Quote:
Originally posted by Azred:
[img]graemlins/erm.gif[/img] A theocracy would be a very bad idea. Whichever faction of Islam gains power will, as history shows, viciously repress the other factions.
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The alternative to giving the clerics a voice in government (when the majority want it) is already clear. Muqtada Sadr has already formed a Shadow Government and the Mehdi Army militia (a body of several thousand battle experienced men).
Deny him (and his ilk) any legal voice in government and you will plunge the country into civil war
Instead, why not give him (and people like him) a voice in government - but limit their power with the consitution.
For example, write into the constitution that clerics may occupy 25% of the seats - but:
1. They must be elected by universal suffrage on a regional basis
2. They may never hold the rank of minister, prime minister or president
3. no cleric may ever stand in an election for a seat reserved for secular MP's
Then, protect the constitution by stating that it can only be changed when a referendum is held and voter turnout is a minimum of 80% and 80% of those votes cast agree with the changes.
As others (far greater than I) have put it:
"What I do say is that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent." --Abraham Lincoln
"You cannot always CONTROL what goes on outside. But you can always CONTROL what goes on inside." --Wayne Dyer
"You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair." --Chinese Proverb