Islam and
the New Iraqi Democracy
Dr Parvez Ahmed Board
Member Council on American-Islamic Relat ions
(CAIR)
Results from the
Iraqi election are finally in and there is considerable
unease about the makeup of the new Iraqi government.
United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), a party with Islamic
leanings and tacit backing of Iraq's Grand Ayatollah
Ali Sistani has won the most votes, although not
a clear majority. The sense of unease comes from
a misconception that Islamic leaning parties are
an anathema to democracy.
The challenge facing
Iraq's new rulers will be to form a government
that integrates the aspirations of all its minorities
including those who stayed out of the election
process. Regional experts claim UIA to be apolitically
mature group, which has a fair chance to form
an inclusive government. At the core of a growing
unease about the election results lay Islam's
role in the new government and the drafting of
a new constitution. This despite the fact that
majority of Muslims around the world live peacefully
under democracies some even upholding democracy
as being intrinsic to Islam. The Quran, in verses
42:38, and 3:159, instructs that the basic principle
of governance should be based on "consultative
counsel" or shura. Islamic scholars expound shura
to be containing three necessary elements - equal
rights for all citizens, majority rule for public
policy and upholding the ideals of justice and
human dignity.
Yet another inspiration
for governance comes from the life of Islam's
exemplar - Prophet Muhammad, who on his deathbed
refused to anoint a successor, sending a clear
message that it is up to the people to decide
how they wish to be governed. Abu Bakr was then
elected to become head of the state. Prophet Muhammad,
like Biblical prophets David and Solomon, was
also the head of a state, although not a king.
Among his first acts as head of state was to draft
a constitution. The constitution or charter of
Madinah provided a pluralistic framework involving
due rights and protection for all people. Signatories
to the constitution included several religious
minorities, whereby each side retained its identity,
customs and internal relations.
The constitution
also contained its own bill of rights including
guarantees for freedom of religion. As Iraq moves
towards democracy, two Qur'anic principles can
aid its transition - first acknowledging diversity
(Qur'an 49:13) and second embracing gradualism
(the Qur'an was revealed over a period of 23 years).
Despite such inter linkages between Islam and
democracy it is still important to sound a word
of caution. Religion and politics often form an
incendiary mix. Religion rarely uplifts politics,
while politics often invariably corrupts religion.
It is thus not coincidental that great Muslim
jurists generally opted to stay out of government,
in the process retaining their independence. Aligning
political and religious establishments often leads
to the imposition of "sectarian" interpretations.
Muslims in general
agree on the veracity of their scriptures; however,
its interpretation and translation into practical
law is subject to varied understandings. Thus
disagreements are inevitable. While it is possible
to achieve common consensus from the varied interpretations,
it is also plausible for the system to descend
into a tyranny of the majority. Islam can be a
source of inspiration in governance but certainly
does not have to be an exclusive source. Prophet
Muhammad characterized believers as people who
accept goodness no matter what its source. This
principle served Islam and humanity well in Spain
where Muslim egalitarianism formed the basis of
an impressive civilization based on knowledge,
rational inquiry and tolerance, eventually becoming
the precursor to Europe's Renaissance.
Thus in Iraq and
elsewhere in the Muslim world the major task ahead
should be the building of civil societies whose
governments are representative, whose judiciaries
are respectful of the rights of all people and
whose legislature fosters positive development
of the material and the spirit. Can Iraq lead
the way? My heart says yes, but my mind remains
skeptical given the enormity of the task and so
little forbearance on all sides. [Parvez Ahmed,
Ph.D., is a board member for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, (CAIR). CAIR is headquartered in Washington
D.C. and has 28 offices nationwide. CAIR is America's
largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy group.]
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