Separation of State and Religion: The East Asian Model and The Middle East

Abstract East Asia (the post-Confucian countries) is by far more advanced than the Middle East, primarily in terms of better education, leadership quality and population control – for which East Asia ranks at the top of the world’s list (and the Middle East at the bottom). In an attempt to trace the origins of this gap, this article concentrates on one issue: the separation between state and religion. Whereas East Asia is the most irreligious region in the world (not in the sense that there is no religion but in the sense that religion is not allowed to institutionalize) but in the sense that the civilian and secular government is always above the clergy. On the other hand, the Middle East is not only the most religious region in the world but is also involves in the government and occasionally controls it, blocks all attempts at reform, and leads to lagging far behind East Asia. Given this situation, and fast population growth, change is unlikely.