[Nabeel Saiyer]

On paper, and in theory the "seductive" notion of freedom, is very good, but when it comes to practice it falls short on many fronts. Since democracy was founded have we seen a Black man in presidency in a predominant white nation? Have we ever seen a woman president in USA? Will a Muslim be allowed to be president in any european, or western nation? We are seeing trouble to just get turkey into the European Union. So yes, you are right, there are six criterias that a caliph has to fulfil, one of them is that he has to be a muslim, has to be a male, free, sane, competant, etc etc.

Unlike the current democratic systems where an illusion has to be created amongst the masses, and then in the end it is the select few elite who stay within the circle.

With regards to Non Muslim citizens, they have held positions in governement, and high level judges, have accounted the Caliph, etc etc.

Going back to Hudud, you are telling me you prefer women to be paraniod at night as they could be a victim of rape (statistics reveal how high the rape level is in USA/UK) Even though none of the muslim lands implement the shariah, we still know that the level of rape there is far less.

Same argument is applicable to theft, murder, gun crimes, paedophilia. Even the infamous wife beating which is always linked to muslims is resasonably high in the "civilised" western free societies.

However, Matt, I am not interested in pointing fingers at the problems in societies, rather the intention was that these problems exist in every society, some societies witness it more, others less. As a concerned human, I would expect sincere non muslims to be looking for an alternative, and as muslims we know the alternative, and now the objective of this discussion was to perhaps answer any questions you may have of how Islam would deal with these problems.