Why is Silicon Valley not in Saudi Arabia?

In the late seventeenth century Europe was a brilliant, modern community.
New worlds were being explored not only across the oceans but also in science, music, art and literature.
New instruments to meet practical needs were being invented.
Today, many of these achievements have become the necessities and treasures of modern man.
Like the telescope, the microscope, the thermometer, the barometer, the compass, the watch, the clock, champagne, wax candles, street lighting and the general use of tea and coffee all made their first appearance in those years.
Music in that time was written by Purcell, Vivaldi, Telemann, Rameau, Händel, Bach and Scarlatti.
In literature there was Molière, Thomas Hobbes and John Milton.
In science Descartes, Boyle and Antony van Leeuwenhoek produced scientific papers on coordinate geometry, the relations between volume, pressure and density of gases developing and using a 300-power microscope.
The greatest scientific mind in the seventeenth century was Isaac Newton.
His greatest work was the "Principia Mathematica" formulating the universal law of gravitation.

Meanwhile in those days the Europeans were exploring and colonizing the globe.
Most of South America and much of north America were ruled from Madrid.
English and Portuguese colonies had been planted in India.
Large parts of Africa were colonized by Germany, Belgium and France.
The eastern half of North America was ruled by the English, Dutch and French.

Looking back at that amazing time, we may wonder why there was such an explosion of progress, innovation and prosperity.
One major explanation is that in the seventeenth century the people were liberated from obeisance to religious doctrine.
There was religion but not an imposed doctrine.
Religion served to support all the fantastic efforts and accomplishments that were achieved.
Politicians, scientists and businessmen had specific goals but they were not forced to act and operate out of a rigid religious doctrine.

For a society to flourish religious doctrine must not be the dominant factor.
This is the conclusion when looking back at Europe in the seventeenth century.

But to understand that religious doctrine is making flourishing impossible we only need to look at contemporary countries that have wealth and potential but also have a rigid and strictly applied religious doctrine.
What is coming out of those countries in the field of science, art, literature and innovation?
Why is Silicon Valley not in Saudi Arabia?

Knowing and understanding the fact that religious doctrine is counterproductive for prosperity and innovation, we must make a choice whether to tolerate a dominant and leading position in society of orthodox religious fundamentalists who have as an agenda to have the population follow their religious doctrine.

In Afghanistan the Taliban, a movement implementing religious doctrine by force, closes down schools where girls attend.
In their view of the world, based on the Koran published in the year 632, girls and women have to be kept locked up in the house.
In Saudi Arabia women are not allowed to drive a car.

Anybody who is in favor of prosperity, freedom, equality, democracy and innovation will say no to any religious doctrine.
It should never be allowed in politics.
A segregation between state and church, or mosque, is vital for a society to have a future.

Now, fervent and loyal blog readers may say, what are you worrying about, my friend?

On july 23, 2009 the Hizb ut-Tahrir organization was holding a conference in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
300 persons attended.
Men in the front.
Women in the back.
This Khalifah Conference had as a theme: "The Fall of Capitalism and the Rise of Islam".
One speaker at this conference was an Imam by the name of Jaleel Abdul Razek.
He envisions the USA to become in the future a part of the Muslim world.
At which point, according to Jaleel Abdul Razek, the US Constitution will be replaced by the Shariah: the laws coming from the Koran.

Therefore we say yes to all religions including the Islam.
But in the name of our own future we must say no to every religious doctrine that wants to interfere in and determine our lives.

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To learn more about the conference of Muslims in the USA where they discussed replacing the Constitution by the Sharia, click on:

http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2009/07/replacing-the-us-constitution-with-the-koran