Reason freedom and democracy in islam pdf persiangig

It stresses democratic principles based on pluralism and freedom of thought. The idea of the coexistence of democracy and islam has raised controversy among writers and theorists. The real reason is found in the wordkafir, a political word. Islam has designated certain aims for society which include protection of mind, belief, private property, security and state. For this reason, islam sets down certain rules and guidelines that guarantee the freedom of all. Are muslim countries really unreceptive to religious freedom. Steve inskeep talks to hamid about islam and democracy.

Depending on the philosophical foundations, there are two different rationales for the right to religious freedom. Shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal violence. Jun 20, 2017 shadi hamid, author of islamic exceptionalism, argues many muslims support a religiousdominated government, but that doesnt equal violence. Analysts have suggested a number of reasons for this, including the legacy of. Translation of essays written in persian between 1985 and 1994 by one of the most important iranian advocates of democratic and liberal governance. Mar 25, 2002 reason and revelation can relate in several waysthrough understanding, analysis, theology, and critiqueall of which can be helpful, but problematic as well. Ef08 islam and freedom of religion frontier centre for. Many laws of islam are incompatible with those of western liberal democracies. Paul kubicek, political islam and democracy in the muslim world. Abdolkarim soroush reason, freedom and democracy in islam. The declaration offers several reasons for protecting religious freedom. However, while muslims say they admire freedom and an open political system, gallup surveys suggest that they do not believe they must choose between islam and democracy, but rather, that the two can coexist inside one functional government.

Cathy young is a contributing editor at reason magazine and a columnist at realclearpolitics. Unfortunately, though, throughout americas history, almost every religious group has been the target of discrimination at one point or another. A view similar to this that understands islam and democracy to be incompatible because of seemingly irreconcilable differences between sharia and democratic ideals is also held by some islamists. The event host different speakers and promote different activities all to explain. Political aspects of islam are derived from the quran, the sunnah muslim history, and elements. Just as freedom of religion is often considered a threat to dictatorship, it can be an important safeguard of democratic society. His book entitled reason, freedom and democracy in islam. The need for the restraining law from the viewpoint of islam, man is a locomotive being. He and his contemporaries in other muslim countries are shaping what may become islams equivalent of the christian reformation. Translation of the 1949 treatise by a major ideologue of the islamist movement. Secular repressive governments are a widespread source of repression. This book is dedicated to those who openmindedly seek knowledge wherever it is.

Reviews mehran kamrava has compiled a selection from some of the leading muslim reformist thinkers whose voices have often been muted and marginalized. Today many islamist or islamic democratic parties exist in almost every. Islam and religious freedom 1 patricia crone mellon professor of islamic history at the institute for advanced study, princeton opening lecture of the xxx th german congress for oriental studies freiburg, september 24, 2007 islam and religious freedom. The first weak argument in this article is that the authors suggest, democracy is a foreign concept that has been imposed by westernizers and secular reformers upon muslim. Islam, democracy, and social movements the prevailing media and intellectual circles in the west perceive islam at the root of the authoritarian polity in the muslim middle east. This article examines the foundations of the right to religious freedom. In many countries, for example, islam is the official religion of the state, and appears in the name of. Abdul karim soroush, reason, freedom, and democracy in islam, ed. In between the extremes, in a number of countries where muslims are a majority, many muslims believe that islam is a support for democracy even though their particular political system is not explicitly defined as islamic.

The complaint alleged that the school promoted islam by requiring students to profess the five pillars of islam and to write out faith statements of the religion. The principal questions addressed were why the majority of muslim countries are not democratic and whether there is an inherent contradiction or incompatibility between islam and democratic principles. Index 2019 a year of democratic setbacks and popular protest pdf. Presenting eleven of his essays, this volume makes soroushs thought. Abdolkarim soroush has emerged as one of the leading moderate revisionist thinkers of the muslim world.

