Re: The Prospects of a Talibanized Pakistan
Clergy maybe influencing politicians, but we're talking about is the system. In most secular and democratic countries religious test is not required to hold a political office. Person's faith is person's faith, no one should be forced to believe or not to believe in any particular religion, but if your religious beliefs help you make good person than all the power to you. I have no problem with that.
Well neither does any one of the 54 OIC member states. Require you to take a religious test that is. You are not required to be an Imam or a religious scholar to lead a Muslim country.
Anyway back to the original point - Politics and religion. Religion and politics are mixed every day in governments around the world. In some cases like the US it is very very subtle. In other cases like Italy and Saudi Arabia it is extremely obvious.