Ottifant, you're chin deep in subjects discussed heavily in philosophy last century. I suggest reading up on Deleuze.

There's plenty of compelling evidence that political and personal freedoms -> more creativity -> more efficient ways of making money -> opulence. So anywhere rich is likely to be liberal.

The Islamic world under Muhammed up until the invasion and inclusion into the Ottoman empire, was for the time the most liberal and wealthiest place on earth. After the European enlightenment Europe got rich. We wheren't always the rich dudes in the world. North Europeans have historically been rather poor and backward as a region. We shouldn't get too cocky up here. According to Deleuze the Islamic world is now where Europe was in the 13'th century.

They haven't even had their Thomas Aquinas yet...let alone an Arab Kierkegaard. They best they have is Qutb. Islamic scholars are either Qutbists or Wahabists, which is a bit like chosing which bow and arrow to pick for the deer hunt. They're both hopelesly out-dated. With Internet I'm hoping things will speed up.