Read the following articles and leave a comment answering the following question: Are Islam and democracy compatible?
http://www.countercurrents.org/yasin210309.htm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1021_031021_islamicdemocracy.html
http://harvardcitizen.com/2008/11/19/is-islam-compatible-with-democracy/
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Yes, they can be compatible. It seems from what I got from the reading that they are very much alike. Both are strong in equality, justice, Ljma, and shura though I do think are view of democracy will not be the same as theirs. For one, there are many interpretations of Islam, such as the more radical kind. Then there is also the general dislike of anything western, which probably includes their government. Pluralism seems to be a bit of a problem to. It also seems that Muslim's fear losing liberties that they already have. Also, the one thing that might separate them a bit is how much power will Islam have in the government. Would really be able to be much done, would there be constant conflicts with the religion. Though overall if they try really hard, Islam and democracy might be able to work together.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe the two can be compatible. However that may not be what is wanted in their culture. In class we did talk about how similar the Islamic religion is to Christianity and Judaism. A democracy seems to work in America with Christianity as its primary religion, as well as in Israel where Judaism is the primary religion. All in all, I believe that the two are compatible, but it may not what is wanted by the people of Islamic countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Scott, I think that democracy can be compatible with Islamic faith. The only thing is that just because the U.S. government believes that democracy is the right way, doesn't mean that other cultures want it. All different types of cultures have adapted to their own type of government. From Hierarchy to Democracy it is all a form of power and leadership. I think it comes down to if the cultures would be open to adapting to it.
ReplyDeleteI think that Islam and democracy can definately be compatible. There are Muslims all over the world, many of them living in countries that already have a democracy. I think that it would be a difficult task to suddenly change the government to democracy, but it would be like that with anyone, anywhere. Islam seems to me like a very democratic religion anyway, since there is no one with more power than anyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea of Islam and Democracy being compatible is very possible. The main things that are hindering it right now are the fact that there are Western scholars who are presenting the Islam faith as authoritarian and anti-democratic and how the main interpretations of Islam are coming from al Qaeda and radical Islamists. As long as there can be changes in education, politics and the economy it seems very possible for the Islam faith to be able to coexist in a Democratic state.
ReplyDeleteI think that Islam and democracy are very compatible. Islam seems to be based on the fundamental principle of equality, which is a democratic ideal as well. Also, according to Rahil Yasin's article, Islam is also based on the idea that "public issues are best decided by the majority view" and "justice, equality and human dignity" are three core values of Islam. Those are some pretty common characteristics of democracy, too. Of course, there are different interpretations of the word "democracy" , as well as a variety of interpretations of the the message of the Quran, Hadith, etc., but based purely on fundamental ideas, Islam and democracy would work quite well together. The biggest hurdle here is getting over the misinterpretation of Islam as an oppressive and authoritarian group, when in reality, Islam is much more peaceful and in fact, democratic, than that.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Islam and democracy are compatible. Democracy is defined as “the free and equal right of every person to participate in a system of government.” This definition seems to fit perfectly with Islam’s principle of having rulers seek shura, or consultation from their subjects, and allowing them the right to rebuke unjust rulers. I think a large portion of the myth that Islam is not compatible with democracy comes from the observation that radical Islam, or even typical Islam, is not compatible specifically with our (the United States/western country’s) democracy. Islamic countries do not have to have the same exact version of democracy we do, and obviously, to fit their culture and beliefs, they won’t. An Islamic democracy may be less secular, give more/less power to a central authority, and may take a while to extend into the economic realm. Shown by the examples set by Turkey and Malaysia, however, having democracies in predominantly Islamic countries is certainly possible.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Islam and democracy are quite compatible. As Safi said, Islam displays the qualities of “equality of people, the accountability of leaders to community, and the respect of diversity of other faiths…”, traits that are seen in modern democracies as well as in the thinking of that system of government. If an Islamic Government is able to uphold those characteristics, as well as the Islamic theme of equality (mainly economic) among all of its followers without being corrupted by things such as oil (probably a big factor in why democratic Islamic governments haven’t done so well in the oil-rich middle eastern countries), it would be a successful. Even though Sharia may seem quite oppressive from a western standpoint (more so guidelines), as well as the idea that Allah is the only governing voice in Islam, I think that Islam, with its values of fairness and respect, would be able to support a democratic government.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, and I am VERY happy that we know a lot more than these fine people:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HT2mIlpeZZ4&feature=related
"Who do Muslims worship? ....Saddam Hussein"
I beleive that Islam and democracy are very compatible. As Katie said, Islam is based off of very simular things that democracy is based off of; "public issues are best decided by the majority view". This idea is the very standing point of democracy. I also agree that it would take work and time to change to this type of government but just as we, Americans, are under a democracy with the Christian faith, Islam can do the same.
