Democracy, Islam and Women

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines democracy as "a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation, usually involving periodically held free elections" (Merriam-Webster 307). Given this definition, some Westerners have made the assumption that democracy and Islam cannot coexist. They cite the autocratic rulers, warlords, and extremist clerics who have wielded power in nations where Islam is strongest (Hughes 1). In view of this assumption, however, only Senegal and Mali out of 47 Muslim-majority nations are ranked by New York's Freedom House as fully free (Trofimov 1). Yet supporters of Islamic democracy point to the fact that 4 to 7 million Muslims in the United States are asking an evermore

active role in American politics, and that politicians from both parties are seeking their votes. Freedom House points out, moreover, that "half of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims liv

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nt that this is contrary to the true spirit of the religion by citing examples from the Qur'an. While Khomeini's writings degrade women "nearly to the level of animals", "the ideology of Towhid [oneness] which is the basis of the Islamic worldview, opposes all discrimination" (NCRIFAC 2). They go on to mention the fact that nowhere in the Qur'an are women and men not discussed as equals, that women were the first converts, and that Muhammad consulted his wives before making decisions. The underlying issue concerning Islam, democracy, and women is a world-wide culture clash, in which Western capitalist-liberal-democratic ideas have penetrated into formerly isolated cultural areas by use of globalized media. The Iranian Revolution was a reaction to the rapid Westernization of which America's client dictator the Shah was the agent. When a traditional culture is threatened by foreign invaders and ideas it often reverts to its most orthodox form. Thus, for example, the Ghost Dance Religion and Peyote Cult of indigenous tribes from the American Southwest, black messiahs of South Africa, and the African beliefs of voodoo and Santeria practiced in the Caribbean can all be seen as efforts to preserve and protect traditions in the face
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Approximate Word count = 1452
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)