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Are Islam and democracy compatible?

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  • Are Islam and democracy compatible?

    There are generally two streams of thought concerning the compatibility of Islam and democracy. One is that democracy is incompatible because it conflicts with Shari'a law, being a foreign innovation. The other is the consensus approach that was present in the early days of Islam, in selecting tribal leaders and the first caliphs. Muslim proponents of democracy often base Islamic democracy on shura, which means "consultation", and the saying of Muhammad that "my community shall not agree upon an error."

    What are your thoughts, do you think that Islam and democracy are compatible, or incompatible?
    164
    Yes
    40.24%
    66
    No
    59.76%
    98
    "Every man has his weakness. Mine was always just cigarettes."

  • #2
    Originally posted by Ironduke View Post
    There are generally two streams of thought concerning the compatibility of Islam and democracy. One is that democracy is incompatible because it conflicts with Shari'a law, being a foreign innovation. The other is the consensus approach that was present in the early days of Islam, in selecting tribal leaders and the first caliphs. Muslim proponents of democracy often base Islamic democracy on shura, which means "consultation", and the saying of Muhammad that "my community shall not agree upon an error."

    What are your thoughts, do you think that Islam and democracy are compatible, or incompatible?
    Depends on the Muslim.
    America doesn't deserve its military

    -Emma Sky

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    • #3
      Secularism is one of the foundations of a democratic state. So an "islamic democracy" would not work (or simply not be, at least to my definition, a democracy) but a "democracy WITH islam" i.e. democracy in a country with a mostly islamic population can work.

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      • #4
        I'd say yes, Turkey is a good role model.
        Facts to a liberal is like Kryptonite to Superman.

        -- Larry Elder

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        • #5
          Originally posted by smilingassassin View Post
          I'd say yes, Turkey is a good role model.
          They might become one once they manage one or two generations without a coup, and there is still some catching up to do when it comes to freedom of speech. (Youtube for example gets blocked because you can find videos that make fun of Atatürk there). Of course Turkey is still worlds ahead from countries like Saudi Arabia.

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          • #6
            Its all on the will of the people. Most countries have authoritative regimes or military dictatorship. Indonesia is also a democracy now after years of dictatorship. Religion has nothing to do with democracy. Christian West has also endured years of dictatorship.

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            • #7
              I think it's much less a matter of Islam being incompatible with democracy, than of many Westerners being uncomfortable with who they think might win elections if some of the Islamic countries became democratic.


              Secularism is by no means essential to democracy. The victory of the English Parliament over continental-style Divine Right was the result of religious fundamentalists overthrowing and beheading their king. The emergence of democracy in America was at least partly owed to Puritan colonists, who also liked to ban theatres and burn women.

              Democracy, as such, has little to do with secular rational niceness. It's the other way around: societies which are democratic tend to become more secular and orderly.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Tarek Morgen View Post
                Secularism is one of the foundations of a democratic state. So an "islamic democracy" would not work (or simply not be, at least to my definition, a democracy) but a "democracy WITH islam" i.e. democracy in a country with a mostly islamic population can work.
                An example of a functioning Islamic democracy would be Malaysia I think (though I think everyone would agree Malaysia's democracy is still a work-in-progress). The country has both a common law legal system and an Islamic law legal system but the latter is only applied to Muslims I think.

                Nebula82.
                Last edited by nebula82; 24 Dec 08,, 07:43.

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                • #9
                  This isn't really an apples-to-apples question. Islam exists. Democracy is largely a theoretical concept.

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                  • #10
                    Depends on how certain individuals or groups interpret Islam. For some muslims, Islam and Democracy is not compatible; for some, it is. A fine example being; I remember seeing Muslims protesting against free speech and democracy in England; on the other hand, I also remember certain Islamic leaders in India saying something like how Muslims are suppose to follow the common law or the rule of the land they reside in. Although, India allows Sharia law for the Muslims, it is restricted to only family cases and not criminal.
                    Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
                    -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by GraniteForge View Post
                      This isn't really an apples-to-apples question. Islam exists. Democracy is largely a theoretical concept.
                      I disagree. Democracy exists in as many different variations as Islam.
                      Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
                      -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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                      • #12
                        Islam? Democracy? I see the two as being diametrically opposed.

                        One exists only when the other is heavily suppressed.
                        “He was the most prodigious personification of all human inferiorities. He was an utterly incapable, unadapted, irresponsible, psychopathic personality, full of empty, infantile fantasies, but cursed with the keen intuition of a rat or a guttersnipe. He represented the shadow, the inferior part of everybody’s personality, in an overwhelming degree, and this was another reason why they fell for him.”

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Tronic View Post
                          I disagree. Democracy exists in as many different variations as Islam.
                          Untrue. If there isn't a very broad franchise, and if everyone who is enfranchised doesn't get an opportunity to vote on all major issues, then it simply isn't a democracy. I only know of two countries in modern times that were structured as democracies. Their system of democractic voting was ponderous at best. They were both invaded and crushed by an imperial power that wasn't so burdened.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by TopHatter View Post
                            Islam? Democracy? I see the two as being diametrically opposed.

                            One exists only when the other is heavily suppressed.
                            I would strongly disagree.

                            Remember that the western powers have always propped dictators/authoritative regimes in the Islamic world to suit its own needs (Pakistan, Saudi etc).

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by GraniteForge View Post
                              Untrue. If there isn't a very broad franchise, and if everyone who is enfranchised doesn't get an opportunity to vote on all major issues, then it simply isn't a democracy. I only know of two countries in modern times that were structured as democracies. Their system of democractic voting was ponderous at best. They were both invaded and crushed by an imperial power that wasn't so burdened.

                              As I said, democracy exists in different variations. You can have direct democracy, which may empower the people on every major decision, but brings with it a huge bureaucratic burden; or you can have a representative democracy, which gives people the chance to put in power people who they believe represent their views and then even have the power to replace them when they don't do the job, something most modern day states are shaped up as. There is no single idea of democracy, it exists in different variations.
                              Cow is the only animal that not only inhales oxygen, but also exhales it.
                              -Rekha Arya, Former Minister of Animal Husbandry

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