ReplyDeleteI thnk that they would be compatible, it would give more freedom to expand beyond religion and would create more of an equality in voting etc. there would be some setbacks, and they would need to make sure that their government isn't their religion.
ReplyDeleteIslam and democracy are actually very compatible of each other being that they have very similar views and have already been considering the possibility. Islam believes in equality of people, respects diversity in faith, and is looking for a quality leader that they can rely on. Obviously, no one government will ever be the exact same as another, but I think that the idea of Islam adopting the form of democracy will only better Islamic world. However, after saying that I’d also like to say that even thought Islam and democracy are very compatible, for something to work you have to want it to work, and work at it, and I can see there being many issues with this being a popular idea with everyone.
ReplyDeleteI do think that the two are compatible because there are similar views and it has been proven to work in the real world. The three basic views of islam in regard to a democratic government are equality among the people, deciding on issues by a majority vote, and the morals of islam which include justice and human dignity. based off of these things it is completly viable to sustain a democratic government. Although I believe it is very possible for these two things to merge it is up to the people and the leaders of the nations to make it work in an uncurrpt and to stay true to the islamic ideals.
ReplyDeleteI think that both Islam and democracy can be compatible. Like one article said, there are many interpretations of Islam, but overall the religion holds values that would work well with democracy. I liked how the last article too posed the questions, how do we define both isam and democracy? That's definitely important to consider when deciding whether the two are compatible or not.
ReplyDeleteAs much as everyone's expecting it, I'm gonna have to stray from this beaten path of just agreeing and saying everything can go with anything. Lol.
ReplyDeletetl;dr- Islam shouldn't support US things that it doesn't need, or it'll just get more enemies
I think that Islam and democracy are very lightly compatable, but at the same time, I don't believe that it is a right for us to decide that. Islam is a faith that superscedes any level of dilligent faith in the US (no credit to West-Burrough). With that said, and hopefully understood, I believe that there are some aspects of democracy that wouldn't fit the mold of Islam, and democracy is a lot newer than Islam, so something would have to give.
Civil rights, freedoms, and other awesome things democracy gives US citizens, can easily just be overlooked and flagged as something democracy will just provide; but it's merely a guideline of governmental procedures, not rights and freedoms that should be given freely.
The guidelines of democracy that are so different than other governments doesnt fit the need for the region. In the Middle East, more communities are found to be self-sustained, not on the radar, or just settlements. These dwellings cannot be maintained by an elected official 50 kilos away, nor can it participate in the freedom of open democracy nor are views expressed easily from different regions.
Take for instance the case in Iraq, the US Bomb-testing site for its alleged peace making, where voters were marked to show their participation, and once Big Brother wasn't watching, voters were slain throughout the country for supporting western ideals.
(In no way am I comparing Islam to Al Queda extremists)
As good as a democracy is for a fully industrialized, militarized, economized, capitalized, and vegatarianized country, there's still a reason why democracy isn't the only way of ruling.
Taking that in to account, the idea that Islam(which resides more heavily in the Middle East, which also harbors religious extremists) would be compatable with Democracy is a silly question. Anyone in the Middle East proposing Western ideologies is considered as 'helping the western infidels'. I am not saying Islam is a terrorist cell; it is nothing of the sort. I'm only saying it would open more problems if Islam (who's already under enough pressure from religious persecution) openly supported bringing in the United States' government program into the region.
btw tl;dr = too long; didn't read
I think it would be hard to say whether democracy could be enacted as a government of any of the Middle Eastern states, at this point. Obviously some are more socially liberal than others, or culturally and religiously diverse.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main tenants of democracy is the separation of church and state, to preserve that idea that every citizen can be comfortable with and protected by the constitution. But followers of Islam are so totally committed to religion in their lives, I can't see how they would accept a government that didn't uphold those beliefs. I think people from the US have a hard time understanding why someone would want to live in a country like Saudi Arabia, but I think we have to rethink this whole "not democracy = evil government" idea that's pervasive in our thoughts.
I don't think that Islam and the ideas that democracy is supposedly trying to uphold are incompatable- I just think that, because the structure of Islam is intrinsic to personal (and national) thought and identification, many Middle Eastern countries would dislike the idea of having a government whose main goal, like theirs, was not to uphold Islam.
I feel that the democracy can be compatible with Islamic Faith. like America, are beliefs are a democracy with christanity, so there is no reason that the people of Islam shouldn't have the same ideal
ReplyDeleteI think that Democracy and Islam have the ability to work with one another. The Islamic faith has roots in the idea of self-rule and equality for the people, things that democracy idealizes. At this time I think they are hesitant about democracy because it has always been associated with the westerners. Islam and Democracy are quite compatible. It’s only because of bad press and radical Islamists that people believe the two would not work together.
