Egypt

It was heartwarming to watch the populist and peaceful revolution take place in the streets of Cairo, just as it was to watch the Berlin Wall smashed down by Berliners. But be wary my friends. Islamic Egypt is not communist Europe.

Democracy has never been an end in itself. It is the means to an end. The freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

But Islam has a different set of rules. Rules that Egyptian strongman Mubarek managed to suppress for decades albeit with an iron fist.

While most western nations constitutionally have separation of Church and State, most Arab states are Muslim states - and Sharia Law prevails. In Muslim countries, criticism of the Church is blasphemy and such blasphemy carries penalties even more severe than did criticism of the Mubarek regime.

For example, in Muslim countries, men who stand up for what we in the west consider “right” are frequently assassinated. Take the case of Salman Taseer . He was the governor of the state of Punjab in Pakistan, who spoke up against the blasphemy death sentence handed a Christian woman. He was murdered for his outspokenness. Or take the case of Mubarek’s predecessor, Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated for making peace with Israel.

The worrying likelihood is that Egypt will follow in the footsteps of Iran’s Revolution rather than East Germany’s. The western world may soon think back fondly on the peace and stability that Mubarek brought to the world’s most populous Arab state.

I sincerely hope I am wrong. Here is the opportunity for Egypt to set an example for the rest of the Muslim world, that democracy can bring peace, prosperity and a better life for its citizens than despotism does. Whether that be despotism by the State, such as Mubarek’s or by the Clergy such as Ayatollah-run Iran.

However I fear that in a new Egypt, the flames of radicalism will be easier to fan than the slow-to-ignite prosperity of a free and open society.