Issue of Democracy & Islam

Democracy is often characterized as a method of giving all citizens in a nation-state a share in political decisionmaking (Warburton, 1998). However, the word "democracy" is used in a number of different ways. Direct democracies are distinguished from representative democracies in that the latter reflect governance systems in which voters select their favored representatives. Democracy is also manifested by different types of representative systems, with degrees of participation integral to the determination of the nature of the democracy (Warburton, 1998).

At issue herein is the question of the extent to which democracy and Islam are mutually exclusive or potentially supportive of not another. Manus Midlarsky (1998) pointed out that the relationship between democracy and Islam has taken center stage in international debate. Both democracy and Islam, particularly in its militant form, have experienced an international resurgence and a renewed vitality. Determining the degree to which Islam as a religious belief system that has directly shaped social, political, and cultural relations in many nation-states, are compatible, is the focus of this report. It will be argued herein that as a religion, Islam is not necessarily antithetical to democracy, but Islam posits a distinct Islamic notion of democracy and social relations that does not directly coincide with similar definitions and relationships in non-Islamic countries.

Generally, Islamic countries are committ

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Category: Foreign - I