Re: Are Islam and Democracy Incompatible?

Maybe I've found an interesting article - sadly it's written in German.
The URL is http://www.heise.de/tp/deutsch/special/ost/16220/1.html .
An expert for orientalism is interviewed about Islam and democracy.

He tells that up to World War I the arab nations were on the way towards 
democracy. In the 20s and 30s Egypt already was a democracy.
But this development was blocked by imperialist nations.

He claims - and I tend to agree with him - that secularization is a 
necessary precondition for democracy.

This has nothing to do with Islam but is generally true:
Democracy can't exist if laws are given by God and that way immutable.
It requires that laws are given by humans and that way can be chanched 
or removed by humans.

His prognosis is that democracy won't get a real chance as long as other 
nations interfere in the policy of the arab nations.

Of course this area is too important for great powers to leave it alone 
and give these people a chance to do things their own way.