When examining the uprising in the region, specifically tunisia and egypt, it is. Islam and democracy essay discuss the argument that characterise the debate about islam and democracy since the rise of the islamic movements around the world especially in the middle east and the current tension between muslim and the western countries in particular after 911, the different debates and arguments has been made by scholars, in particular western intellectuals about the. While free and fair elections are important, the study of the arab spring. I will in this dissertation avoid seeing democracy as a strictly western concept. Benazir bhutto argues that the religion of islam and democratic values arent inherently at opposite ends of the governmental spectrum, they just havent been given a fair chance to coexist. The debate on whether islam and democracy are compatible has been in top gear in the past two decades. Pdf for more than a century a question discussion has been. Whether you need basic islam democracy research at masterlevel, or complicated research at doctorallevel, we can begin assisting you today. Islam and democracy are compatible because both of them uphold the rule of law.
The views of several modern muslim scholars by tauseef ahmad parray tauseef ahmad parray is a doctoral candidate in department of islamic studies, aligarh muslim university, aligarh, uttar pradesh, india. Political islam and democracy stars university of central florida. It is essential reading for political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, and students of islam. In short, this thesis shaff compare fethullah gulens views with the pps views on islam and democracy and it wiff focus on whether gulens views on islam and democracy render them more compatible. 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. Hinduism is a completely undefinable entity and it is now agreed, only for the sake of a census that whoever calls himself hindu is a hindu, irrespective of his beliefs or practices. This comparison is then mirrored and reflected against the governments of malaysia and indonesia by seeking the influence of islam and the role it plays in the formulation of policies by the government today and in. The books thesis that even a radically antisecular islamist movement can be transformed into supporting secular democracy is an extremely important contribution to todays global discussions. Even in democracy, small ruling groups usually make decisions. Islam, democracy, and social movements the prevailing media and intellectual circles in the west perceive islam at the root of the authoritarian polity in the muslim middle east.
Nearly onefifth of the worlds population is muslim. An islamic democracy in iraq will signal to the muslim world that the u. The system of transliteration used in this thesis is that recommended by. Shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal violence. The thesis questions the dominant view that the uprising is conducive to bring about democracy to the region. Impeding the rise to power of islamists, particularly in the arab middle east, therefore, was a prominent feature of the u.
When one asks whether islam is compatible with democracy, one needs to analyze the definition of democracy. Kadivars main thesis, which identifies him as a postislamist intellectual, can be summarized as follows. Values and perceptions of the islamic and middle eastern publics. Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. Khan 2005 has noted that it would be wrong to claim that there is no democracy in the muslim world because close to 800 million muslims live in societies which have different forms of democracy. This study will try to answer is it possible to have democracy in political islamic.
Dissertation abstracts recent dissertations related to the middle east, the arab world and islam islamic studies theses via ethos uk fulltext doctoral dissertations on middle east and islamic studies available free. Sep 27, 2014 incompatibility thesis 1 the relation between islam and democracy has been a long debate among scholars, and the main thesis on this issue emphasizes the incompatibility between both. The first weak argument in this article is that the authors suggest, democracy is a foreign concept that has been imposed by westernizers and secular reformers upon muslim. Despite the complexity of the concept of democracy in the muslim world, the above discussion has shown that islam is not inherently incompatible with with democracy. Analysing the compatibility of islam and democracy politics essay. Islam and democracy muslim world residents see no conflict between religious principles and democratic values by dalia mogahed, executive director, the gallup center for muslim studies islam in politics has been asserted in many countries in the muslim world through democratic elections. In the popular imagination, islam is often associated with words like oppression, totalitarianism, intolerance, cruelty, misogyny, and homophobia, while its presumed antonyms are christianity, the west, liberalism, individualism, freedom, citizenship, and democracy. Background for discussion in 2001, freedom house included indonesia as a free country, although the rate of indonesias civil liberties is placed lower than the political rights. From the social perspective, it is the communal islam, which is prescribed to be practiced at all levels and thus democracy in islam is a social concept more so than in any other theoretical.
