In this paper, we will examine islams relationship with democracy from. Presented is an extensive look into islam and democracy from ibn warraqs book, why i am not a muslim. Therefore, their system of government was based on monarchy. Islam actually tells people to pick people based on their merits and it started right after the death of prophet muhammeds death when people picked his first successor based on his knowledge as the first incharge of islam. Even with the islamic schisms of sunnis, shias, alawites, salafids, wahhabis, druze and so many others, all have one quality in common. In the tumult that followed the collapse of dictatorial governments in libya. May 18, 2007 islam is compatible with democracy but there are limitations which the western world does not appreciate. Islam and democracy uneasy companions briefing the.
Fattah, moataz bellah mohamed abdel, islam and democracy. It is in the interest of the world, capitalists and the poor to invest. All you have to do is look at the islamic sources or call any imam and pretend to. Voll georgetown university abstract the relationship between islam and democracy is a hotly debated topic. It is a theocratic system with allah alone at its head.
Rejection some traditionalists and islamists totally reject democracy as a foreign infidel import that has no place in islam. Bringing things full circle, islam is in fact compatible with democracy, as is any other religion. Jun 15, 2016 bringing things full circle, islam is in fact compatible with democracy, as is any other religion. Islam and democracy united states institute of peace. Is liberal democracy basically compatible with islam, or is some measure of respect for law. In conclusion, it is vital to note that islam and democracy are compatible in many significant ways.
Islamic values do not encourage homosexuals which the western world accepts in the name. The compatibility of islam and democracy has become one of the main questions of concern in. An abundance of information about terrifying terrorist attacks committed by muslims can be found across the media. It should not be a mystery whether islam is compatible with democracy or not.
Nevertheless, many muslim activists, using broad and sometimes crude notions of secularism and sovereignty, consider democracy to be the rule of. Usually the disagreements are expressed in a standard form. Islam is compatible with democracy but there are limitations which the western world does not appreciate. According to some commentators, these protests reflect a relatively new push for democracy by the arab peoples.
The longstanding debate about islam and democracy has reached a stunning turning point. But in order to argue that democracy is missing from the islamic world because of islam, it must be demonstrated that muslims indeed practice islam. What isnt compatible with democracy is a fundamentalist interpretation of a particular religion, because it promotes a provincial way of thinking by frowning upon innovation and has natural abhorrence towards compromise. In other words, the democracy that western nations have enjoyed is now appearing in the middle east. Seemed as a simple question, such an inquiry requires an indepth look at the matter at hand. This paper proposes a short apprehension of the reflections of one of the most important progressive islamic scholars, the egyptian theologian ali abderraziq. Many muslims who argue that islam and democracy are compatible live in the west, and are therefore seen as contaminated by nonislamic ideas. In these discussions, muslim scholars bring historically important concepts from within the islamic. According to websters dictionary, democracy is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised. Thus the absence of democracy in muslim countries is by means on account of islamic teachings or incompatibility of democracy with islam but due to host of factors political, historical and cultural. Yet, from an academic standpoint, it is the assertive form of secularism only which has that effect 208. But if the term refers to a system in which citizens have those rights freedom of speech, the rule of law, minority rights, an independent judiciary needed to make free and intelligent. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
February 12, 2016 admin article, law and social policy, middle east. 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. Islams precepts are not predicated on choice personal or otherwise. Simultaneously, they have to convince the puritans4 that the democratic road is the best option for islamist political control. Allahs law is interpreted by a ruling body of clerics. They dictate in no uncertain terms how their adherents should live. The national interest at the dawn of the socalled arab spring in 2011, diplomats, politicians, and intellectuals debated a fresh question. The politically correct revisionist liberal narrative insisting that islam is a religion like any other can only exist in subjective reality. Islam is compatible to democracy in various significant ways hence making it an effective form of governing people in countries such as iran.
Tunisias islamist ennahda party announced last month that it was moving away from socalled political islam. As a result, some individuals have come to the conclusion that islam and democracy are. This is not to say that an islamic society would look like an american representative democracy, but neither do any of the socialist democracies or monarchies found. In this form, the debaters definitions of islam and democracy determine the conclusions arrived at.
