Islam and Democracy

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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 9/11, the different debates and arguments has been made by scholars, in particular Western intellectuals about the capability of the Islam to accept the principles of democracy. I will examine the relationship between Islam and politics, definition of Islam and democracy, the connection between Islamic teaching (Hadith and Quran) and Islamic movements and different perspectives of Islamists or Islamic countries. There are two different visions about the subject in which some argued that Islam is in opposite direction of democracy while some argued that some aspects of Islam such as Shura (consultation) and Ijma(Consensus) are naturally democratic. This essay will focusses on some different arguments and perspectives to find out how Islam tolerates the modernity and to what extent Islam itself and Islamic movements are compatible with or against democracy.

As we look at the history of Islamic society there were some different kind of state from Medina to Umayyad, Abbasid, Ottoman Empire, and in our modern industrial era such as Saudi Arabia as a conservative Wahhabi state, Golf monarchy countries, Iran as a Shia republic state, Sudan and Pakistan as military stats and Turkey as a new democratic Islamic state. It seems that Islam did not suggest a specific model of state, but Quran stated some social and political values such as justice, consultation and establishing a no-autocratic method of government as says: “… If you judge, judge with justice between them. Verily, Allah loves tho...

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...emember
-Cox, C, and Marks, J, 2003, the ‘West’, Islam and Islamism, Is ideological Islam compatible with liberal democracy? Britain: the Cromwell Press
-Esposito, J, L & Voll, J, O, 1996, Islam and Democracy, New York: Oxford University Press
-Green, Abdulrahman, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbkmFPpxHes -Halliday, F, 2003, Islam& the myth of confrontation, New York: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd
-Heywood, A, 2007, 4th edition, political ideology, an introduction, New York: Cromwell Press Ltd
- Huntington, S, P, Clash of Civilization, http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6oMHxgn3UDoJ:www.stetson.edu/artsci/political-science/media/clash.pdf+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk -Kamali, M, H, 1994, freedom of expression in Islam, UK: Biddles Ltd,Guildford and King’s Lynn
-Lincoln, Abraham
http://www.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/docs/whatsdem/whatdm2.htm

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