The_Turk2

A Salafist government can always be removed in an election, the military will stay, deriving its legitimacy, from the fear and panic that may return to the streets.

No, by 1258 Baghdad, which I suppose your referring to (the sacking of it), was already a shell of its former self, having come under the heel of an earlier nomadic group the Seljuk Turks, who much like the Mongols, invaded Persia, and made the Abbasid Caliph a puppet. The Turks, would spread into the Middle East, and into Anatolia (Byzantium), creating the Sultanate of Rum.

I might just make a side note about Muslim Spain (Al-Andalus), which after breaking up into competing Taifa states, invited in Berber tribesmen as mercenaries (from the interior of Morocco and the Maghreb), known for being fierce warriors, to fight back the Spanish kings of Asturias (later known as Galicia, Leon, Castile, Aragon), however these warriors took advantage of the weakness of the Taifa states (much like the Seljuks in the Abbasid realm), and established there own state of the Almoravid Sultanate, which was strong militarily but also extremely pious, and they destroyed a lot of art, books, wine, scientific work etc that was deemed heretical and foreign to these desert folk. As the Spanish (and later Portuguese) Kings moved southwards, they inherited the scientific works of the Muslims, and utilized it to there own usage, most importantly the compass, sugar mills, and the sail boat, all of which would come to determine the 16th century, with the age of exploration. Geography is not the only reason why the Portuguese and Spanish were the first to explore the world, they had great resources and innovation to choose from.

More specifically though, agriculture happened, or rather the lack of it (in the Middle East). The usage of the land, which had been cultivated since around 8000BC, began to wear thin, with increased demand on the land, which it could no longer sustain, especially as desertification sped up (the Middle East used to be a lot more lush, and fertile than it is today). Agriculture means tax revenue which means scientific investment and patronage.

At the same time might I add, the great forests of Northern Europe (France, Germany, England) were beginning to be cut down in larger and larger numbers, which allowed for the opening up of lush fertile agricultural land, which boosted Medieval leaders, and allowed for larger populations, armies, and hence innovation eventually.

Its interesting how OP somehow fails to narrate the PLO's contribution to the Lebanese Civil War. Although we can't make this generalization for all Palestinians, but the Civil War is largely blamed on the PLO for setting up camp in Lebanon after being kicked out of Jordan, and starting the whole mess.

Seriously, after playing Rome 2: Total War, I immediately missed the Paradox feel, and frankly the only thing sticking me to the game is the in-game battle features, but Paradox can do such a better job at the history/realism and diplo-economic feature. Please make EU: Rome 2 happen!

Once the military junta is thrown out (because it will be thrown out), and elections come, which party would you vote for?

And how big are the crowds compared to the crowds at the ouster of Mubarak?

Finally, stay safe, that is the biggest concern. Although you might be scared, think of yourself as being in the middle of a historical event, something that will written in textbooks for years to come! Many people cannot claim to have been active in a democracy movement of freedom and liberation, but you and those around you are doing right now!