An islamic state will have to implement and protect the sharia as the source of laws. The case of akp in turkey is a good indicator that political islam can at times be a program for religious democracy and not necessarily an agenda for holy war and terrorism as it. Jun 20, 2017 shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal violence. Bhutto believes the western notion of incompatibility between islam and d. Islamic secularization in the west masters thesis presented to the faculty of the graduate school of arts and sciences brandeis university graduate program in global studies rajesh sampath, advisor in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree master of arts in global studies by rida abu rass february 2016. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. Democracy and islam, islam, middle east politics david bukay spring 2007 meq receive the latest by email. But islamic fundamentalism is just one stream among many. Thus, this thesis will critically analyze the concept and its origin and its usefulness as an analytical tool to understand the uprising in the mena region. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading islam and democracy. It is noteworthy that islam 6 the next chapter will give general characteristics of these. Islam and democracy canadian center of science and education. Yes, political islam and democracy can work, but not by pushing for early elections. Examining the moderation thesis in algeria introduction much of the scholarly debate surrounding what jillian schwedler1 has coined the moderation inclusion hypothesis has focused on definitions of 1 what is meant by moderation.
A transitional government, led by a respected leader who is not shackled by a strong ideology and who can cultivate consensus and has wide public appeal, must take at least two years to allow secular and islamic parties to develop their political platforms and make the public fully aware of their socio. Islamic publics in 75 societies around the globe, con rms the rst claim in huntington s thesis. It is worth noting democratic and islamic systems emphasize on the rule of law within their areas of governance. Theoretical reflections on religious freedom issue in indonesia novriantoni kahar dosen universitas paramadina, jakarta 2. During her first term, she started peoples program for economic uplift of the masses. The islamic system, from the beginning to the end, is for allah. Essay about islam and democracy 2214 words bartleby. Muslim thinkers who deal with political debates cannot ignore the significance of the democratic system, as it is the prevailing theme of modern western political thought. Reformers like him dismiss khomeinis understanding of islam and in its place strive to reconcile islam and democracy.
To call islam antidemocracy by citing a brief verse noncontextually is odd. Fear of the modern world with new introduction kindle edition by mernissi, fatima. Benazir has also challenged the thesis of clash of civilization by samuel huntington and termed it a self serving prophecy which does not correspond to the actual causes of the world crises. Islam was founded in the 7 th century in the arabian peninsula and has now grown to be the world largest organized religion. The analysis of liberal democracy is centered upon islam s initial challenges with secular pluralism. Benazir bhutto became the youngest prime minister at the age of thirtyfive and the first muslim woman to lead a muslim nation in modern times. Myths and realities on islam and democracy in the middle.
The impact of religious orientations on attitudes toward democracy in four arab countries. First, he argues that the quran asserts a certain set of values that can help govern a legislative government but not an entire legislative program. Islam in liberalism, massad university of chicago press. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. 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. Focussing on indonesia, the most populous muslim country in the world, and egypt, the most populous muslim country in the arabicspeaking world, the thesis aims to unfold some of the important factors and. There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among islamic political theorists, the general muslim public, and western authors 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. A narrow understanding of the democratic peace thesis brings about. Democracy puts in place significant principles that ensure the government adheres to the rule of law in the process of governing its citizens. Basically, the essay contemporary muslim interpretation of islam and democracy tries to determine how these contemporary muslim thinkers reconcile liberal democratic studentshare our website is a unique platform where students can share their papers in a. But huntington is mistaken in assuming that the core clash between the west and islamic worlds concerns democracy. Almost all uk universities make their theses available through the service.
Towards a processhumanistic interpretation of islam. It focuses on his work about islam and the fundamentals of power, published in 1925. As a matter of fact, islam is based on three main notions that are. Analysing the compatibility of islam and democracy. Pdf download islam and democracy free unquote books. Nonetheless, mainstream islamism has established itself as an unrivalled political force.
History has shown that the religion of islam and the idea of democracy often conflict, but is that because of the religion itself, or are there other factors to blame. Free analysis of rhetorical strategies benazir bhutto essay. In light of this information, it is clear that islam and democracy are fully compatible and can coexist, by means of liberalization, reforms, equity, and free expression. Such is the definition that mainly pertains to western democracy and western thought. Islam and democracy scholarworks at wmu western michigan. Free custom is islam and democracy compatible essay paper. Phd thesis democratization and islamic political activism. Reflecting the role of islam in malaysia and indonesia 6. The most prominent division is between the majority sunni and the minority shia, but there are many more fragmentations beyond just this division. She provides ample evidence to back up this theory, citing both the quran and the constitution of pakistan. Islam democracy masters dissertation example writing a.
