"No one suggests that the Arabs as a people... suffer from some pathological antipathy to democracy"
Actually, there is a fair amount of evidence that routine endogamy is a significant impediment to the development of democracy.
Actually, there is a fair amount of evidence that routine endogamy is a significant impediment to the development of democracy.
(Not doubting, interested. I have heard quite a few stories from Indian friends about their (female) relatives running away to marry the wrong religion, both muslim and hindu. But India is a special case, if anything is.)
Edit: Thanks!
It could also be that freedom and democracy happen for some other reasons, and then later in a free and democratic society people will have less incentives to marry close relatives.