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Old Sunday, May 17, 2009
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mumtaz Hayat Maneka
[CENTER][B]
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE PAPER-II
(CURRENT AFFAIRS)

Q. 2 why most countries of the Muslim world are devoid of democratic governance? What changes would you recommend to make them modern democratic states?
I suppose the points to be discussed are:

Reason for this crisis in Muslim World:
Western foreign policies continue to support oppressive regimes
Lack of education among the masses
Unreasonale dependence on the oil wealth and lack of planning and developement
Dynastic politics
Sectarianism on the rise
Misinterpretation of the Islamic principles by religious fanatics (esp. Jihad etc.)


Effects on the Muslim World:
rising levels of poverty and unemployment
growing corruption
violence and wars and terrorism
Human rights violation
Dependence on others in almost every field of developement in Science & Tech

What kind of change is needed: will it be slow, peaceful, and
progressively move us toward real democracy, or will it be
violent and revolutionary, and lead us toward another form of
dictatorship.


Solution: we need a strong coalition of moderate
reformers and democrats (both moderate Islamists and
secularists) who trust one another and work together for the
public interest.

Real democratization requires pressure from inside and out. Inside pressure is there and needs only to be channelised but pressure from outside is needed and needed right now.

The West should avoid supporting their hand-picked puppets in the Muslim World and must accept and support democracy even if moderate
Islamic movements, and not secularists, receive the majority of
votes.

Lessons from the West:
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when democracy was being developed and implemented in Europe, there was fear that the Catholic Church would be an obstacle to democracy, but the "Christian Democratic" movement grew and defended the idea that democracy was compatible with Christianity. In the Muslim world, we are seeing the birth of "Muslim democrats" who are advancing and advocating similar ideas.

Need to engage and support Moderate Islamists (who reject violence and theocracy, and simply want to reform their societies based on Islamic values of justice, equality, and accountability i.e. Democracy. Moderate Islamic movements today range from the Justice and Development Parties in Turkey and Morocco, to the reform Islah or Wasat parties in Kuwait, Yemen, and Jordan. Prominent moderate Islamist leaders include Anwar Ibrahim in Malaysia, Saadeddine al-Othmani in Morocco, and Abdulwaheed in Indonesia.

A Gallup Poll conducted in 2006 in ten Muslim-majority countries showed that the overwhelming majority (between 70-90% in Egypt and Pakistan) want a democratic government, but also want Shari'ah (Islamic law) to be either the main or the only source of legislation in their countries. This means that they want a democracy governed by Islamic principles, and they reject both theocracy and secular democracy.

Ijithad and the Reinterpretation of Islamic Texts:
The effort to re-open the door of Ijtihad (rational thinking), to reinterpret Islamic texts and modernize Islamic thought is not new, but it required to be revived all around the Muslim World, esp. the relationship between religion and the state needs further investigation and clarification.

According to Kubba:
“Looking ahead, I am an optimist. We need to watch the discourse taking place among Muslim intellectuals by which they are bringing about authentic Islamic interpretation of how they should govern themselves in modern societies. I have a lot of faith that this debate will lead to democracy and to full recognition of human rights, but it will come with local language and interpretation and it will be approached from a totally different perspective than we are accustomed to in the West.”

There is a strong need of unity among the Muslim Countries and the realisation of the need of democracy, true and deep-rooted democracy. The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) is in the best position to demonstrate this.

Conclusion:
Democracy building remains an uphill struggle in most Muslim countries. The explanation of why so many Muslim countries are not democratic has more to do with historical, political, cultural, and economic factors than with religious ones. Scholars of Islam agree that the principle of shura, or consultative decision-making, is the source of democratic ethics in Islam. But a great deal more reflection is required to clarify the relationship of shura to democracy. Those countries that have weak civil society structures and authoritarian regimes are fertile ground for terrorists. If western countries want to suppress terror then they must foster civil society and support movements that bolster democratic trends within these repressive political systems. There lies a great need of unity among Muslim World. West should support democratisation of the Islamic countires. Without the basic rules of Islam and democracy i.e. equality, justice and accountability, the Muslim World can not progress any further.
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The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Arif Rao For This Useful Post:
Ali Randhava (Monday, November 02, 2009), farwa.abbas (Friday, April 16, 2010), Mumtaz Hayat Maneka (Sunday, May 17, 2009), Sabah Hunzai (Tuesday, February 02, 2010)