Western Initiatives in the last years and especially in the aftermath of 11 September 2001
multiplied and intensified (e.g. the U.S. proposal of a Greater Middle East Initiative, Barcelona
Process by the EU) in order to bring democracy to a region which by any definition has the Arab
World at its core and which in comparison to Eastern Europe and Latin America seems reluctant
to follow the common trend of establishing representative democracies as form of government.
Besides the “exportation” efforts also internal Arab political discourse generally endows
democracies with a virtually talismanic quality capable of solving all outstanding problems, as
Al-Azmeh rightly points out.
The Arab Word is stretching from Morocco in the west to Oman in the east including a variety of
different state structures (small city states like Kuwait , large states like Libya, extremely rich
and extremely poor regions)3 and is populated by heterogeneous ethnic groups (large Berber
minorities in the Mahgreb and Kurdish, Turkic and Armenian minorities in the Mashreq).
However big the differences may be two common nominators can doubtless be identified: Islam
and a democracy deficit . The questions arising are obvious. Is the message of the prophet
responsible that no stabile democratic government is in sight in the Arab World ? Is the deficit in
democratic ruling indeed a cultural and religious problem ? Is the Koran compatible with the
concepts of democracy ?
Table of Contents
A. Introduction
B. Limits
I. Democracy as Universal Model
1. Modernity
2. Democracy
3. Islam and Democracy
4. Perception of the Current Situation of Democracy in the Arab World
5. Conclusion and Prediction
II. Democracy and the Clash of Civilizations
1. Modernity
2. Democracy
3. Islam and Democracy
4. Perception of the Current Situation of Democracy in the Arab World
5. Conclusion and Prediction
III. Islamic Modernity
1. Modernity
2. Democracy
3. Islam and Democracy
4. Perception of the Current Situation of Democracy in the Arab World
5. Conclusion and Prediction
IV. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the perceived compatibility between Islam and democracy by analyzing three distinct intellectual "schools of thought" regarding the Arab world's political landscape and its potential for democratic transition.
- The universalist perspective on democracy as a global model.
- The clash of civilizations theory concerning cultural and value system incompatibility.
- The concept of Islamic modernity and the possibility of indigenous democratic development.
- Comparative analysis of how modernity and democracy are perceived across these schools.
- Evaluation of the current democratic deficit and the role of civil society in the Arab world.
Excerpt from the Book
A. Introduction
“Because of their concern for authenticity, Islamic authors have shifted the emphasis from a discussion of the required socio-political foundations of pluralist democracy to its cultural and religious dimensions, debating the cultural acceptability of the model rather than its feasibility and efficiency in solving problems of contemporary Arab societies. Islam, they claim, is the only valid expression of authenticity, and the solution to all problems of private life, state and society. Islam is the yardstick by which to measure values, goods, institutions. Hence, either the necessity either to prove that liberal and democratic notions, structures and procedures can in fact be traced back to Islamic tradition provided it is freed from obscurantist interpretation and repressive practice, or else show that Arab-Islamic tradition is both radically different from, and at the same superior to, western style liberal democracy, on a moral as well as practical level.”
Krämer, 1994
Western Initiatives in the last years and especially in the aftermath of 11 September 2001 multiplied and intensified (e.g. the U.S. proposal of a Greater Middle East Initiative, Barcelona Process by the EU) in order to bring democracy to a region which by any definition has the Arab World at its core and which in comparison to Eastern Europe and Latin America seems reluctant to follow the common trend of establishing representative democracies as form of government.
Summary of Chapters
A. Introduction: Outlines the research focus on the compatibility of Islam and democracy, introducing the three primary intellectual perspectives analyzed in the paper.
B. Limits: Explains the methodological constraints of the paper, specifically the focus on theoretical frameworks over empirical country case studies.
I. Democracy as Universal Model: Explores the perspective that democracy is an inevitable outcome of modernity and enlightenment values, regardless of regional cultural differences.
II. Democracy and the Clash of Civilizations: Discusses the argument that fundamental cultural and religious differences between the Western and Islamic worlds make democracy incompatible in its liberal form.
III. Islamic Modernity: Investigates the approach that views Islam as a flexible tradition capable of facilitating an indigenous form of democracy through enlightened interpretation.
IV. Conclusion: Summarizes findings, emphasizing that the compatibility of Islam and democracy depends heavily on the definitions and perspectives employed by researchers.
Keywords
Democracy, Islam, Arab World, Modernity, Secularization, Civil Society, Human Rights, Clash of Civilizations, Islamic Modernity, Enlightenment, Political Liberalization, Governance, Ideology, Pluralism, Shura
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental topic of this research paper?
The paper examines the complex relationship and compatibility between Islam and democratic principles within the context of the Arab world.
Which schools of thought are used to analyze the subject?
The author identifies three perspectives: the universal approach (democracy as a universal success story), the culturalist approach (clash of civilizations), and the Islamic modernity approach (Islam as a liberal, flexible ideology).
What is the primary objective of the essay?
The goal is to determine whether democratic deficits in the Arab world are caused by cultural/religious factors or by other structural and socio-economic variables.
Which scientific methodology does the author apply?
The author uses a comparative theoretical analysis, categorizing various scholarly discourses into three main frameworks to evaluate the potential for democracy in Muslim societies.
What topics are explored in the main body of the paper?
The body analyzes perceptions of modernity, definitions of democracy, the relationship between religious and secular law, and the role of civil society within each of the three schools of thought.
How are the key themes characterized?
Key themes include the interpretation of the Koran, the role of secularism, economic development, and the impact of Western-led democratization initiatives.
How does the author define the "universalist" approach?
The universalist approach posits that enlightenment values and democracy are historically unavoidable and that the Arab world is currently in a transition phase toward this universal model.
What is the "neo-patriarchy" concept mentioned in the text?
It is described by Sharabi as an offspring of corrupted traditional patriarchy combined with distorted modernity, resulting in a closed consciousness that hinders democratic development.
Does the paper conclude that Islam and democracy are inherently incompatible?
No, the conclusion states that compatibility depends on definitions; it suggests that peace and stability depend on how Arab societies satisfy their populations' needs rather than strict adherence to one specific model.
- Citation du texte
- Franco Burgio (Auteur), 2007, Export of democracy to the arab world, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/113628
