Do religion and politics belong together?

[Andysand]

Surely recessions are about economic policy, monetary decisions, strength of unions, world trading restrictions, interest rates etc?


Also your atatement:


"the reason behind the massive recession in the Muslim world I would safely say so will any other thinking Muslim. It is the lack of applying Islam"


cannot be true or non muslim countries would be in permanent recession!


This I think is a danger of trying to explain things in terms of a particular faith.


Some Mulism countries have tried or are trying to have a constitution that is based on the Koran yet have a democratically elected government. The government can make laws but only accordance with the constitution. If religion and politics MUST be mixed, then this would seem a good way forward to me providing the constitution is sound.


I don't know the true reason why there is massive poverty in the Muslim world but I would make some guesses.


1) Corrupt regimes and officials leading to bribery and extortion. My wife is Russian and I have seen for myself the damage that this does to an economy. The oil states particularly should be ashamed of themselves. With that much oil, there should be plenty of wealth to go around! The worlds casinos should not be full of Saudi 'princes' frittering away millions of dollars.


2) Wars. The middle east seems to be in a constant state of war. Not just with the west but with itself. Witness the chaos now in Iraq between the different tribes. They were kept in check by a brutal dictator until the Iraq war but now are fighting eachother for supremacy when they should be standing together to work out ways to make the country a civilised and wealthy oil nation.


Democracy has a way of not only enriching people but contorlling power hungry regimes. If they can be simply voted out, they behave a lot better!


This is ALL such a big subject that so I will leave it there or my posts will be too long and boring to read!


One thing I would like to add though is this. It is a real pleasure for me to be able to discuss these things here and to have an opportunty to learn about what you believe and why. I don't know even one Muslim in my personal life! I know of some of course, but none that I could walk up to and have this discussion! Though England is supposed to be an integrated country, the reality is that we seperate ourselves according to our culture. I know of no way to change this.


Andy