7/3/2018 Democracy in the Islamic World - Criterion Quarterly

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Democracy in the Islamic World

Posted on February 3, 2012 in Criterion Vol 6 No 1 (http://www.criterion-
quarterly.com/category/criterion-vol-6-no-1/) // 0 Comments

By
Shaikh Muhammed Ali*
Abstract:
(In interpreting the rule of law and limited government, classical Muslim scholars always referred to
core elements of modern democratic practice. Limited government and the rule of law are the two
most legitimate elements of the system of government today. Democracy’s moral power lies in the
idea that the citizens of a nation are a sovereign entity and in modern democracy, they express their
sovereign will by electing their chosen representatives. In a ourishing democracy, the people are the
source of the law and the law in turn is needed to provide fundamental rights that protect the well-
being and interests of the individual members of the sovereign society.
For Islam, democracy indeed poses a formidable challenge. Muslim jurists over the years have argued
that law formulated by a sovereign monarch is illegitimate since it substitutes human authority for
God’s sovereignty. But on the other hand, law drafted by sovereign citizens of the state also faces the
same problem of legitimacy. In Islam, God is the only sovereign and ultimate source of legitimate law.
How can a democratic concept of the people’s authority be reconciled then with a Muslim
understanding of God’s authority?
Answering this question is religiously important but also extremely dif cult, for both political and
conceptual reasons. On the political side, it can be said without an iota of doubt that democracy faces
a number of practical hurdles in Islamic countries; authoritarian political traditions, a history of
colonial and imperial rule, and state domination of economy and society. But answering philosophical
and doctrinal questions are important at this stage, and I intend to focus on them here as the
beginning of a discussion of the possibilities for democracy in the Islamic world. Author.)
Democracy in the Islamic World
Introduction:
The relationship between Islam and democracy in the contemporary world is complex. The Muslim
world is not ideologically monolithic. It presents a broad spectrum of perspectives ranging from the
extremes of those who deny a connection between Islam and democracy to those who argue that
Islam requires a democratic system. In between the extremes, in a number of countries where
Muslims are a majority, many Muslims believe that Islam is a support for democracy even though
their particular political system is not explicitly de ned as Islamic.

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A strong debate has been going on between Islam and democracy since the late twentieth century
among the people who af liate themselves with the Islamic resurgence. Some of them believe that
‘democracy itself is indeed a foreign concept which has been imposed upon them by the western
world. They have been noticed arguing that the concept of popular sovereignty denies the
fundamental Islamic af rmation of the sovereignty of God and is, therefore, a form of idolatry.
Many prominent Islamic intellectuals and groups, however, argue that Islam and democracy are
compatible. Some extend the argument to af rm that under the conditions of the contemporary
world, democracy can be considered a requirement of Islam. In these discussions, Muslim scholars
bring historically important concepts from within the Islamic tradition together with the basic
concepts of democracy as understood in the modern world. 1
A relatively neutral starting point for Muslims is presented in a 1992 interview in the London
Observer with the Tunisian Islamist leader and political exile, Rashid Ghanoushi who argues: “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 nd nothing in their religion
to oppose democracy, and it is not in their interests to do so.” Many Muslims, including Ghanoushi
himself, go beyond this and view democracy as an appropriate way to ful ll certain obligations of the
faith in the contemporary world. 2
The synthesis of spirituality and government builds on a fundamental af rmation at the heart of
Islam: the proclamation that “There is no divinity but The God” and the af rmation of the “oneness”
of God. This concept, called Tawhid, provides the foundation for the idea that one cannot separate
different aspects of life into separate compartments. Ali Shariati, who made important contributions
to the ideological development of the Islamic revolution in Iran, wrote in On the Sociology of Islam,
that Tawhid “in the sense of oneness of God is of course accepted by all monotheists”. 3
Another basic concept in the development of Islamic democracy is “caliph.” In the Qur’an, the Arabic
words for caliph (khalifah) and caliphate (khilafah) have a different meaning. These terms in the
Qur’an have the more general meaning of steward and stewardship or trustee and trusteeship.
As the intellectual dimensions of the late twentieth-century Islamic resurgence became more clearly
de ned, Ismail al-Faruqi, a scholar of Palestinian origins, outlined an ambitious project in a small
book, Islamization of Knowledge. The concept of the caliphate involved responsibilities for all
humans, in all dimensions of life, but especially the political: “Rightly, Muslims understand khilafah as
directly political. Islam requires that every Muslim be politicized (i.e., awakened, organized, and
mobilized).” 4
The implications of this reassertion of a more explicitly Quranic meaning of human stewardship for
Islamic democracy were spelled out by the Pakistani Islamist leader, Abu al-Ala Mawdudi in The
Islamic Way of Life: “The authority of the caliphate is bestowed on the entire group of people, the
community as a whole. . . . Such a society carries the responsibility of the caliphate as a whole and
each one of its individual[s] shares the Divine Caliphate. This is the point where democracy begins in
Islam. Every person in an Islamic society enjoys the rights and powers of the caliphate of God and in
this respect all individuals are equal.” 5