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. Others have argued that traditional islamic notions such as shura, maslaha, and. This thesis will examine the events and outcomes of the arab spring to analyze the implications on muslim politics and democracy in tunisia, egypt, libya, iran and turkey. Jul 10, 2017 islam and democracy compatibility is a hotly debated topic that has gained an impetus from the final decades of 20th century to the present. 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. Islam and democracy eliane ursula ettmueller abstract. Some of these islamists believe that democracy is a foreign concept that has been imposed by westernizers and. Performing organization names and addresses naval postgraduate school monterey, ca 939435000 8. Contemporary muslim interpretation of islam and democracy.
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. Nevertheless, he argues that if islam and democracy were to be seen as two different systems, one of the main differences between an islamic state and a democracy is the sphere of sovereignty, where in a democratic society sovereignty lies with the people, and in an islamic state it resides in god 2004. Alattas went on to the school of oriental and african studies, university of london where he worked with professor a. Iranian religious modernists at reconciling islam and democracy on the theoretical. Muslim democracies in the middle east north africa mena region. Fattah, moataz bellah mohamed abdel, islam and democracy. Benazir bhutto also lifted a ban on the student unions and trade unions. The thesis is a comparative study between political islam and democracy. 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. As members of the dissertation committee, we certify that we have read the. This open access is brought to you for free and open access by the ucf theses and.
Additionally, one of the principal ways to promote productive coexistence of democracy and islam is to ensure that the values, beliefs, and concepts of the islamic religion. Democracy and islam is considered by many scholars one of the most complex and debatable topics. Islamic institutions in politics, education, and interestfree banking exhibit low levels of. Islam and democracy science topic islam and democracy compatibility is a hotly debated topic that has gained an impetus from the final decades of. The purpose of this thesis is to seek the elements of compatibility of islamic principles and practice under democratic governance. Islamic political organizations and secularism and all examined. This paper proposes a short apprehension of the reflections of one of the most important progressive islamic scholars, the egyptian theologian ali abderraziq. Islam is proverbially reputed to have seventytwo sects though it would be difficult for any research scholar to count more than half a dozen. A thesis submitted to johns hopkins university in conformity with the. Liberal democracy, however far it may have traveled, however much it may have been transformed, is in its. Lewis for instance argued that the idea of the people participating not just in the choice of a ruler but in the conduct of government is not part of.
This dissertationopen access is brought to you for free and open access. The current events unfolding in north africa and the middle east are bringing the issue of islam and democracy to the forefront. Is islam compatible with democracy institute for cultural diplomacy. Steve inskeep talks to hamid about islam and democracy. Rizvi is confident that democracy and islam are incompatible, as the latter builds on the superiority and unquestionable power of the holy prophet, who effectively combines all legislative, judicial, and executive functions in one person. The principles of elected rulers, consultative bodies, accountability, tolerance, and the rule of law are not alien or new to islam. According to islamism in general3 god is the original governor, and to fully separate religion and state is impossible on the basis of sharia the islamic law. The study will look at how both affect the middle east. A reflection in the essay entitled islam and democracy, benazir bhutto argues that democracy and islam are not mutually exclusive ideas, but can coexist peacefully. This study reveals the relationship of islam and democracy in. 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.
Indeed the majority of people in kyrgyzstan who for centuries professed moderate islam have met new forms of islam brought into the country by various religious movements originated outside. Esposito and voll use six case studiesalgeria, egypt, iran, malaysia, pakistan, and sudanto look at the diversity of muslim experiences and experiments. Contemporary islamic political thought has become deeply influenced by attempts at reconciling islam and democracy. Most scholars say no, and point to a mix of historical, cultural, economic, and political factorsand not islam as a religionto explain why democracy has failed to take root in many muslim. In the most alarmist views, the wests most cherished valuesfreedom, equality, and toleranceare said to be endangered by.
Islam and democracy explores the islamic sources beliefs and institutions relevant to the current debate over greater political participation and democratization. The question of the relationship between the teachings of islam and the principles of democracy is, undoubtedly, one of the most pressing issues facing the muslim world today. Recent developments in technology, transportation and communication have served to intensify the interaction between the democratic countries of the west and the traditionally islamic societies of the middle east and north africa. Durham etheses americas perceptions of political islam. 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. Our dissertation or thesis will be completely unique, providing you with a solid foundation of islam democracy research. Jun 05, 2011 the question of the compatibility of islam and democracy has persisted for generations.
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