ReplyDeleteI think there is nothing preventing an Islamic population from embracing democracy, except for tradition and radical minority groups. There would be no difference between a Christian democracy and a Muslim one, as neither religions have specific government rules, but instead the same ideas of self-autonomy and respect for authority.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very possible for Islam and democracy to be compatible. Many different Islamic teachings talk about equality of the people, justice, and human dignity which are all good things for a democratic government. In one of the articles it was talking about how one of the only things that would get in the way of this sort of government would be the Muslim extremists. I really don't think that it should be something to get in the way because there are extremists for every religion and they only make up about .0001% of the population. If the Islam nations were to become democratic it wouldn't be an exact picture of the "American way" but I don't think that it should be because they are a different nation with their own systems and beliefs. Overall, if you just look at countries like Malaysia, Bangladesh, Turkey, or Indonesia you can see that it is possible.
ReplyDeleteI really couldn't see Islam and Democracy not truly work if they're put together. The issues that come from the people against either democracy or Islam are the extremists- just like in the US. Had Democracy been introduced to an Islamic culture hundreds of years sooner, we would be taking a page from their book, instead of the other way around. Islam teaches peace and equality, and that is an ideal place to live when you can mesh teachings of your religion into politics and having it truly be accepted.
ReplyDeleteI think it could work but every country has there own beliefs. So just because many people think it would work it would have to be decided by the muslims. I believe that it could also work if people could figure out how to handle all other baggage....
ReplyDeleteMuslims can be good Americans if they hold American principles in high regard. Although it is not crucial to follow a religion to be an American, faith in a higher power is that helps the US Constitution flourish. I think the examples in East Asia of democracy coexisting with religion prove that religion can be a crucial entity in law abiding citizens. Morals in the Qu’ran correlate to morals crucial to establishing democracy. Acts made in the name of Islam that are not democratic can be fought by the democratic courts. A US, Muslim citizen has to respect the Constitution, therefore making them citizens and Muslims.
ReplyDeleteI think that Islam and democracy are compatible, just like everyone else has said. I think that because they are both founded on the principals of equality, they would both be pretty concurrent ideals. However i do think that whenever democracy is imposed on a society that does not wish it, there are complications. Because westernized ideas are not generally accepted, our westernized view of a democracy may be tainted in their views. I think it's important to also keep in mind that in the United States we have a Muslim population that seems to be easily integrated into democracy.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the two are compatible (or at the very least I hope so). I think that in a perfect system, the seperation of church and state works, as you keep your religious life seperate from your civic life. Obviously the morals and practices of your religion would influence your opinions, but I think they can be sepetrate. As for Islam specifically. I don't believe democracy works if it is forced upon the countries of the middle east. It works with Turkey, by they naturally moved to a democracy without any outside help. I think that we should attempt to pormote democracy in a way that doesn't kill tons of people...
ReplyDeleteI believe that Islam and democracy can certainly be compatible. However the democracy may not be "American" democracy. I really think that our democracy needs fixing up before we try to apply it to other nations and I see that as a contributor to the fact that there is so much resentment in Islamic countries to our forced democracy. That being said democracy is probably one the best ways to rule people so its a good fit for almost any nation.
ReplyDeleteI am unsure weather it is compatible with the type of democracy that we know. American democracy is impure like all other forms of government. If Islamic countries were to adopt democracy, i would not be surprised if the American public did not recognize it as a democracy. I would think that it would be a form of democracy that would fit the needs of an Islamic nation.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Islam and democracy can be compatible and work well in unicen. As Scott said, demiocracy works well in America(having a mainly christian religion) and christianity and Islam have similar traits. I believe if the people of Islam think about what would be right for them as a whole, that democracy would prevail and work well.
ReplyDeleteDespite what many Americans think, I believe that Islam and democracy can be compatible. They are both based on the same thing; equality. Although Muslim countries would probably have a slightly modified version of democracy to still follow the basic laws of Islam, the fundamental principles of both are similar enough to function fairly together.
ReplyDeleteI feel the two can be compatible. It works in Turkey for example. But Democracy as we know it, wouldn’t work. It would have to be tweaked to work in an Islamic nation. This is the reason it doesn’t work when we try to apply pure American democracy upon them.
ReplyDeleteThe question of if Democracy and Islam being compatible is simply yes there is no reason the concept of the people’s government is fine but, American democracy would not work at all with Islam. Our separation of church and state is too huge a factor for any Muslim nation to accept. If a modified system where church and state become one Islam could go hand in hand with Democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe above statement has very poor grammar; please do not think differently of me for it.
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