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Why democracy did not survive in Pakistan – A case in point!

An intensive debate is raging in Pakistan these days about revival of democracy. In my humble
opinion, what is missing in this debate is an in-depth analysis to identify real reasons because of
which democracy did not work in Pakistan but in India it did. It is a natural tendency to compare
Pakistan with India since Sub-Continent as it was earlier called was populated by Hindus and
Muslims alike and was ruled by Muslim rulers for over 500 years. Later, the British came to rule over
the greater India which was nally given independence by the British. Pakistan was formed on 14th
August 1947 while India a day later i.e. 15th August 1947 respectively.
Various reasons that can be comfortably listed in the context of democracy not ourishing in this part
of the world are to name a few; lack of education of people and politicians in democratic
fundamentals, illiteracy of the masses, division along provincial, linguistic and ethnic barriers,
leadership having become a family affair, etc. among others for the failure of democracy in Pakistan. 6
As a matter of fact, the rst and foremost condition for growth of democracy is acceptance by all the
sovereignty of the people but the leaders of Pakistan have failed miserably on this front. Democracy
demands men make laws to govern themselves. It is the acceptance of this premise that democracy
has succeeded in India and it is the rejection of this very premise that democracy failed to take roots
in Pakistan. 7
No society can live outside the parameters of its basic ideology; and not only the ideology but the
very raison d’être of the existence of Pakistan is Islam. Pakistan was the rst nation in the history of
the world which was carved out in the name of Islam by its founding father  (Late)  Quaid-e-Azam
Muhammad Ali  Jinnah. Though  India is not a religious Hindu state but Hinduism is still the soul of
India and still guides the way India thinks and acts. It is the basic difference in these ideologies that
has made democracy a failure in one and success in another even though in all other respects both
countries are twins. It is when religion comes into play, the two part company.
The Muslims don’t want to live by man-made laws but by Sharia — the laws revealed by Allah (God)
and practiced by Muslims throughout the world. Democracy did not fail in Pakistan because of
illiteracy or castes or ethnic differences or linguistics or any of the other reasons put forward. The
real reason, in my opinion as to why democracy failed in Pakistan is the ideology Pakistan is wedded
to. Sadly, this is true of any Islamic country. Pakistan is not unique in this respect. A quick glance at all
the Islamic nations around the world will prove the point. 8
The day Hindutva parties like BJP or the likes take the center stage in politics and the secular
Congress party is routed in India, it will be no different from Pakistan.
Pakistan’s current quest for democracy:
Democracy continues to play hide and seek with most Pakistanis. In its 60 plus years of checquered
history, Pakistan’s periods of stability have often been interrupted by upheavals in the ruling elite and
never more so than in recent times. The military has never let democracy ourish in Pakistan and the
Saints (military) have come marching in as and when they felt the desire.

