Progressive? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

The Armenian Genocide was carried out by the Young Turk movement towards the end of the empire. The YTs were distinguished by a stark materialism and secularism, and actually sought to revert the theocratic nature of the empire prior. So, not really Ottoman Islam, per se.

And this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamidian_massacres

The no true Turk fallacy

There's also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devşirme

Additionally the book Lawrence in Arabia is a fascinating historical account of the events that led to this empire dividing.

http://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-Arabia-Deceit-Imperial-Making...

The Millet System brokered by the Ottomans was definitely advanced compared to what Europe had during the Medieval Age under the influence of the Catholic Church esp. when it comes to religious tolerance but make no mistake it's still a backward system where Muslims are favored and other people are discriminated against.

Also, not a single country was under the occupation of the Ottomans had any advancement or progress in quality of life or any other aspect of social or public life because the Turks made sure that most of the generated wealth of Vilayets be transferred to Istanbul/Asitane/High Porte where the Sultan lives and only when people revolted against them and ended their rule, the countries managed to enjoy the fruits of their labor and national wealth like in the case of Egypt in 1800s.

This situation is still perpetuated to this day. All of US and Israeli foreign policy in the Middle-East basically revolves around containing the various states there to keep there from being a unified Middle-Eastern superstate.

Which creates instability & low-level wars, which they'd prefer to having a stronger state that would contain that sort of thing, but which might challenge them on the international scene.

A Middle-Eastern superstate?

Where did you guys come up with this?

I don't think that the Elite in many ME countries would cherish the idea of sharing their power with any of their peers in neighboring countries let alone people of different countries sharing space with other people from the region. If you're talking about Pan-Arabism or Pan-Islamism, both ideologies are moribund and can't be taken seriously in any meaninful discussion.