Reprints Online

The lack of democratic system of governments in Muslim nations has too often begged the question, "Are Islam and democracy compatible?" Western scholars such as Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington have suggested that Islamic ideology and scriptures do not support the concept of democracy in the Muslim world, citing that for much of its 1400 year history, the Muslim world has been under non-democratic rule.

Western democracy is built on the concept of popular sovereignty or "rule of the masses." Merriam Webster Dictionary defines democracy as "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections."

In Islamic ideology, all individuals are representatives of God on Earth, and thus are equal to each other. They are responsible to God and no government has an authority over any individual, other than that which has been agreed by those individuals. Islamic governance places an emphasis on governance through consultation (shura) and use of analogical reasoning in interpretation of the law (qiyas).

Far from being incompatible with democracy, Islamic ideology favors it. The lack of democracies in the Islamic world is a symptom of the literal translation of God as the sovereign ruler. Since, in Islam, man is given the freedom of free choice, the sovereignty of God can not be used by its leaders to dictate their own rules and notions in the name of God. Thus, there is no justification for the attitude of some Muslims against democracy, other than their bias towards anything Western, seeing it as being opposed to the ideal of Islam.

In a 1992 interview by the London Observer, Rashid Ghannoushi, the leader of a Tunisian Islamist party, said "If by democracy is meant the liberal model of government prevailing in the West, a system under which the people freely choose their representatives and leaders, in which there is an alternation of power, as well as all freedoms and human rights for the public, then Muslims will find nothing in their religion to oppose democracy, and it is not in their interests to do so."

Indeed today, as has been in the past, we find in many localities in the Islamic world, decision making being done through a process of consultation. On a broader level, countries such as Turkey, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nigeria are showing that Islam and democracy can coexist.

Islamic movements in Iran, Palestine, Pakistan, and Egypt have equally been embracing democracy rather than fighting it. After the Islamic revolution in Iran, it was Khomeni who established a parliament, elections, separation of powers, and even a system of public accountability. Thus, democracy in the Muslim world is not only possible, but also achievable. The task is just a little more difficult as it struggles to embrace democratic and socio-economic reforms in the framework of Islamic values.

About the Author

Nadeem Tusneem is a Muslim American scientist. He manages the Cafe Muslim website. Visit http://www.cafemuslim.com to send any comments.