Muslim spokesmen, particularly those who sought to find islamic roots for western practices, made much of the islamic principle of consultation, according to which. Transconflict comparing western and african democracy. Islam and democracy eliane ursula ettmueller abstract. The islamic political order is based on the concept of tawhid and seeks it flowering in the form of popular vicegerency khilafa operating through a mechanism of shura, supported by the principles of equality of humankind, rule of law, protection of human rights including those of minorities, accountability of rulers, transparency of political processes and an overriding concern for justice. Democracy in modern iran challenges readers to think about islam and democracy critically and in a far more nuanced way than is done in blackandwhite dichotomies. Ddeemmooccrraaccyy iinn iissllaamm by hassan taha the aware center is a nonprofit ngo that offers facilities and services related to. Because democracy is generally thought of as a product of the west, the countries of the middle east have been reluctant to accept a western democracy. For more than a century a question discussion has been whether democracy is compatible with islam or not. Not long ago the western formula of democracy and free markets seemed unassailable. Most of the political movements in the world have made it their goal to establish this system in their respective countries.
An islamic democracy in iraq will signal to the muslim world that the u. Western democracy and islam iqbals view point democracy, defined as government of the people. Western imperialism, war, exploitation, and political interference in the middle east led to an entrenched feeling of distrust, fear, and insecurity. The poles, in particular, are so committed to american style democracy that they are itching to go to war with putins russia. Iraq reconciliation would help counter islamic state u. Outside the west, meanwhile, groups such as the islamic state in iraq and syria isis, boko haram, and. But measurement of the cultural distance between the west and islam is a complex undertaking, and that distance is narrower than they assume. Home western political thought democracy whats the difference between an islamic state and secular democracy whats the difference between an islamic state and secular democracy. Islamic political theory specifies three basic fea. What are the different types and forms of democracy.
The conflict between western world and islam 5 though both countries are islamic and adopted islamic semantic, they do not make islamic politics as they did not cooperate. This was owing to the development, starting in late 2001, of the global terrorism database gtda end page 114 systematic, opensource database that now records terrorist incidents and casualties globally through 2016. A critical reexamination of existing theory to establish renewed potential by. The relationship between islam and democracy is strongly debated among the people who identify with the islamic resurgence in the late twentieth century and the beginning of the twentyfirst.
Ddeemmooccrraaccyy iinn iissllaamm by hassan taha the aware center is a nonprofit ngo that offers facilities and services related to kuwaiti, gulf, arab and islamic culture. Is there a difference between a democracy and a westernstyle. Is there a difference between a democracy and a westernstyle democracy. We must view islamic stands on such key democracy traits to gauge congruence. But that question should not override the issue, already a significant one in european countries, especially in britain, of whether islamic sharia law is compatible with a democratic legal system.
In this paper, dedicated to islam and democracy, we will give voice to the early. Comparing western and african democracy challenges and opportunities continuous imposition of the western model of democracy will only lead to western frustration and african rejection, just like in the middle east, latin america and other parts of the world. Aug 20, 2019 the streets of western capitals have been marched upon by people in larger numbers than at any time since the high point of the civil rights movement half a century ago. Thirteen years after the iranian revolution wrought the worlds first modern theocracy, islam is once again emerging as a powerful political idiom. The issue came into focus again after the recent phenomena of war on terrorism. Islamic democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply islamic principles to public policy within a democratic framework. This form of democracy seeks to apply islamic law to public policies, while simultaneously maintaining a democratic framework. It was only after 911 that reliable studies covering both domestic and transnational terrorism became possible. Secondly, everyone is subject to the sharia law including the leaders. Firstly in islamic system there is no concept of complete freedom of parliament which is subject to sovereignty of allah. Oct 30, 2018 the simplest explanation for me would be while western modern states have several models, all of them revolved around the material. The balance of rights one difficulty in marrying islamic ideals with western notions of democracy is that western and islamic societies possess somewhat.
One particularly telling comparison concerns the prospects for islamic democracy in the middle east. Continuous imposition of the western model of democracy will only lead to western frustration and african rejection, just like in the middle east, latin america and other parts of the world. Jun 03, 2015 what history says about the prospects for islamic democracy. Pdf with the expansion of islamism, a wave of islam phobia was launched by western orientalists and intensified subsequent to september. The moroccan scholar fatima mernissi is frequently upheld as the muslim worlds leading feminist thinker. There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among islamic political theorists, the general muslim public, and western authors. This book, however, islam and democracy, is a disorganized rant.
