Islam and democracy compatible - Expert

[PsychoDad]

Islam and democracy compatible - Expert

6/5/2005 6:45:00 AM GMT


Source: Iqna

Alexey Malashenko a professor at Moscow State Institute of International Relations, believes that Islam and democracy are compatible.

The Russian professor noted that it is an undisputed fact in today’s world that people of the world should study Islam and get to know its different aspects.

Democracy is a proven fact in Islam he said.
...
All the failures of the reformist movements in the Islamic world during the last 200 years have been due to pressures from foreigners and anti-Islamic factions and now Muslims want and need to decide for themselves, he opined.

More here
http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/world_full_story.asp?service_id=1586

[eallen]

1. I hope so. There is the small matter of freedom of speech & religion.

Democracy is not just a matter of voting. They did that even in the old USSR. A liberal democracy requires a free and informed electorate. That means things such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and universal literacy. Can an Islamic Republic avoid laws against blasphemy and apostasy, allow religions and philosophies other than Islam to openly campaign and proselytize, and establish entirely secular public schools?

Maybe.

But so far, most of the writers discussing this tension are avoiding the core issues.

[aneerkoinos]

2. Real democracy

comes with warts and all. It ain't really democracy, if people are not really allowed to choose freely between theocratic democracy, socialist democracy, fascism, tyranny, monarchy, ownership society etc. (or in practice any mixture of those) and liberal democracy is given as the only possible choise. If the minority wanting liberal democracy imposes by violence or other means it's will on the majority that don't agree, then it is not popular democracy but tyranny of the minority.

I don't think this post is avoiding the core issues? ;)

[eallen]

3. Or to put it another way, democracy is fragile.

[aneerkoinos]

4. Yes

And that's why IMO the answer should be more and better democracy, less fragile participatory and inclusive socialist internationalist decentralized democracy! :P

[PsychoDad]

11. See number 10

Some of the rights guarenteed by the Quran and Hadeeth might be very surprising to many westerners.

Please remember, the Islamic world we see today is not the one based upon the vision of the Prophet(saw) but upon the desires of petty dictators empowered by 200 years of colonial rule.

[Igel]

5. Link to a (partial?) CV.

http://www.carnegie.ru/en/staff/6296.htm

Islam certainly has the purely advisory shura, claimed by some to be democracy-in-gestation (with few fruits born, however). But while it's probably true that most reformist movements have failed in the last 200 because of pressures from outside (whether it was for the Ottoman Empire to stop some of it's more benighted practices, or the PLO), that doesn't account for the previous 1200 years, or the numerous times and places there were no movements we'd like to think of as reformist .

It also fails to account for dear old Wahhab himself, who had his very own reform movement, or the fact that as many reformist movements have been in the spirit of Qutb as in the spirit of Jefferson. Fortunately, most of those, sometimes due to outside pressure, have also failed.

Malashenko may be right; he may be another apologist, more interested in preserving research opportunities and saying what's publishable than what the data show.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. The last 1200 years.....

let's see....that would be around 800 AD, right? And what democracies were around then?

As for Qtb-that Being is part of the Spiritual Hierarchy, not of this earth plane. Sharif Baba would say, "Don't worry about politics, worry about soul", which may account for the reason that many Sufis have faded into the background, not wanting to play political games. Wahhab's "reform" movement was a movement backwards, towards pre-Islamic, tribal culture, imho.

[Igel]

7. A partial claim is that the shura is

something akin to, or compatible with, democracy. It goes back to the 800s AD, at least.

But reform movements have traditionally been at the expense of liberalization in society. It's an old argument that in general the more Xianity reformed, the less it was involved in politics and the more tolerant it became: the reformations were usually crushed as liberalizing heresy. I'm hesitant to describe most Muslim "reformist movements" as leading to tolerance, although some of those were also denounced as heresy.

The Qutb I had in mind also bore the first name Sayyid; he was a truly obscure writer of no consequence in the 20th century. Whether or not he's part of the Spiritual Hierarchy apparently depends on which Qutb is under discussion, and your view of monotheism.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. Qtb

as I understand it, is very important to the spiritual well-being of the planet, but is not to be known, but to do his/her work quietly. There are always several Qtbs on the planet at any given moment.

A different concept that a Qtb that would be known and be political.

