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The relationship between religion & politics
Islam And Democracy Essay
The relationship between religion & politics
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For quite some time, a considerable discussion and debate has been going on whether or not there is compatibility between democracy and Islam. After the birth of Islam, the extensive spread of the Muslim population make this monotheistic, Abrahamic religion is the second largest in the world with over a billion followers. Throughout the passage of time, many have come to opinionate that liberal democracy can exist in the Muslim world as it has all the necessary elements that a modern democratic state and society requires. However, many still oppose to the compatibility of the two solely due to the belief that democratic principles desecrate and condemn the values of the religion of Islam.
Throughout history, enough arguments have been given for and against this proposition. I have had the chance of going through the two articles on the subject, namely “A Historical Overview” by Bernard Lewis and “Democracy & Islam” by Irfan Ahmad. Both the articles are informative from two different standpoints and the finest thing about them from a reader’s perspective is that they are not loaded with unnecessary and cumbersome details. Nevertheless, with due apology, the article by Ahmad mystifies the position at certain instances, but pointing them out would neither matter nor be relevant in any substantial way. The gist of the argument is that the birth of secularism and the spread of its principles uplift and enshrine democracy, while the very fundamental nature of Islam, as a religion, undermines the democratic movements in Muslim countries all around the globe.
Coming first to the article by Lewis, it can be seen that he tries to draw a line of distinction between Islam and liberal democracy. He shows his concern for the misuse of the ...
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...t has replaced the centuries old monarchal system of governance throughout the world. I do not mean to say that those who boast of having a democratic system in their countries should first look at their past, which is bleak all the way. The point is that the transformation of monarchy into th republic governance is only a recent phenomenon.
Works Cited:
1. Black, Antony. "The Idea of Monarchy under the Umayyads and 'Abbasids." History Of Islamic Political Thought: From The Prophet To The Present. S.l.: Edinburgh UP, 2001. 18-19. Print.
2. Irfan Ahmad (2011). Democracy and Islam. Philosophy & Social Criticism, Volume 37, Issue 4, pp. 459 – 470.
3. Lewis, Bernard (1996). Islam and Liberal Democracy: A Historical Overview. Journal of Democracy, Volume 7, Issue 2, 52-63.
4. The Qur'an: Translation. Trans. Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Elmhurst: Tahrike,
2000.
Ansary, Mir Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World through Islamic Eyes. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009. Print.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
In today’s world, there are several types of governments that control their countries. There are democracies, dictatorships, republics, monarchies etc. Absolute monarchy was a very common form of government centuries ago. Throughout this time period, many leaders, dictators, monarchs made mistakes that the government looks at today. The abuse and misuse of power by absolute monarchs inexorably led to the rise of modern democracy. This is shown through leaders abusing their powers as absolute monarchs, the unreliability of monarchy, and corrupt governments.
Print. Doak, Robin. Empire of the Islamic World. Rev. ed.
Hilāl, ʻAlī Al-Dīn. Islamic Resurgence in the Arab World. New York, NY: Praeger, 1982. Print.
Alt, A. "The Monarchy in Kingdoms Israel and Judah", Essays on Old Testament History and Religion, Blackwell 1966. p.243.
Burns, Thomas J. "Islam." Religion and Society. OU Campus' Dale Hall, Norman. 14 Apr. 2014. Lecture.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
There is a strong belief that Islam and politics are directly tied. They are tied in the sense that the building blocks of the religion dictate how they ought to behave in the political environment. Through this mandatory follow up behavior that the religion delineates, many have come to believe that its teachings are a form of terrorism. Mandaville argues that what has challenged the Islamic link between politics and religion was the emergence of secularism, which went against the belief that politics and religion could go together. Islam has been a religion that has been accused of supporting terrorist activities in the world. Different assumptions have been brought up to understand better the linkages between what really lies behind the Islam religion and politics. Peter Mandaville argues that Islam is dynamic and that it has changed over time; situated within time and politics.
Robinson, B.A. (2002, October 14). Islam: Is it a religion of violence or of peace.
Democratic states are perceived to be more peaceful because “democracies do not attack each other.” The proposition that democracies never (or rarely; there is a good deal of variation about this) go to war against one another has nearly become a truism. Since Michael Doyle’s essay in 1983 pointed out that no liberal democracy has ever fought a war with another democracy , scholars have treated pacifism between as democracies, “as closest thing we have to an empirical law in international relations.” The democratic peace proposition encourages hope for a new age of international peace. Over the years since Michael Doyle’s essay a lot of literature has been written about “democratic peace theory”. A lot of analysis has focused on the claim- that liberal democracies do not fight each one another. There is a lot of action- reaction sequence in the academic arguments. As an idea catches on it accumulates adherents. The more popular an idea, there is more likehood of a critical reaction that raises serious and strong reservations about the validity of the new idea. In this essay, I would like to examine the claim- that democratic states are more peaceful as democracy causes peace. In this essay I draw on the writings of John M. Owen, Michael Doyle, Christopher Layne, Mansfield and Snyder, Alexander Wendt, Robert Keohane and Lisa Martin for their views on why democracies do not fight one another and then deduce my own conclusions.
The democratic peace theory was not always seen as the substantial argument and significant contribution to the field of International Relations that it is today. Prior to the 1970’s, it was the realist and non-realist thought that took preeminence in political theoretical thinking. Though the democratic peace theory was first criticized for being inaccurate in its claim that democracy promotes peace and as such democracies do not conflict with each other, trends, statistical data, reports have suggested and proved that the democratic peace theory is in fact valid in its claim. Over the years, having been refined, developed and amended, it is now most significant in explaining modern politics and it is easy to accept that there is indeed a lot of truth in the stance that democracy encourages peace. The democratic peace theory is a concept that is largely influenced by the likes of Immanuel Kant, Wilson Woodrow and Thomas Paine.
In both given articles, “The Roots of Muslim Rage” by Bernard Lewis, and “The Roots of Muslim Rage Revisited” by Nicolaas J.E. van der Zee, argue about the enhancement of the Muslim fundamentalism with different perspectives; however, I believe that Lewis’ view may be quiet misleading to the actual perception. Lewis indicates that Muslim fundamentalism is conceived through the Muslim community’s oppression and dissatisfaction with the West’s political involvement, as well as “Islam is a source of aggression” . In defiance of Lewis’ opinion, the word ‘Islam’ comes from the word peace as well as the will of submission to God. The notion of aggression and violence that Lewis conceptualizes to be the headline of Islam does not have any supporting
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
... both establish the oneness of God and to reflect the interests of people. Most of these are core democratic values. There is no prohibition for mankind, the thinkers, and their leaders to think about forms and other means, perhaps a new way that will lead to a better and ideal Islamic society on par with the modern age. However, to simplify the matter and realize them into human reality, we see that we have to take some things from the ways of democracy to pursue justice, consultation, respect for human rights, and stand against the tyranny of the arrogant rulers in advance this earth. Taking everything into consideration, we can say that, although the term “democracy” alludes to different interpretations, it is not so foreign to Islam; Islam doesn’t reject democracy as a political structure and as a concept of freedom (except its concept of sovereignty of one God.