An economy that loses half its potential. No state rises while restricting education, research, the arts, and women’s work. Brain drain and capital flight are the natural consequences of this pattern.
The greatest loss is religion itself. When Islam becomes associated, in the memory of an entire generation, with repression and corruption cloaked in piety, many turn away from it. Coercion does not create faith; it creates hypocrisy and then rupture, the opposite of “there is no compulsion in religion.”
What opponents say. Many scholars respond that secular and nationalist authoritarianism, such as the Baath regimes and Gaddafi, ruined countries without ruling by Sharia, and that colonialism, foreign intervention, and corruption have well-documented roles. Some religious scholars argue that ISIS distorted Sharia rather than represented it, and that many peoples seek its authority through the ballot box, so what is rejected is coercion, not the reference to Sharia itself.
Conclusion: When any ideology, religious or secular, is imposed by force and without accountability, ruin is the recurring result, whatever the slogan.
Husein Mahmoud Saleh is a Palestinian writer, political activist, and human rights advocate whose work focuses on the Middle East, human rights, political conflict, peace, democracy, and the challenges facing societies affected by war and polarization.
Drawing on personal experience, independent research, and a deep understanding of the region, Saleh writes about the political and humanitarian realities of the Middle East and seeks to bring greater attention to the human stories behind political conflicts. His work emphasizes the importance of dialogue, freedom of expression, democratic values, equality, and the protection of human dignity.
As a Palestinian writer and political activist, Saleh brings a perspective shaped by the realities of conflict and displacement, while advocating for peaceful and democratic solutions rather than violence and extremism. He rejects political and religious extremism in all its forms and believes that no ideology, political cause, or religious identity should be used to justify hatred, discrimination, or attacks against civilians.
His writing challenges narratives that promote division and dehumanization, and he advocates for a culture in which people with different political, religious, and national identities can engage in meaningful dialogue without abandoning their principles or their humanity.
Saleh is also the founder of Political Voice, an independent platform dedicated to political commentary, analysis, human rights, and perspectives on the Middle East and international affairs. Through his writing and activism, he seeks to create space for independent voices, critical thinking, and constructive debate.
His central belief is that lasting peace cannot be built through hatred or extremism, but through dialogue, justice, democratic values, mutual understanding, and respect for human dignity.
