by Aaron Dollhausen

Created on: July 25, 2009

The Middle East is largely a religion-dominated region. Islam dictates almost all aspects of life. Theocracy is not conducive to democracy. In order for democracy to have a chance, the region must become less religion-oriented.

Democracy's future depends upon political and electoral competitiveness, not Islam. However, Islamic parties do complicated matters. There is a far longer history of authoritarianism in the world that democracy. The strict doctrines and rules of Islam are more favorable to authoritarian regimes.

Besides religious reasons, the Arab world has a long history of authoritarian rule which has established a pattern of such rule within this region. Authoritarian regimes have a habit of eroding civil society. People are not allowed to develop effective alternative power to counter the control exerted by such regimes. Typically, whenever democratic movements grow within such societies, the state crushes such movements because they are considered to be a threat to the ruling status quo. The Middle East has a very long history in which measures and countermeasures to democracy have been an accepted part of Arabic society for so long.

Added to this, the Arab region also has a long history of conflict within the region and with foreign powers. Many areas have been repeatedly colonized from a variety of Arabic and European powers. As colonial power changed hands in a long succession, conflict has arisen from those who seek to overthrow imperial rule. Sadly, the existence of so much war has shattered not only the people of the region, upon whom democracy ultimately lies, but the governments and infrastructures which provides for the people, as well. Such widespread conflict has led to a series of corrupt regimes in nearly every nation within the Arab world. Corrupt leadership is nearly always totalitarian by nature because in order for a corrupt leadership to survive it must prevent any threats to its access of finances and other material wealth from lingering. One of the primary checks of corruption is democracy, since a democracy spreads power through an entire populace and provides a system of checks and balances upon which the populace derives security from for its own survival.

The quest for democracy has increased recently in Iran. People want the right to vote. When that vote is denied or ignored (as was the case in Iran) the cause for democracy will grow. The power of history is more a

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