My friendships and relationships in the conservative world are not predicated on political correctness and enforced conformity of thought. They are based instead on mutual respect honesty and understanding - concepts many modern liberals should consider revisiting.
Religion was used as an ideology as a system of control. When they forced the veil upon women they were using it as an instrument of control in the same way that in Mao's China people were wearing Mao jackets and women were not supposed to wear any makeup.
Although religion was around me my whole life I never felt it was forced upon me. It is my centring my grounding the soul of me. I feel I'm nothing without it.
The American way was for commerce personal relationships and religion to be voluntary. No one was forced to participate in something he didn't want.
What is especially important is addressing the question of how religion can be enforced through political means and what can be done to create a political environment that on the one hand acknowledges the role of religion in society while on the other hand does not impose one religion on the populace at the expense of all others.
After all enforced national bilingualism in this country isn't mere policy. It has attained the status of a religion. It's a dogma which one is supposed to accept without question.
You always do what you want to do. This is true with every act. You may say that you had to do something or that you were forced to but actually whatever you do you do by choice. Only you have the power to choose for yourself.
Capitalism works better from every perspective when the economic decision makers are forced to share power with those who will be affected by those decisions.
Too often in the past U.S. leaders have forced Israel to pay the price for American strategic interests in the Middle East - through concessions in the peace process as well as passivity in the face of Iraqi attacks.
When I look back on my childhood I think of that short time in Beirut. I know that seeing the city collapse around me forced me to grasp something many people miss: the fragility of peace.