[H2O Man]

9. The Haudenosaunee

which is the world's oldest democratic government, was founded in circa 400 ad.

[PsychoDad]

10. Some other interesting articles on the subject

That touch upon some of the things that have been discussed.

The following articles are from an Islamic perspctive and are consistant with sharia, the Islamic legal system as outlined by Quran and Hadith. These are Ideals, not realities shaded by greedy dictators, traditions and mysogony

Some very interesting concepts here, including the right to privicy and right of an individual to their conscience.

For your consideration:

Democracy in Islam
http://www.islamonline.net/English/introducingislam/politics/Politics/article01.shtml

Every individual in an Islamic society enjoys the rights and powers as the caliph of Allah, and in this respect all individuals are equal. “Caliphate” as a term has frequently been used to describe an Islamic political system based on monarchy, while the authentic notion truly refers to the authority of every single Muslim in his human capacity and his right to enjoy dignity and respect.

The Hobbesian conception of the necessity of the State and its priority and seeing it as a condition for civility does not conform to the Islamic perspective. Yes, the formation of a State is a historical process, but the community comes first. No authority may deprive any citizen of his rights and powers.

The agency for running the affairs of the state will be formed by agreement with these individuals, and the authority of the state will only be an extension of the powers of the individuals delegated to it. Their opinion should be decisive in the formation of the government, which will be run with their advice and in accordance with their wishes.

The Purpose of the Islamic State
http://www.islamonline.net/English/introducingislam/politics/Politics/article02.shtml

The constant demand made by Islam is that the principles of morality must be observed at all costs and in all walks of life. Hence, it lays down as an unalterable policy that the state should base its policies on justice, truth and honesty. It is not prepared, under any circumstances, to tolerate fraud, falsehood and injustice for the sake of political, administrative or so-called national interest. Whether it is domestic relations within the state, or international relations with other nations, precedence must always be given to truth, honesty and justice.
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Although an Islamic state may be set up anywhere on earth, Islam does not seek to restrict human rights or privileges to the boundaries of such a state. Islam has laid down universal fundamental rights for humanity which are to be observed and respected in all circumstances. For example, human blood is sacred and may not be spilled without strong justification such as criminal punishment after a fair trial or in a just war; it is not permissible to oppress women, children, old people, the sick or the wounded; women’s honor and chastity must be respected. These rights are for all people, irrespective of whether they belong to the Islamic community — Muslims and non-Muslims alike — or are from amongst its enemies. These and other provisions have been laid down by Islam as fundamental rights for every human being by virtue of his status as a creation of Allah.
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The Islamic state may not interfere with the personal rights of non-Muslims, who have full freedom of conscience and belief and are at liberty to perform their religious rites and ceremonies in their own way.

Even if a non-Muslim state oppresses its Muslim citizens, it is not permissible for an Islamic state to retaliate against its own non-Muslim citizens. It may not unjustly shed the blood of a single non-Muslim citizen living within its boundaries.

Forming an Islamic Democracy
Sohaib Sultan the author of "The Koran for Dummies"
http://www.islamonline.net/English/introducingislam/politics/Politics/article04.shtml

Before we explore the relationship between Islam and democracy, it is important to understand what exactly the idea of democracy entails because too often the notion of democracy is confused with Western culture and society. As such, analysts often dismiss the compatibility of Islam with democracy, arguing that Islam and secularism are opposite forces, that rule of God is not compatible with rule of man, and that Muslim culture lacks the liberal social attitudes necessary for free, democratic societies to exist.

Arguments that dismiss the notion of an Islamic democracy presuppose that democracy is a non-fluid system that only embraces a particular type of social and cultural vision. However, democracy, like Islam, is a fluid system that has the ability to adapt to various societies and cultures because it is built on certain universally acceptable ideas.
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Now, if a government is by the people, then it only makes sense that the people choose or elect those who will govern on their behalf. Is the notion of elections compatible with Islamic teachings? The answer to this question can be found in the Qur’an’s insistence on using shura, or mutual consultation, in deciding communal affairs (Aal `Imran 3:159, Ash-Shura 42:38), which would include choosing, or if you will, electing leaders to represent and govern on the community’s behalf.

