Will Islam and modernity come to terms?
Yes. Eventually, Islam will have to come to terms with modernity. The question is how long it will take, and what form it will take. In some places, this is already happening. Islam in Western countries grapples with modernization all of the time. The extent to which Islam is isolated from modernization depends on the society and the sect of Islam. The truth is that the Islamists’ version of Islam is incompatible with modernization or economic prosperity (generally, this is Wahhabism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahhabi ). It prevents many of the very things required for a modern, economically prosperous society – educated women in the workforce, for one instance. Women freely leaving their homes and shopping or otherwise engaging in economic activity (consumer spending). Once conditions are set for economic prosperity, and people become economically empowered, they will demand rights with their new voice. As my Iranian sociology professor once said of Tehran, “You cannot tell women wi
