Challenges to growing civil society and democratic practices in the middle east?

One of the main challenges to growing civil society and democratic practice is deeply rooted, a centuries-old tradition, and dominant religious practice. Whether it is monarchies or theocratic republics, Sharia law is the basis of social arrangements in the Middle East, if not the dominant form, then its variations exist as implementations in existing state regimes. First of all, the religious arrangement foresees the rejection of secularist ideas such as democracy and civil society, and especially religious tolerance. The reason for this is one of the premise of Islam that religious tolerance exists, but in the form of increased taxes and other obligations for non-Muslims. These are not the values of a civil and democratic society. Certainly there is a shift in and improvement of democratic values, but there is a challenge in that, how to reconcile the traditional religious principles that are evidently present, with democratic and civil principles.