Therefore separating the two is in the interest of the religion and the Quran.

The present Underdevelopment and weakness of Muslim nations is not due to the Quran but to the mistakes and mismanagements of the rulers alone!

Usually,fundamentalists such as Khomeini (or for that matter the sheikhs of al-Azhar and Zeituny universities, to name only these two centers of theology studies)argue that the Prophet in Medina acted both as the head of the Muslim state and the "keeper" of the tenets of the religion.

This is true... But this was not commanded by God and the Quran.It resulted from the particular circumstances of Arabia which was in those days one of the most backward countries of the planet.There were very few literate people. Moreover everybody lived according to the tribal system and unwritten laws. The Medinese tribes were in continual disagreement. That is why they offered to the Prophet who ,with his followers,was persecuted by Abu Sufyan ,the tribal leader of Mecca, to come to Medina and rule over them.

Mixing state and religion is dangerous for the religion,as we see in the countries where fundamentalists have overtaken government (Iran,Sudan,Afghanistan). Indeed the disenchanted citizens,especially the younger ones ,attribute the economic and social ills not only to the rulers but also to the religion itself!

As many observers point out there is a muted tendancy toward disaffection from the religion in such places!

In secular democratic states,clerics are not excluded from top political jobs.They have to present themselves to the electorate. But ,if elected,they cannot meld the affairs of government and church or religion.Thus,for example, in Cyprus, archbishop Makarios was several times voted into the office of President.

But he performed his functions according to the Constitution,not to the Gospels! Therefore when young Iranians speak of a secular democratic system,they do not reject the participation of the clergy in the political life of the country.They want separate "institutions" and the rule of the law ,as decided independantly by an elected parliament.

The circumstances that prompted the Prophet in his dual role,do not exist in our contemporary world.And for the sake of the religion itself, separation of government and religion should take place in Iran. The sooner ,the better!