Cyprus-Forum.com

[Flying Horse]

Its time the Western world realize and fully comprehend that only one form of governance will work In the M.E and that unfortunately is not Democracy but Dictatorship.

Its partially the Wests fault the Middle East is in this state in the first place. It was the Wests meddling and dividing up the countries into what we know now that are the root cause. These days the meddling is more blatant, and we forget what has happened in the past because of the 'now'. The west helped put these people in power over time, and now we don't like it..

[miltiades]

Democracy is far more than just one man or woman one vote. Its about human rights, equality of sexes, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, believe in the puerile nonsense or not.

Its about human rights and freedom of thought, expression, who to marry and who to talk to.

These people still do not share their prayers with their women folk whom they consider as second class, in some cases dirty too. These people still condone murder of those that leave their religion, still commit honour killings, still enforce forced marriages, are these people anywhere near adopting democratic rule, NOT ON YOUR LIFE.

Democracy to them is the replacement of one dictator with a bunch of theocratic despots.

The ME has been ruled for thousands of years by dictators, it will not change.

What does one think would replace the Syrian dictator, a ..democrat????
No Sir, for as long as they blindly follow their absurd religion , all religions are incidentally absurd, they will always be ruled by dictators, its time the west realizes these irrefutable realities and let them be.

[GreekIslandGirl]

The ME has been ruled for thousands of years by dictators, it will not change.

What do you mean by "thousands of years"?

- Democracy only came to the UK (for example) less than a century ago, and most puritans would argue that because of the monarchy, it's not quite there yet.

[Oceanside50]

It’s not for us to dictate how Arab/Muslim countries should live. The Qumran has its own set of values which are firmly embedded in the governance of Muslim countries thereby making all forms of democracy incompatible to them.

We as “civilized” people of the West should acknowledge and respect these profound differences and their democratic right to live in the way they choose.

In other words we need to put our actions where our mouth is if we’re to have any credibility left!

This flies in the face of the fact that significant sections of the populations of countries like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt came out forcefully in favour of secularism, pluralism and democracy in the course of the revolutions witnessed in those countries not so long ago.

I don't think that's what they were protesting over and I also don't believe that they did so out of their own volition.

It was a Western triggered domino of uprisings with no majority unity or clear goals by introducing arms into the hands of the opposition and thugs.

With hindsight I’m sure they now all agree that Islamist governance is better than perpetual chaos!

Its this perpetual chaos that will slowly blow away any Islamic aspirations and bring forward the only alternative which is democracy and human rights, which the citizens of these countries will demand, this of course could take decades but thats the ultimate end scenario

[Get Real!]

With hindsight I’m sure they now all agree that Islamist governance is better than perpetual chaos!

Its this perpetual chaos that will slowly blow away any Islamic aspirations and bring forward the only alternative which is democracy and human rights, which the citizens of these countries will demand, this of course could take decades but thats the ultimate end scenario

Like it did in Iraq?

Come on… even American politicians have admitted failure of their Iraqi policies and adventures.

Democracy is incompatible with Islam and you can’t expect people to change religion!

[Get Real!]

I’ve started to suspect that Iran is gradually being replaced by Turkey as the demon against Zionism…

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 18,00.html

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 24,00.html

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Poli ... ara-328176

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... cohen.html

http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/.premium-1.552229

http://balfourpost.com/cold-turkey-warm ... eli-enemy/

http://rense.com/general75/truk.htm

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 87,00.html

[Paphitis]

I’ve started to suspect that Iran is gradually being replaced by Turkey as the demon against Zionism…

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 18,00.html

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 24,00.html

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Poli ... ara-328176

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/origina ... cohen.html

http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/.premium-1.552229

http://balfourpost.com/cold-turkey-warm ... eli-enemy/

http://rense.com/general75/truk.htm

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 87,00.html

It's a big possibility that relations with Iran will be normalised (I hope) in the coming years.

The regime has requested negotiations with the US in the hope that sanctions will ease.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/o ... lear-talks

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/15/opini ... ear-talks/

http://www.usip.org/publications-tools/ ... nd-answers

These are very positive developments. Certainly don't want to see another war now or in the future.

Hopefully, relations with Turkey continue along the same lines. We have a bone to pick with them, until they leave Cyprus.

[Oceanside50]

It’s not for us to dictate how Arab/Muslim countries should live. The Qumran has its own set of values which are firmly embedded in the governance of Muslim countries thereby making all forms of democracy incompatible to them.

We as “civilized” people of the West should acknowledge and respect these profound differences and their democratic right to live in the way they choose.

In other words we need to put our actions where our mouth is if we’re to have any credibility left!

This flies in the face of the fact that significant sections of the populations of countries like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt came out forcefully in favour of secularism, pluralism and democracy in the course of the revolutions witnessed in those countries not so long ago.

I don't think that's what they were protesting over and I also don't believe that they did so out of their own volition.

It was a Western triggered domino of uprisings with no majority unity or clear goals by introducing arms into the hands of the opposition and thugs.

With hindsight I’m sure they now all agree that Islamist governance is better than perpetual chaos!

Its this perpetual chaos that will slowly blow away any Islamic aspirations and bring forward the only alternative which is democracy and human rights, which the citizens of these countries will demand, this of course could take decades but thats the ultimate end scenario

thats the point GR, to slowly ween the suckers off their religion and show them that clinging onto a useless religion(islamic/christian) will only make their life more miserable, ultimately door number 2(western ideals, democracy, human rights, logic etc) will look better

[Tim Drayton]

Religion is pliable. It reshapes itself to fit changing social, political and economic realities. It varies over space and time in accordance with these realities. I heard an Anglican cleric explaining not so long ago on the BBC radio how the book of Genesis could not be interpreted literally and that, of course, he believed in everything that science had discovered. This is a far cry from the same Christianity that forced Galileo to recant his scientific pronouncements, or from that of some redneck you may find in the Bible Belt of the US who will tell you that every word of the Bible is literally true.The same applies to Islam. Compare the approach to Islam of the secular Turkish Cypriot community with that of the people of Saudi Arabia - it is light years apart.

In my opinion, the process that started with the Arabic spring came from within the communities where it erupted.It has nothing to do with the bogus ideology of importing democracy that was a mere camouflage for earlier neo-imperialist interventions into certain Muslim countries. If the people of a country like Saudi Arabia genuinely support the Wahhabist interpretation of Sharia-based Islam,then this is their prerogative under the right to self-determination. The move to pluralism and democracy in the Arab world can and must only come if the peoples of those countries themselves push for this. When they do, however, progressive people elsewhere are entitled to express support and solidarity for this.

[Paphitis]

And of course the same trends exist in the Arabic World as they do in the Western World.

The literate and highly educated city liberals are increasingly secular and non religious and this should only continue in the future over the coming decades.