Islam compatible to democracy: Scholars<\/p>\n
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The small number of Muslim countries practicing democracy has
\nnothing to do with the values of Islam, international scholars
\nsay.<\/p>\n
Instead, the crisis of democracy in predominantly Muslim
\ncountries was more due to cultural backwardness and structural
\ndeficiencies, they agreed at a conference here on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"In reality, there is no inherent incompatibility between
\nIslam and democracy,\" said Bahgat Korany, a professor of politics
\nat the Universite de Montreal, during an international conference
\ntitled \"The Challenge of Democracy in the Muslim World.\"<\/p>\n
The scholars were voicing their concerns over the fact that
\nthere were only 11 out of 47 predominantly Muslim countries which
\nwere democratic.<\/p>\n
In his paper, Bahgat explained that there were at least seven
\npillars of Islam that were compatible with the universal values
\nof democracy.<\/p>\n
Among them were the concepts that all believers were equal and
\nthat the final decision-making prerogative was vested in the
\nummah (community), which was the ultimate receptacle of
\nsovereignty.<\/p>\n
The values of democracy were also widely recognized in the
\nKoran, such as in the Ar-Rum: Verse 22, which stated that \"the
\npresence of the other is legitimate and should be respected.\"<\/p>\n
If Islamic values were compatible with democracy, then what
\nhad gone wrong in Muslim nations given that most of them were
\nundemocratic?<\/p>\n
The scholars suspected that cultural deficiencies and
\nstructural impediments were major stumbling blocks for Muslim
\ncountries in embracing democratic institutions.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, the feudalistic and hierarchical Javanese
\nculture was characterized as a factor inhibiting democracy, as
\nhad been shown during the period of the old Javanese kingdoms,
\naccording to Indonesianist R. William Liddle.<\/p>\n
\"If a country is ruled by aristocratic regimes, as also is
\ncurrently the case in the Arab countries, antidemocratic culture
\nwill grow on fertile soil,\" said Liddle, who is also a professor
\nof politics at Ohio State University in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Besides cultural deficiencies, structural impediments were
\nalso singled out as additional barriers to democracy.<\/p>\n
In the Arab countries, which comprise some 30 percent of the
\nworld's predominantly Muslim countries, there was a veil of
\nignorance among the rulers about the building of democratic
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
The rulers perceived that the legitimacy of their regimes did
\nnot come from the democratic representation of the citizens, but
\nrather from their success in defending national security and
\nimproving the people's welfare, said Lisa Anderson.<\/p>\n
\"This erroneous perception leads to regimes pouring all of
\ntheir resources into pursuing national security and the welfare
\nof the people, neglecting the good will needed to establish
\ndemocratic institutions,\" said Anderson, a professor of politics
\nat the U.S.-based Columbia University.<\/p>\n
However, despite these inhibiting factors, the prospects of
\ndemocracy remained bright in the Muslim world.<\/p>\n
Indonesian scholar Azyumardi Azra, who is the rector of the
\nState Institute of Islamic Studies, identified several exemplary
\nMuslim countries which could become locomotives for democracy in
\nthe Muslim world, including Indonesia, Iran and Turkey.<\/p>\n
\"They are the bright spots among the Muslim countries, which
\nhave shown that democracy can have a place in the Muslim world,\"
\nhe said in his keynote address on Monday night.<\/p>\n
To follow the path blazed by these three nations, other
\ncountries could enhance democracy through encouraging a free
\npress, discourses on human rights and plurality, freedom to
\nassociate and a free civil society.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/islam-compatible-to-democracy-scholars-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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