American policymakers and western governments would be wiser to promote the strengthening of. Read is islam and democracy compatible essay sample for. The question whether democracy is compatible with islam has a direct impact on almost one fourth. The compatibility of islam and democracy has become one of the main. Slowly but surely, the evidence is coming in, and it is that islam is incompatible with democracy and civil society. Islamic law is absolutely incompatible with true democracy. Nicholas provencher university of arkansas at monticello paper presented to.
Since the arab uprisings began in late 2010, political islam and democracy have become increasingly interdependent. Aug 23, 2006 maybe to some, its not compatible the secular world but not for democracy. This argument is based on one theoretical assumption that democracy and shura islam are not compatible and one empirical assumption that muslims strongly adhere to islamic principles. Also recruited to this end is an oftrepeated hadith that has muhammad saying, my community will never agree on an. This is not an example of the work produced by our essay writing service. There are some major misconceptions about this issue. The implicit explanation for this delay, for some, is that most arabs are muslim and islam is not compatible with democracy. Fai emphasized that islam, as a growing force in the world, is not a threat in its ideal form and is particularly compatible with western ideals of freedom and democracy.
Justice minister piet hein donner strongly disagrees with a plea for a ban on parties seeking to launch islamic law in the netherlands. In one of his papers, he conducts a comparative analysis of both concepts. Many have put forward the example of turkey as the most successful implementation of what islam can entail in a secular democratic polity. American policymakers and western governments would be wiser to promote the strengthening of democratic institutions, rather than forcing new. Muslim societies had monarchs ruling them for a very long period, stretching over about a thousand years. This is not to say that individual muslims cannot immigrate to western countries with complete success. Yes, islam is compatible with democracy mehdi hasan debunks the myth that muslims have a problem with democracy. He thinks of egypt, where a democratic revolution in 2011 eventually led to the election of an islamist president. An islamic democracy in iraq will signal to the muslim world that the u.
Interview with nader hashemi on the compatibility of islam and democracy. Islamist parties have to convince secularists3 that political islam is capable of respecting the rights and views of nonreligious minorities. The national interestat the dawn of the socalled arab spring in 2011, diplomats, politicians, and intellectuals debated a fresh question. Hes followed the struggle to mesh liberal values with islam. Jun 20, 2017 shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal violence. Sep 16, 2016 is political islam compatible with democracy. If by democracy one means an occasional election, with a limited choice of candidates who cannot speak freely, and no voting for the most powerful position then sure, islamism has no problems with democracy. There is no room for a secular political system in which all people are treated as equals. The past 10 to 15 years have been characterized by the rise of islamic radicalism and extremism. Is islam compatible with democracy and human rights. The imperialist powers, firstly of europe and then those of united states also play their own role. Islam is compatible with western ideals of freedom and democracy.
There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among. Some extend the argument to affirm that under the conditions of the contemporary world, democracy can be considered a requirement of islam. This means leaders are not supposed to be imposed on citizens, but should be chosen according to the wish. Shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal violence. Sep 22, 2016 is political islam compatible with democracy. Islam and democracy eliane ursula ettmueller abstract. When one asks whether islam is compatible with democracy, one needs to analyze the definition of democracy. Islamic values do not encourage homosexuals which the. Analysing the compatibility of islam and democracy. Gods sovereignty precludes any sovereignty of man in any form. Summary democracy building remains an uphill struggle in most muslim countries. Reconciliation islam democracy and the west history essay.
The end of history, the clash of civilizations, and the age of empire by chanyoung yang class of 2010 a thesis submitted to the faculty of wesleyan university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of bachelor of arts with departmental honors from the college of social studies. Thus, islam remains compatible to democracy in a significant way because of its assertion of consensus and the significant of participatory decisionmaking within different states. Many prominent islamic intellectuals and groups, however, argue that islam and democracy are compatible. Essay about islam and democracy 2214 words bartleby. He has contrived a reading of the koran forget the hadith and the sira he wont touch those on the record by which islam was never meant to be a political doctrine. Islam and democracy scholarworks at wmu western michigan. Jul 15, 2003 islam and democracy the lack of democracy in many muslim nations around the world gained greater public attention in the west following the 911 terrorist attacks.
