Is Islam compatible with democracy

¶ … Islam compatible with Democracy?

The correlation between Islam and democracy is vehemently argued among the people who make out with the Islamic resurrection during the later part of twentieth century and early twenty-first. Several of these Islamists think that "democracy" is an alien theory thrust upon them by the Western world and secular crusaders on the Muslim societies. They frequently debate that the idea of accepted independence rejects the basic Islamic assertion of the sovereignty of Almighty and is hence a type of worship. (Islam and Democracy in the Middle East) Some researchers assert that Islam has an inclination for authoritarianism. Besides, researches like Robert Barro's 'Determinants of Democracy' has substantiated with figures that Muslim nation have lower chances of embracing democracy regardless of economic developments. There is a divided opinion among the scholars regarding the correlation between democracy and Islam. Four groups of thought have been categorized by Goddard. Islam does not support democracy, Islam and democracy is incompatible, Islam and democracy are compatible, and democracy is central to Islam. Instead of concentrating on opposites, nevertheless majority of the theorists assert either compatibility or incompatibility. Karatnycky, the President of the Freedom House reveals that a non-Islamic nation is found to three times more adhering to democracy compared to an Islamic nation. (Hoeft, 2003)

A lot of well-known intellectuals and groups, nevertheless, debate that Islam and democracy are compatible. Academicians declare that Islam is a belief system which espouses ideology of equality, tolerance and righteousness and cannot be branded as against democracy. Several stretch the debate to assert that under the circumstances of the modern world, democracy can be regarded a necessity of Islam. In these deliberations, Muslim scholars present traditionally vital ideas from the core of the Islamic custom coupled with the fundamental ideas of democracy as construed in the contemporary world. (Esposito; Voll, 2001) Whereas admitting the continuing appeal of orthodox Islam across the globe, of late there have endeavors of the Muslim Civil society activists and intellectuals to support a moderate Islamic option. These combat to declare the compatibility of Islam and pluralistic democracy encounter appalling challenges, the miniscule of which is not the consistent endeavor of a lot of Arab rulers to restrict the impact of all supporters of democracy, secular or devout. (Islam and Democracy in the Middle East)

Objectives:

The aim of the research is to understand the contradictions which exist between Democracy and the practice of Islam. We could witness in nations such as Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, and Yemen where political freedom -- as run by the state not just opens fresh spaces for argument and criticism, but is even used as an intentional ploy to evade real democratization. Further than the officially announced Islamic political systems, there has also been a mounting responsibility for democracy with an Islamic flavor. In a lot of nations, Muslims who are not crusaders, Islamists have got themselves involved in democratic processes of elections and presented a mounting sense of the requirement for principles and Islamic consciousness in the political circle.

In Iran, winning the election by President Mohammad Khatami and his reformist partners motivated a new generation but has not yet destabilized the clerical organization's power. On the other hand, in Turkey a party with Islamic moorings is shifting a dishonored system away from decades of disagreement and immobility, after a major election triumph in the year 2002. Turkey's practice underlies the vital role of political Islam as a force for transformation. The experience with Turkey shows the fact that several Muslims, regardless of their habitation in officially secular or officially Islamic countries, witness democracy as their foremost expectation and means of efficient political involvement. Expanding on current research, this doctoral study seeks to examine the whether democracy is compatible in the Islamic world.

Research Methodology:

Methodology constitutes an important aspect of any study. Several scholars have followed many techniques of method to collect data, analyze it and come to its conclusions. In the present study which is supposed to be completed within a short span of time will concentrate on primary and secondary sources which are relevant to the study. The correlation between Islam and democracy proposing their incompatibility is made aware through several literatures on the subject. Nevertheless, the bulk of writings on this topic are not persuasive as the authors fall short of giving a theoretical cause for the extrication. The more conclusive study on the topic blends qualitative and quantitative methods.