Notanumber
A Free Man
Because oil.
I've had a theory for a long time that states that the "middle east islam problem" is going to solve itself after we move on from oil. They would be completely and utterly unable to continue living as they do, if it weren't for the income of black gold. They'll have to earn their money in other ways and actually will need to compete on the international market. To be able to compete they will need to come up with innovative things. To be able to innovate and keep up with competition, they'll necessarily have to change their ways. I'm pretty convinced that it will solve itself afterwards. They'll be to busy trying to catch up with the rest of the world, to worry about their religious rules and sensitivities.
Right now, they can permit themselves just about anything. Because there is one certainty in this world currently: the west will be buying millions and millions of oil barrels from them every single day, week in, week out. Put a pin in that cash waterfall and see what happens next.
Many people in the west don't realise just how intertwined islam is with politics.
A secular democracy is almost seen as blasphemous as it puts "man's law" above "allah's law".
And as I say above, the prime reason how they manage to run medieval style countries in a 21st century modern world, is because they swim in black gold.
Remove that income source and their entire world will implode. Reforms will be their only way out. The reason why the west won the cold war, is because freedom wins over oppression. Freedom results in a free market of ideas, wich in turn results in more, and more creative, innovation which in turn results in capitalization and economic growth.
Islam has been exported and is no longer contained within those oil-producing countries.