First, islam is compatible to democracy because it allows for election in the election of leaders. It is election season in america and time to look at one the of the dhimmis favorite mythsthe democratization of islam. In this interview with lewis gropp, nader hashemi, a leading scholar on islam and secularism, says that the two are far from being incompatible and that the west has to accept its share of responsibility for the revival of antidemocratic forces in the islamic world. Assertive secularism can under certain conditions pasha, 1044 rahman, 2016, 64 206. Three articles that look at political islam in the arab world, the turkish model and the philosophical puzzle caused by islam and democracy seeking to coexist. In egypt, the muslim brotherhood came to power, after 70 years of an. According to websters dictionary, democracy is a form of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or their elected agents under a free electoral system. Thus came the question about the compatibility of political islam with democracy. There is also a more worrying aspect to all this, too.
True khilafat compatible with democracy the muslim times. His whole stance is that islam and democracy are indeed compatible. What did peter thiel mean when he said i no longer. Democracy is the tool of a majority to enforce their will upon a minority. It focuses on his work about islam and the fundamentals of power, published in 1925. The explanation of why so many muslim countries are not democratic has more to do with historical, political, cultural, and economic factors than with religious ones. Aug 14, 2000 if by democracy one means an occasional election, with a limited choice of candidates who cannot speak freely, and no voting for the most powerful position then sure, islamism has no problems with democracy. Democracy index 2019 a year of democratic setbacks and popular protest pdf. This question turns out to be more striking when one takes into account the reality that the greater part of the muslimmajority countries are either unstable democracies or nondemocratic regimes. Take away the political aspects and all youre left with is a cult based on hate and nothing else, like.
Steve inskeep talks to hamid about islam and democracy. The third issue is the source of law, it incongruently being fully secular in ideal democracy but partially divine in religions. Shadi hamid is the author of a book called islamic exceptionalism. Ghannouchi makes a case for the full compatibility of islam and democracy, emphasizing islams lack of hierarchy.
Excluding the period of the rightly guided caliphs which consisted of a democratic system of governance, the rest of the time dynasties ruled muslim lands. Indeed, allah commands you to make over the trusts to those entitled to them, and that, when you judge between men, you judge with justice. There is an agonizing question at the heart of the present debate about democracy in the islamic world. Secular islam was created by the center for inquiry to collect the writings, thoughts, and speeches of secular muslims, exmuslims, believers, doubters, and unbelievers, brought together by a great struggle, not between the west and islam, but between the free and the unfree. Liberal democracy, however far it may have traveled, however much it may have been transformed, is in its origins a product of the westshaped by a thousand years of european history, and beyond. Indonesia the country with the largest muslim population rapid transformation since the end of its authoritarian regime in 1998 during the transformation process, islam was very present elections. A democracy is a system in which all people are equal before the law, regardless of race, religion or gender. May 28, 2016 islam is not compatible with democracy. And surely excellent is that with which allah admonishes you. It gives an illusion of say in the decision, but ultimately those who co. This question asked whether islam can be compatible with democracy.
Democracy, as it exists today is not compatible with islam for the very reasons stated in the article. He first enumerates the principles that democracy is based on. By doing so, it encompasses the wide range of arguments that scholars have made on the issue and shows clearly what makes it possible for islam and democracy to be. The vote of every individual counts as much as the vote of any other. Reformminded muslims who prefer to ignore all of this instead point to quran 42. A critical reexamination of existing theory to establish renewed potential by. So democracy is not a western import but a core part of muslim history. Pdf p classabstract the democratization process in indonesia is in line with the. Islam s precepts are not predicated on choice personal or otherwise. Analysing the compatibility of islam and democracy politics essay. Great blood and treasure have been spent in iraq to bring democracy to islam. Islam is compatible with western ideals of freedom and. The debate over whether they are compatible is now virtually obsolete.