[A Ruckus of Dogs]

it is curious that no predominanly Islam countries are truly democratic

Yes, one. Turkey. A member of NATO.

[Irene Adler]

"It is curious that no predominanly Islam countries are truly democratic."

"Yes, one. Turkey. A member of NATO."

This is largely due to the influence of Kemal AttaTurk (sp?) in the 1920s. He drastically reduced the power and authority of Islam over the political life of the nation and freed women from the veil and from total subjugation to their husbands. He was one strong guy, but it's still a marvel how he managed to modernize Turkey in such a short time span.