--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This contest between the secular and…" description: "\"This contest between the secular and religious visions of government is really the main choice to be made. It won't be decided in one election, but it ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/adnan-pachachi-48231_behinds_this-contest-between-the-secular-and-rel_2294215.png" --- # This contest between the secular and religious visions of… ![“This contest between the secular and religious visions of government is really the main choice to be made. It won't be decided in one election, but it is a basic choice between an open and progressive Iraq and one that is backward and continues to fall behind.” quote by Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/adnan-pachachi-48231_behinds_this-contest-between-the-secular-and-rel_2294215.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/adnan-pachachi-48231_behinds_this-contest-between-the-secular-and-rel_2294215.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/adnan-pachachi-48231_behinds_this-contest-between-the-secular-and-rel_2294215.png) > “This contest between the secular and religious visions of government is really the main choice to be made. It won't be decided in one election, but it is a basic choice between an open and progressive Iraq and one that is backward and continues to fall behind.” [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Choosing between a progressive, open Iraq and a backward, stagnant one is a fundamental political decision, not resolved by a single election. **In simple terms:** Choosing a government direction is a deep, long‑term choice. Key Takeaway Consider the long‑term impact of political visions. Themes politics governance future choice progress regression Mood thoughtful serious analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - election campaigns - policy debates - civil society discussions - international diplomacy - public opinion polls Key Concepts democracy secularism religion development stagnation Questions to Reflect On - What defines "progressive" in this context? - How can citizens influence long‑term political direction? A Different Perspective Complex realities may blur the binary; progress can be uneven. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Election](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/election/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Secular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not against religion in the sense that I feel I can't tolerate it, but I think written into the rubric of religion is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/i-m-not-against-religion-in-the-sense-that-i-feel-i-can-t-tolerate-it/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [It used to happen in villages and towns in China that they would have - I guess you'd call them beauty contests - where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-see/it-used-to-happen-in-villages-and-towns-in-china-that-they-would-have/) [Lisa See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-see/) > [And we shall most likely be defeated, and you will most likely be victors in the contest, if you learn so to order your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/and-we-shall-most-likely-be-defeated-and-you-will-most-likely-be/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ulysses-s-grant/if-we-are-to-have-another-contest-in-the-near-future-of-our-national/) [Ulysses S. 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I was shooting down in Texas where the actual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-morris/in-the-case-of-the-thin-blue-line-i-was-surprised-actually-by-many/) [Errol Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-morris/) > [To try something longer, I entered a half-hour radio drama contest with the national public broadcaster, CBC. To my surprise, I won. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-walton/to-try-something-longer-i-entered-a-half-hour-radio-drama-contest/) [Karen Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-walton/) > [I didn't get hurt in the contest. I hurt it the next day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-piersall/i-didn-t-get-hurt-in-the-contest-i-hurt-it-the-next-day/) [Jimmy Piersall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-piersall/) > [My family was musical on both sides. My father's family had a famous flautist and a classical pianist. My mother won a contest to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-estefan/my-family-was-musical-on-both-sides-my-father-s-family-had-a-famous/) [Gloria Estefan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-estefan/) > [Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-o-wilson/competing-is-intense-among-humans-and-within-a-group-selfish/) [E. O. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-o-wilson/) > [Elections are not a beauty contest. It is all about tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-franz/elections-are-not-a-beauty-contest-it-is-all-about-tolerance/) Vladimir Franz > [I won contest after contest until finally I realized, "Ok, I am the best in the world, but now what?" So I opened my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-hosoi/i-won-contest-after-contest-until-finally-i-realized-ok-i-am-the-best/) [Christian Hosoi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-hosoi/) > [Lutherans, whose arguments and mistakes will not be difficult to contest or discover, do not want to attribute any value to works, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-servetus/lutherans-whose-arguments-and-mistakes-will-not-be-difficult-to/) [Michael Servetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-servetus/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) ## More by Adnan Pachachi > [If the security forces continue to be dominated as they are now by political groups or sects, then the people won't trust in them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-pachachi/if-the-security-forces-continue-to-be-dominated-as-they-are-now-by/) [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) > [I think the Shiites want a theocracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-pachachi/i-think-the-shiites-want-a-theocracy/) [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) > [An apology for the actions of some troops who, of course, are not representative of the majority of the armed forces here, I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-pachachi/an-apology-for-the-actions-of-some-troops-who-of-course-are-not/) [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) > [Until and unless we could disband these militias, this country won't be able to function properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-pachachi/until-and-unless-we-could-disband-these-militias-this-country-won-t/) [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) > [I think people are rapidly losing confidence in the political class, and I don't blame them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-pachachi/i-think-people-are-rapidly-losing-confidence-in-the-political-class/) [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) > [It won't be a question of how well-trained or well-equipped the army is but one of the authority it serves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adnan-pachachi/it-won-t-be-a-question-of-how-well-trained-or-well-equipped-the-army/) [Adnan Pachachi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adnan-pachachi/) > [Everybody seems to be imprisoned in their own sectarian or political affiliations. 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All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "This contest between the secular and religious visions of government is really the main choice to be made. 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