There is no worse place for a person of faith than a theocracy, even (sometimes especially) for believers in the official state religion. (Not to say that nonbelievers are safer, of course.)
It *baffles* me that my fellow Catholics don't get this. Did we just *forget* about Joan of Arc?
Well, it's not *that* baffling. Much Catholic media (EWTN, Catholic Answers, etc.) is fox news with smells and bells, and has been for a long time. You Are Not Immune To Propaganda and all that.