[Nonstatist]

The idea of equality is unacceptable to Islam. For the non-believer cannot be the equal of the believer

Then you need to secularize the country and shove Islam into the background, like theyve done in Turkey. Say goodbye to the 10th century, for starters.

[JeepInMazar]

Islam does not allow Muslims to leave Islam. Former Muslims are called murtad and, according to Islamic law, should be killed. Islam is an ideology which is imcompatible with the United States Constitution.

[Mortimer Snavely]

In every Turkish classroom there's a large picture of Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, and his slogan "The best guide to life is science."

Any Islamist nutcase who tries to promote the return of the Sharia gets stepped on, hard, and toot damned sweet, too.

[Destro]

The irony is that the Turks secularized their state at the expense of democracy and when the Turkish military allowed a free vote the Islamists won.

[WOSG]

To repress religion, though, has its own faults.

I dont have a good answer to this dilemma but would just point out that Turkey is far from a true western-style democracy. Their military have the 'right' to engage in coups for the sake of the country's unity.

It's as if the Marines not the Supreme Court were the ultimate arbiter of the law of the land (hmmm, on second thought, ....).

[Siamese Princess]

Then you need to secularize the country and shove Islam into the background, like theyve done in Turkey. Say goodbye to the 10th century, for starters.

Turkish secularism is enforced by the military. But how secular is the population outside of a few major cities? There recently was an article on FR about "honor killings" in Turkey. I had no idea that honor killings were common in Turkey -- amongst the Arabs and Pakistanis, yes, but not the Turks. I didn't think they were that primitive-minded.