The Role of Religion in Governance - Assignment Example

In the Muslim world, the Imams take the place of the prophets, who used to be the leaders of the community in old days. Religion provides the basis for a community to obtain a leader, where it separates those who are eligible for the leadership positions from those who are responsible for electing them. It is also through religion that the duties and responsibilities of the leaders and the subjects are stipulated, as well as the repercussions for the failure of any party to adhere to these principles (181).

There does not seem to be any separation between the church and the state. However, various religious groups are respected and allowed to co-exist, although Muslims dominate. The emerging Muslim leadership dealt with the non-Muslim by requiring them to pay a bit more taxes. However, there is no molestation of this group, although it should avoid doing things that are against the Muslim faith, comparing well to how the Christians treated the non-Christians in Europe (150). This is contrary to the modern-day, where religious hostility has risen to higher levels, with each religious group seeking to outdo the others and even persecuting them.