Interestingly, a model exists in Islamic history for Muslims in using mutual consultation as a process of selecting a new leader. When Prophet Muhammad was on his deathbed, many of his Companions urged him to name a successor who would lead the community, but the Prophet refused to do so—a clear indication that he wanted the next leader to be chosen through mutual consultation rather than be imposed upon the community. As such, when the Prophet passed away, the most pressing issue for the community was to choose its next leader. Three Companions were nominated to take the post of khalifah (caliph) and in the end, the Prophet’s closest Companion, Abu Bakr, was chosen to be the community’s new leader. Abu Bakr and his three successors, known collectively as the Four Rightly Guided Caliphs, were also chosen in a similar fashion that reflected popular consent. So the idea of choosing a leader in accordance with popular will is certainly not a new idea in the Islamic tradition. As such, the notion of elections is compatible with the idea of an Islamic democracy.
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We are all born free, which makes freedom our destiny. This is reflected strongly in the Qur’an’s understanding of human free will, which distinguishes man from the rest of God’s creation. The notion of free will necessitates freedom of choice, and this is why the Qur’an so emphatically states (Al-Baqarah 2:256). The Qur’an also encourages the free formation and mobilization of social and political groups when it says (Aal `Imran 3:104).



Rights of Citizens in an Islamic State
http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/politics/System/article04.shtml

Islam protects the rights belonging to the citizens of an Islamic state, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims.

The first is the right to security of life and property. Islam prohibits killing except for that which is done in the due process of law at the hands of a God-fearing court. No government has the right to murder its citizens, openly or secretly, because they oppose its unjust policies and actions or criticize it. Furthermore, Islam confers the right of security of ownership of property.

Another right is that of the protection of honor. Under Islamic Law, if one is proved to have said things that could have damaged the reputation and honor of the plaintiff, the accused is declared guilty of defamation — regardless of whether or not the plaintiff is able to prove that he is respectable and honorable in the first place.

Citizens of an Islamic state have the right to the sanctity and security of private life. Thus spying on others, reading their mail, tapping their phones, etc., is illegal. Espionage on the life of the individual cannot be justified on moral grounds. In fact, when a government does begin to spy on its own people, the common citizens cannot speak freely even in their own homes, and society begins to suffer from a state of general distrust and suspicion — which in turn leads to more dissatisfaction and eventually unrest.

No citizen can be imprisoned unless his guilt has been proven in an open court in which he has the opportunity to defend himself.

Citizens have the God-given right to protest against the government’s tyranny, whether that abuse is directed against individuals, groups, or the entire population.

Citizens have absolute and complete equality in the eyes of the law regardless of their religion

Islam grants the right of freedom of thought and expression on the condition that it should be used to propagate virtue and truth, not to spread evil and wickedness. Further, no one has the right to use abusive or offensive language in the name of criticism. In fact, the citizen not only has the right of freedom of expression in order to propagate virtue, but also the duty to propagate virtue and stop the spread of evil.

Islam gives people the right to freedom of association and formation of parties or organizations, provided that this right is exercised to spread virtue and righteousness, not to spread evil and mischief.

Citizens of an Islamic state have the right to freedom of conscience and conviction. Non-Muslim citizens cannot be forced to accept Islam, and no moral, social, or political pressure can be put on them to make them change their minds.

Religious sentiments are to be protected. Discussion and debate on religious matters can be held, but these must be conducted in decency with no abusive language. This applies to followers of all faiths.

An individual cannot be arrested or imprisoned for the offenses of others. Every person is responsible for his own acts.

Citizens have the right to the basic necessities of life. It is the responsibility of the State to provide the basic necessities for the poor and needy, invalid, orphaned, elderly, unemployed, et cetera. Even a dead person with no guardian or heir has the right to a proper burial by the State.

The citizens of an Islamic state have absolute and complete equality in the eyes of the law, regardless of their religion.

In an Islamic state, the rulers are not above the law. All officials of the state, whether they are the head or ordinary employees, are equal in the eyes of the law. None can claim immunity. Even an ordinary citizen has the right to forward a claim or file a complaint against the highest executive in the country.

Citizens have the right to avoid sin. No government, or administrator, or head of a department can order another person to do wrong. A person who is so ordered has the right to refuse to comply, and this would not be seen as an offense under Islamic Law.

Islam grants the right to participate in the affairs of state. Thus every citizen has the right to have a direct say in the affairs of the state or a representative chosen by him and others.