"We just assume that all cultures and societies will follow a certain trajectory: from reformation, to enlightenment, to secularization, then on to the end of h

"We just assume that all cultures and societies will follow a certain trajectory: from reformation, to enlightenment, to secularization, then on to the end of history. There this almost patronizing tone I often hear, which is, well, you know, Muslims will get there." Then where is a Muslim plan for getting out of this current quagmire and into a 'there' that's appropriate for Muslims? The reason most thinking western people assume that is because they look at the current state of affairs, see its unmanageable, and assume that the smart will triumph over the stupid: in other words, religion will be relegated to the realm of myth like it has in the west. Many of us do indeed assume that a modern nation state cannot be run by religion and its illusions. So far, Islam has not proven us wrong. Quite the opposite, the many Islamic nation states currently existing have shown us that Islam, and also based on previous experience, religion in general cannot be combined with a successful nation state.