Democratic Islam Assessing the Bases of Democracy in Islamic Political by Omar Ashour - Essay Example

? Summary and Introduction The paper is d Democratic Islam? Assessing the Bases of Democracy in Islamic Political, by Omar Ashour. The author begins the abstract by introducing the objective of the paper, which is to determine the bases of, and barriers to, democracy in Islamic political thought. In order to address the issue, the author decides to concentrate on two politically apt Islamic concepts: shura, which is consultation, and bay’a, which is a conditional pledge of loyalty that is given to a new leader (Ashour 1). The author goes on to state that it shall be argued that the two concepts may be interpreted to include a theoretical foundation for electoral democracy in the Muslim world. The author also adds that he shall cover the vital issues concerning anti-democratic perspectives in Islamic political thought, which touch on divine sovereignty. He concludes the abstract by stating he shall argue in favor of the core of human agency as a major factor in creating and suppressing these thoughts with regard to Islam and democracy. According to the author, although shura and bay’a are extensively covered in the Quran and Sunna, they are not discussed and dissected in detail. Rather, they have been created by the ijitihad of Muslim jurists, creativity, political thoughts, and interpretations (Ashour 1). He goes on to say that he shall also address some likely counterarguments: undemocratic decipher of the above-mentioned concepts, in addition to the most salient, and that is the Islamically-grounded argument related to the notion of divine sovereignty. The research question therefore, is: what are the foundations of, and barriers to, democracy in Islamic political notions. The author ends this section by confirming that his discussion will be focused on the previously-mentioned bases (bay’a and shura) and a major impediment (divine sovereignty as opposed to populist sovereignty). The conclusion will entail a general evaluation of the connection between democracy and Islam (Ashour 2). Defining Democracy This section begins with a distinction of the two main forms of democracy: liberal and electoral. Drawing on the work of Joseph Schumpeter, electoral democracy may be defined as an institutional framework for arriving at political decisions in which individuals gain the power to decide through competitive struggle for the votes of the populace. Electoral democracy may be illiberal, condoning the tyranny of the majority as de Tocqueville described. Electoral democracy must not include detailed provisions for protecting the rights of the minorities, nor does it need the absence of special domains of power, like those of the clergy and their concept of valyi al-faqih in Iran or Turkey’s military. On the other hand, liberal democracy is made up of many provisions for defending minorities against the tyranny of the majority. It also needs the absence of special domains of power for specific social groups like the clergy and the military. Is there an Islamic Political System? Experts on Islamic studies and Muslim political scholars are usually divided on this question, with two rejectionist factions at opposite ends of the divide and a lot of accomodationists sandwiched between them. The author states that all the arguments of the accomodationists (including the one on depoliticization) and the rejectionists base their justification and legitimacy at least partially (and in a majority of cases totally) on Islamic history and/or Islamic theological literature and scholars. It is virtually impossible therefore to present the argument that there is one sole special Islamic political system. In other words, as put by two modernist Islamist scholars, “Muslims have a human comprehension of Islam….it is erroneous for us to say that there is a particular system that symbolizes the Islamic system” (Ashour 3). Does Islam have a “Political Dimension”? After a consideration of various theoretical and empirical arguments, a look at the Islamic Calendar and the Sahifat al-Muwada’a (Peace or Reconciliation Paper), and a look at several other elements and factors that cannot be discussed in the article due to constraints of space, the author concludes that it is difficult to say that Islam does not have a political side (Ashour 4). An attempt to decipher Islam as having no such attribute would face numerous challenges, including historical and linguistic ones (Ashour 4). Is Islam Compatible with Democracy The author explores different arguments that Islam is not compatible with democracy, and then counters them in order to answer this question. The counterarguments include a look at the Quran (specifically the hadith), the Sunna, and human agency (Ashour 6). After a detailed discussion of these aspects, the author concludes that Muslims are required by the Prophet to follow and do what they think to be fair and just without claiming to be aware of the ‘truth’, which is ‘God’s judgment’. If this is true, then human agency is not only a dominant force in the interpretations of Islam but is also right from an Islamic point. If democracy is considered to be a fairer political mechanism than all others, then the re-interpretation of Islam as right for this fairer system is not only possible but also justifiable (Ashour 8). Are there Theoretical Bases for Democracy in Islamic Doctrine? In order to answer this question, the author embarks on a very detailed discussion of shura and bay’a, dissecting and covering every aspect related to the two concepts. After this discussion, he concludes that there are indeed theoretical bases for democracy in Islamic doctrine, and these bases are the two concepts of shura and bay’a (Ashour 13). Conclusion The paper has tried to prove that numerous bases for democracy indeed exist in Islamic concepts like shura and bay’a, but the strength of the foundations are reliant on human agency, or ijitihad (Ashour 13). However, if Islam’s ultimate objectives are comprehended to include the advancement of social and political equality and justice, and if democracy is a mechanism of rule that assures a more considerate socio-political system in comparison with other governance systems, then interpretations of Islam that solidify its democratic bases are warranted and justifiable (Ashour 13). These bases can be stressed and grown to support the compatibility between democracy and Islam. Shura and bay’a can be liberalized so as to address and reinterpret undemocratic aspects (e.g. elitism) that are normally associated with them. Further research needs to be done in order to examine the likelihood of liberalizing shura and bay’a. Finally, broadening the project that involves democratizing Islam may also involve emphasizing the temporary nature and revocability of bay’a. The biggest obstacle to democratically interpreting Islam, the thought supporting divine sovereignty, can be overcome by stressing ijitihad’s centrality in generating interpretations of Islam (Ashour 14) Works Cited Ashour, Omar. The de-radicalization of Jihadists: transforming armed Islamist movements. London: Routledge, 2009. Print. Read More