Battling the monster of sectarianism

[Solomon2]

Take all the Shia and Sunni belligerent extremist and put them in a Gladiator Pit and let them kill each other. Would be fun to watch the show. These extremist are most dishonourable people because they do not do the fighting themselves but use other peoples children like cowards and brainwash the most vulnerable youth.

I suppose the extremists' reply would be that only success counts, not honor - and besides, look at all those terrible Zionists and liberal fascists out there!

Your idea of Democracy is flawed and look what is it doing to the Western World. The US and Europe are going broke thanks to your version of Democracy. So spare Pakistan your concept of Democracy. We are better off without it. Give me a good honest benign Dictator any day than a democratically elected corrupt politician like Zardari.

As the Syrian poet "Adonis" (Ali Ahmad Sa'id) put it, when asked why Arabs glorify dictatorships:

I believe it has to do with the concept of "oneness" [tawhid], which is reflected - in practical or political terms - in the concept of the hero, the savior, or the leader. This concept offers an inner sense of security to people who are afraid of freedom...being free is a great burden. It is by no means easy... When you are free, you have to face reality the world in its entirety. You have to deal with the world's problems, with everything... On the other hand, if we are slaves, we can be content and not have to deal with anything. Just as Allah solves all our problems, the dictator will solve all our problems. link

- quoted from How Civilizations Die (and Why Islam is Dying Too), David P. Goldman, p. 148-9.