What countries are currently theocracies?

Answer 1

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Mauritania are Islamic theocracies. The Vatican City is the only Christian theocracy, although its laws are still limited by the secular laws of Italy. Most theocracies are usually authoritarian in nature and often jail religious and political dissidents.

Most of the laws in Islamic countries are loosely based on Sharia, or Islamic law, especially as concerns social issues, crimes, and domestic law. Homosexuality is punishable by death or imprisonment in these countries, which is dictated based on Sharia law. Sharia also dictates dress codes and women's roles. All of the Islamic countries except Iran and Saudi Arabia have some form of freedom of religion, although it is very limited by Western standards. Iran and Saudi Arabia are very strict in their Islamic laws, while others are a bit looser yet still socially repressive and conservative by western standards.

Answer 2

Iran and Vatican are the only theocracies that are ruled by a religious figure (the Grand Ayatollah and the Pope, respectfully). The rest are either ruled by an absolute king (i.e. Saudi Arabia), a President (i.e. Sudan), a Prime Minister, or both (i.e. Pakistan), while religious figures or religious laws maintain prominence. The case of Iran is unusual; it is not a democracy since the country often silences and jails political and religious opponents, but it is not really a Dictatorship. It is considered to be an oligarchic republic ruled by a group of clerics and the Grand Ayatollah.

Answer 3

Here is a list of some of the modern day countries with theocratic overtones or associations:

* The Vatican

* Iran

* Saudi Arabia

* England

* Norway

* Israel

* Nepal

* Pakistan

* Iraq

* Afghanistan

It is necessary to point out that these modern incarnations, with exception to one (i.e the Vatican) are not explicitly comparative to historical theocracies, in full estimation. I say "the Vatican" because the Modern Vatican is quite comparable to the Historical Vatican, and is thus it is an entity comparative unto itself.