Is there a peaceful, secular Shiite country/society?

[sistersofmercy]

This is an honest question and I would love to have an example of a peaceloving, secular Shiite society. One that has religious tolerance and equal rights for women. Can anyone give me a current example? I believe there used to be, I have seen pictures and documentaries about Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion. People, men and women, were dressed in western style clothing and were pretty much free to move about and do as they please. What has happened? I understand that American foreign policy has some blame but is it really entirely to blame for the radicalism? What about Saudi Arabia and the Sunni Wahabism there? I'm aware of the map makers after WWI but the movement started prior to that so is the US to blame? At some point can we take an honest look at the debate and question whether a secular Shiite society with women having equal rights is possible? I'm not talking about yesterday but rather today, is it possible after decades of a climate where America has been blamed for all the injustices? At some point can the radical religious idealogy be blamed and also can the religious leaders who spout off "the blame America for your miserable life" be a greater part of the problem? What are your thoughts, I'm curious and just thinking out loud after seeing the pictures of the Baghdad protest.
Please I understand that there are secular Shiites but is there a country or society where Shiites are the majority that is secular and where women have equal rights?

[cali]

1. I wish I could answer your question

but I don't have a clue. Hopefully someone who knows will respond.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

2. Is there a country on Earth where women

have equal rights?

In reality, not on paper.

[cali]

4. Perhaps not

but there are vast differences between the lot of woment in say, Sweden or the U.S. and Saudi Arabia or many other countries.

[Glorfindel]

6. Sweden, probably

They even deprived their Crown Prince of the title and made his older sister the heiress apparent in the name of sexual equality. Pretty cool, if you ask me. :D

[BillZBubb]

3. Iran was for a very long time. Unfortunately the Shah and the US

made radical, fundamentalist Shiites sound appealing to the mass of people. Even with the fanatics, what wars has Iran started? They were attacked by Iraq in the 1980's with US blessing. Iran is as peace loving as anyone else.

I'm not sure any had "equal rights", but most countries don't, it's a matter of degree.

[Mr_Spock]

12. I was thinking how western Iran was in the disco era

They were as hip as any country back then - there still exists a love of western culture there - too bad the US has forced them to regress with our manipulative policies.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. You Do Know That Era Coincided With The Reign Of The Shah

I was in grad school at the time. The same Iranian grad students who were protesting the Shah ended up protesting Khomeini. My good Iranian friend, the son of a banker, married an American largely to stay here. I also remember how pretty the Irania female students were.

[Mr_Spock]

21. As bad as the Shah was in their eyes at the time...

They made a fatal mistake when they threw out the baby with the bathwater. I had a T/A (grad student) in college who was from Iran (but he was Armenian - which was really cool since I am too) and he was really upset that he could not go back to Iran & would never see his family again after the revolution. I am always fascinated by the ME issues as I know many people from Iran & have Armenian relatives in Lebanon as well.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

22. It's A Sensitive Subject On This Board.

The Shah was a garden variety dictator though SAVAK could be quite heavy handed.

[Crunchy Frog]

23. What about the Greco-Persian wars of 2500 years ago?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Persian_Wars

How quickly people forget.

[Glorfindel]

5. Azerbaijan? Majority Shiite, secular society, mostly peaceful

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. ?

http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2005&country=6689

[sistersofmercy]

18. Thanks great link.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. Azerbaijan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azerbaijan

A democratic (sort of) and largely secular society.

There is nothing fundamentally (pun intended) different about Shi'ism or shiites. There is something totally wrong with fundamentalist religious beliefs incorporated in political parties and government.

[adriennui]

10. it won't be for too long

the radical shia are making inroads.

[WilliamPitt]

8. Lebanon

has a large Shia population living alongside Christians and Sunnis.

They used to, anyway.

[sistersofmercy]

20. Sad isn't it? n/t

[Dunedain]

25. Was it once not referred to as the Paris of the east?

Beirut that is.

[enigma000]

11. You mean a country with a Shiite majority?

That would be Iran (90% Shiite), Iraq (60%) and Bahrain (?)

That's it as far as I know.

Bahrain has a population of 700,000, is just over 3 times the size of Washington, DC and has a GDP - per capita of $23,000USD

From the GDP number, one can assume that the country works. Big advantages include being a former British colony and having lots of oil.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. Isn't Bahrain A Sheikdom?

eom

[enigma000]

16. It's a "constitutional hereditary monarchy"

Fancy name for Kingdom / Sheikdom

The King appoints the PM and cabinet. But there are parliamentary elections. From the CIA World Fact Book:

Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in protests and marches, demanding that more power be vested in the elected Council of Representatives and that the government do more to decrease unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ba.html#People

[oberliner]

14. How about Bahrain?

I'd say it is a pretty peaceful country.

I wouldn't exactly call it secular, but certainly more secular than many.

Women do have the right to vote and run for office for what that's worth.

[The Deacon]

15. Afghanistan

Is majority Sunni (as are most Islamic countries.)

[sistersofmercy]

19. OOPS!

My bad. Yes I know most are a Sunni majority. Thanks for the correction.

[Warren Stupidity]

24. Aside from a few minor exceptions

where is the peaceful christian nation? Our (western civ 101) history is one of nearly uninterrupted warfare and nearly continuous internal brutality. There are brief interludes of relative peace and sanity and then it is back to the butchery. Consider for example the entire 20th century. I rest my case.