This is the version revised for republication in martin kramer, arab awakening and islamic revival new brunswick, n. The islamic concept of governance like western democracy, also encourages peoples participation in the affairs of the state, but there are two major differences. The idea of the coexistence of democracy and islam has raised controversy among writers and theorists. In the summer of 1881, the english poet wilfrid scawen blunt wrote a series of essays subsequently published under the title, the future of islam. Interpreted literally, they can clash with western democratic ideals. Meanwhile, western islamic apologists and modernizing muslims continue to look for democratic principles in islam and islamic history. This democracy will represent the will of the people and if the people were believing muslims, their aspirations and ideas infl. Some western analysts contend that islam is the reason that so many muslim countries are not democratic. Jul 15, 2003 an islamic democracy in iraq will signal to the muslim world that the u. Nowadays the application of the islamic law sharia identifies a state that is islamic. What is the difference between the western and islamic.
Democracy in islamic perspective however is the subject too big to be covered in one article or in one talk, so in this background, the paper examined the muhammad asads views about democracy. Is islam compatible with democracy and human rights. It is totally a religious package right or wrong and it is totally dictatorial too. It focuses on his work about islam and the fundamentals of power, published in 1925.
Arguably, one of the fundamental principles of western democracy is the separation of church and state. Mirsepassi, an iranian native, provides a rare inside look into the country, offering a deep understanding of how islamic countries like iran and iraq can and will embrace democracy. Political islam and democracy in the muslim world lynne rienner. Some modern islamic thinkers, whose ideas were particularly popular in the 1970s and 1980s, rejected the notion of democracy as a foreign idea incompatible with islam. Democracy brought together four prominent muslim americans who represent a range of progressive political viewpoints to ask them about the progressive roots of islam, how the religion might revive those more liberal traditions, the extent to which muslims and nonmuslims should criticize islam, and more. At least king fahd has had the honesty to admit the incompatibility of islam and democracy. What is the difference between an islamic democracy and. Whats the difference between an islamic state and secular. This paper proposes a short apprehension of the reflections of one of the most important progressive islamic scholars, the egyptian theologian ali abderraziq. Pdf islam and democracy a dynamic perspective researchgate.
The question raised by the ouster of egypts president morsi is whether islam is compatible with democracy or any form of government that empowers the people and limits the power of leaders to hold merely representative offices with limited terms of public service. When the cold war ended in 1989, the new great game played by diplomats, politicians and intellectuals alike became to promote and report on the further spread of democracy about the globe. Can democratization happen without the pre sence of the normative values associated with western liberal democracy. However, while muslims say they admire freedom and an open political system, gallup surveys suggest that they do not believe they must choose between islam and democracy, but rather, that the. By abdullah al andalusi on october 23, 2014 9 in an islamic state, the leader is obliged by the quran to run the affairs of the people using shura consultation. According to islam, the source of law is divine revelation, while western democracy regards. In recent years western democracy has indeed come under threat. However, while muslims say they admire freedom and an open political system, gallup surveys suggest that they do not believe they must choose between islam and democracy, but rather, that the two can coexist inside one functional government. To be sure, there will be wars and terrorism, but no alternative ideology with a universal appeal will seriously challenge the ideas and values of western liberal democracy as the dominant organizing principles around the world. Where islam and democracy part ways pdf scholars at harvard.
Some of these islamists believe that democracy is a foreign concept that has been imposed by westernizers and secular reformers upon muslim societies. An islamic democracy has to navigate tensions created by islams traditional rules. Islam and modernity some scholars have argued that christianity and judaism have essentially come to terms with modernity, as represented by western pluralistic societies such as the united states, and dont view modernity as a. Her book beyond the veil has become standard collegereading for most people investigating the subject of womens rights in the islamic tradition. This study examines the relationship between islam and democracy. All their laws and values would be contingent upon the material. The simplest explanation for me would be while western modern states have several models, all of them revolved around the material. Nov 16, 2018 at least king fahd has had the honesty to admit the incompatibility of islam and democracy. What history says about the prospects for islamic democracy a view of the sultan ahmed mosque, better known as the blue mosque, in the historic sultanahmet district of istanbul, turkey, sunday. Is there a difference between a democracy and a western.
Bhutto is correct in her over all thesis that dictatorship and western interference in muslim countries have retarded the development of democratic norms and values. Democracy is the most popular and accepted political system in the modern world. Westerners tend to think of islamic societies as backward looking, oppressed by religion, and inhumanely governed, comparing them to their own enlightened, secular democracies. The distortion here does not lie in the claim of compatibility between islam and democracy. From a progressive perspective, an islamic democracy is a typical modern democracy established by a society of muslims. What history says about the prospects for islamic democracy. Shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal. The workshop was cochaired by david smock, director. Islam, democracy and the west by benazir, bhutto a worthwhile and informative book. Comparing western and african democracy challenges and opportunities. Western democracy, as distinct from that which existed in premodern societies, is generally considered to have originated in citystates such as classical athens and the roman republic, where various schemes and degrees of enfranchisement of the free male population were observed before the form disappeared in the west at the beginning of late.