maintain even the modest gains they made earlier," says a recent survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In Iraq's recent elections, for example, secular parties solidly trumped the religious parties that had fared well four years ago.

If this does make a dent in the rigid spirit of Islamism, I doubt that I will see it during my lifetime. Moderation of their faith can only be a good thing for Muslims and other faiths that fear extremist. Still, the clerics will battle any efforts that will lesson their influence. If Iranian and Saudi clerics feel threatened, they could make the Crusades look like fun at the beach. They will go to all lengths to continue their stranglehold on the Muslim population.