“Trust Tunisia”

That's David Rohde's post-election advice for the West:

The election results in Tunisia should not be feared. I have argued — and will continue to argue — that the danger is not Islam. It is authoritarianism. Secular regimes, such as Syria’s, have proven just as repressive as authoritarian Islamist regimes, like Iran. Islam is not inherently backward nor incompatible with modernity. Salafism is. Constitutions that mandate elections, individual rights and protections for women and minorities are the best defense against authoritarianism in any form. Democratic principals and institutions, not individual leaders, thwart the concentration of power. The West must now trust the democratic process it has long said it supports.