Indonesia,Turkmenistan,Azerbaijan,Turkey,Kazakhstan,Albania, Bosnia, Jordon,Senegal, and a dozen more absolute Muslim majority countries in the world who consider themselves secular republics
So vast majority of Muslim countries in the world are largely secular in nature
Or if Pakistanis are better Muslims than vast majority of Muslims countries around the globe
Than that's another thing
Muslims and Muslim countries can be secular and Liberal - the real question is should they be?
The answer is no. There is overlap between Liberal political ideology and Islam - but there is also elements that are incompatible; particularly for a state.
I'll give you an example.
Freedom of worship is a Liberal political value which is in alignment with Islamic principles.
Tolerance of the lifestyle choices of others is a Liberal political value which is in alignment with Islamic principles.
Does that mean you can have gay marriage in an Islamic society? No. Homosexuality is something that is forbidden in our religion. As individuals we have no business in the matter but the state has to be responsible for applying and enforcing those Islamic values and principles that have a societal impact.
In an Islamic state, homosexuality could only be tolerated behind closed doors. Any public acknowledgement or acceptance of homosexuality as a lifestyle choice would be contradictory to the values of Islam and gay marriage would be equivalent of state endorsement of a haram act.
So you see we end up with these differences in values.
The other thing is liberal values change with time and location. A few years ago liberals would support my right to halal slaughter, today liberals label me a barbarian for it. Islamic principles have generally been pretty solid.
Then comes secularism. As individuals we can be Muslims and live in a secular state. There is no problem with that. As the leader of a Muslim country - if you are failing to apply Islamic values and principles in your society - you have failed your religious obligations.
It's not always about models of governance, these evolve over time with whatever is effective - the crux of the matter is that Muslim leaders are required in Islam to implement and apply those Islamic laws that have a societal impact. For example the collection and distribution of zakat, welfare services, defence, education including Islamic education, law and order, justice etc.
People always jump to assume that the role of Islamic governance is to strip you of representation, enforcement of worship, dress codes and all sorts of trivial non issues simply because we see this at the hands of a few barbarians and dictators.
I dont understand why people here are so alienated by the word Secular. Pakistan was literally secular from 1947-55, as in, all religions had equal importance/value. Afterwards, Islam was made as the state religion and that was end to secularism. I mean don't you want to live in a country where every person be he/she is religious or not, is given equal rights? That is basically secularism, being given equal rights irrespective of your religion.
Being a secular person again means that you treat all the people equally irrespective of their religion and that is something important to not only being a muslim but being a good human being.
Liberalism? Now thats an entirely different topic.
That's not quite secularism is it though? Secularism is the strict separation of state from religion.
As individuals we can function perfectly normally in secular states. In a Muslim majority country which is secular, the only people failing thier religious obligations in a secular states are the Muslim head of States.
See my post for details of my thoughts.
Threads like these, including one where the bloke was asking if Girlfriend Boyfriend relationship is better than Marriage, has convinced me 110% that in the next 50-years, the religion of Islam will be dead in Pakistan or it will be so mutilated by such donkeys that it will be nothing like the original. You are either a Muslim or you are NOT. There is NO MIDDLE GROUND.
It would be a sad end but it is coming very, very quickly. Remember, God doesn't need Donkeys like you to defend his religion, HE WILL FIND WAYS AND OTHER PEOPLE TO DO THIS. But as far as Pakistan is concerned, it will be coming to its logical end in this country !!
The posts in this thread are more unfortunate. It's a shame so many see Islamic governance as enforcement of personal religious responsibility.