Its about the 'space' to express myself & my ideas; I find that any bar whatsoever in the democratic discourse is an impediment. I would find it perfectly reasonable if someone were discussing, whilst sitting in the Parliament, the rationality of euthanasia whilst someone else was talking about the irrationality of disassociating abortion from premeditated murder & vice versa. Let the discourse flow...let the talk continue & let the 'democratic rule' be the touch stone about what does or does not become institutionalized.
Unfortunately I find that both the advocates of religious paradigms & secular paradigms & at that conservatives & liberals are self-righteous to the point of being obnoxious & deeply condescending & that I find in most political discourses out there.
Agreed, I don't buy into the whole 'Islamic Republic' idea either; pluralism, democracy & mutual respect should be the foundations of any socio-political discourse ! Part of that entails that you listen to the religious & the non-religious, the conservatives & the liberals & above all the majority & the minority.