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It wasn’t that long ago when Asif Ali Zardari (the husband of the slain leader Benazir Bhutto) of the
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) joined hands with Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-
N party, to oust President Pervez Musharraf, our last military dictator. And the alliance succeeded
with Musharraf stepping down in the face of such opposition. 9
Politics makes strange bedfellows indeed, but it wasn’t long before ssures in this new alliance began
to surface. But as the days passed, Zardari showed no inclination to honor the recently concluded
agreements with Nawaz Sharif, the restoration of judges being the top most priority. He denounced
the declaration that bore his signature adding that it was merely a political act and there was nothing
inviolable about it.
To make matters worse, Shahbaz Sharif a brother of Nawaz Sharif, a political heavyweight
representing the in uential province of Punjab, was lately routed from the Chief Minister ship of the
biggest province i.e. Punjab through politically appointed judges who declared that neither Nawaz
Sharif nor his brother Shahbaz could hold any elected post in the government. Zardari further
invoked the ‘governor’s rule’ by appointing his own man to head the political process in Punjab. But
the governor rule did not last long since Nawaz Sharif sided with the lawyer’s long march and the
governor was routed and the lawyers became triumphant while the ousted Chief Justice had to be
reinstated. People’s power has been experienced for the rst time in the history of Pakistan and the
nal winners are the people.
Instead, the illusion of democracy is fading fast in the minds of those who fervently hoped that the
departure of Musharraf would nally bring peace and stability to the country. There are fears the
present situation, if allowed to continue, may nally result in martial law being reimposed, with the
army taking over the reins of power. The record of both Nawaz Sharif and Zardari in government has
not been very encouraging but the masses continue to gravitate toward one or the other. 10
Are there no good, honest and able Pakistanis left in the country to lead them out of this never-
ending mess? A question that I often ask of educated Pakistanis. Perhaps it’s time Imran Khan (the
famous world renowned cricketer turned politician), leader of the Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaaf was
given a chance. At least he does not appear to have been tainted by corruption. Only such people can
set Pakistan on the right track.
Conclusion:
In theory and concept, Islamic democracy is, at the beginning of the twenty- rst century, quite well
developed and persuasive. In actual practice the results have been sadly discouraging. Authoritarian
rulers such as Ja’far Numayri in Sudan and Zia ul Haq in Pakistan initiated formal programs of
Islamization of the law and political system in the 1980s with results that were not encouraging for
democracy. A military coup brought a combination of military and civilian Islamists to rule in Sudan in
1989 and despite the proclaimed goal of creating an Islamic democracy, the regime’s human rights
record in terms of treatment of non-Muslim minorities and Muslim opposition groups is deplorable.
11
I would like to conclude my ndings by leaving you with four arguments:

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1st:      The biggest threat to human rights in the Muslim world does not originate from Islam but it
emanates rather from the economic, political and semi-educated forces that surround the system.
2nd:     The struggle for human rights in the Islamic world will be lost or won at a national and not
necessarily at the international level. It is always up to the Muslims themselves as to how much
in uence and respect that they would want to give to human rights in the context of their own
nations.
3rd:      It is a proven fact now that those countries that have a weak civil society and are governed by
authoritarian regimes / dictatorship are indeed fertile ground for terrorism. If the west wants to
suppress this terror, then they must foster civil society and fund them heavily while trying to educate
the masses and help them in poverty alleviation. They can also apply economic and political pressure
on these authoritarian regimes to bring about a fundamental change in the governance of the nations
being helped.
4th:      In this complex context, it is clear that Islam is not inherently incompatible with democracy.
“Political Islam” is sometimes a program for religious democracy and not primarily an agenda for holy
war or terrorism.
Disclaimer:
The ideas oated on Democracy in the Islamic World, in this paper are the personal views of the
author and do not necessarily re ect the viewpoint of the Higher Education Commission.
Acknowledgement:
Had the author not been working for the HRD Division of the Higher Education Commission (HEC),
for the last 8 years, he would not have the freedom to research freely on the HEC Digital Library and
the high speed DSL Internet connection and thus the author is highly indebted to HEC for its support
in this respect.
References:
1.   Islam and Democracy by John L. Esposito and John O. Voll (Oxford University Press US, 1966,
ISBN 0195108167, 9780195108163
2.   ibid.
3.   ibid.
4.   ibid.
5.   ibid.
6.   Why democracy didn’t take roots in Pakistan? By Vinod Kumar, Kashmir Herald, Volume 3, No. 7,
December 2003
7.   ibid.
8.   ibid.
9.   Pakistan’s quest for democracy by Tariq Al – Maeena, Saturday 28 February 2009, Arab News.
10. ibid.

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11. Islam and Democracy by John L. Esposito and John O. Voll (Oxford University Press US, 1966,
ISBN 0195108167, 9780195108163

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