For this reason, islam forbids a person to force someone to follow them because no ones freedom is granted at the expense of anothers. By doing so, it encompasses the wide range of arguments that scholars have made on the issue and shows clearly what makes it possible for islam and democracy to be. Islam, liberalism, and democracy the journal of scriptural. Islam and democracy united states institute of peace. The muslim is superior to the kafir in politics and culture and the kafir must submit to the will of islam in public affairs. This paper proposes a short apprehension of the reflections of one of the most important progressive islamic scholars, the egyptian theologian ali abderraziq.

Based on that, in democracy legislative authority is given to someone other than allah, may he be exalted. Islam and freedom of religion frontier centre for public. The span and extent of life is like a route, which must be treaded in order to reach the destination. That is why islam compels the use of the mind with the emotions and obliges the muslim to use his mind to believe in allah and forbids imitation in aqeedah.

In this format some definition is given of islam and of democracy, and then it is argued how those definitions are either complementar y or contradictor y. The discover islam week is a yearly event lead by the islamic society of newcastle university isoc uk. Reason freedom and democracy in islam essential writings of abdolkarim soroush pdf best of all, they are entirely free to find, use and download, so there is no cost or stress at all. The catholic churchs declaration on religious freedom was promulgated during the second vatican council in 1965. The relationship between islam and democracy is strongly debated among the people who identify with the islamic resurgence in the late twentieth century and the beginning of the twentyfirst. There exist a number of perspectives on the relationship of islam and democracy among.

However, the common denominator of all forms of democracy is the rule of people and elections. Some of these islamists believe that democracy is a foreign concept that has been imposed by westernizers and. Allah is the source of all authority, including legitimate political authority. Although in practice these were oligarchical, and bore little resemblance to a modern democracy, they did have democratic features and were responsive states, with forms of participation in governance and belief in liberty.

Tolerance and fairness have generally prevailed, but only after principled. Some western analysts contend that islam is the reason. A discourse on religion and democracy 1 10 the three cultures 156 11 what the university expects from the hawzeh 171 12 let us learn from history 184 notes 199 selected references 227 index 230. But there is a difference between teaching about a religion and preaching a religion as divine truth. The relationship between islam and democracy has always been a cause of debates between muslim and nonmuslim thinkers. Therefore, islam assigned the mind as the arbitrator in iman in allah and forbids imitation in aqeedah. Jul 10, 2015 while islam may suffer a dearth of religious freedom in the aggregate, islam is not necessarily the reason behind this dearth. Endnotes 1 abdoulkarim soroush, tolerance and governance. Democracy building remains an uphill struggle in most muslim countries. Unlike manmade systems, islam is in total harmony with the reality of human nature since it is revealed by the one swt who created human beings. He and his contemporaries in other muslim countries are shaping what may become islam s equivalent of the christian reformation. Sadegh, haghighat, jihad from a shia hermeneutic perspective.

The exiled iranian religious philosopher and prodemocracy activist abdolkarim soroush is one of the leading thinkers in the muslim world. Freedom from the viewpoint of islam freedom, the unstated. If we consider democracy as a process of consultation among citizens, there is a sura of the koran called consultation. A discourse on religion and democracy, in reason, freedom and democracy in islam. Islamdemocracy reconciliation in the thoughtwritings of asghar ali engineer tauseef ahmad parray introduction islam and democracy is a critical, crucial, and hotly debated topic. Relationship between democracy and islamic government. The essays set forth his views on such matters as the freedom of muslims to interpret the quran, the inevitability of change in religion, the necessity of freedom of belief, and the compatibility of islam and democracy. He stated that islam unlike democracy is a complete code of life, which encompasses many more vital issues of human needs. The liberal islamic view is influenced by muhammad abduhs emphasis on the role of reason in. While islam may suffer a dearth of religious freedom in the aggregate, islam is not necessarily the reason behind this dearth. Islamdemocracy reconciliation, theoretically more reflection and research, and re interpretation is required to reconcile the modern notions of democracy, liberty, justice, equality, and human rights with the tenets of islam, as the islamic primary sources the holy. Democracy is based upon the idea of the golden rule. But this is not the real reason that islam cannot ever have democracy.

Essential writings of abdolkarim soroush, translated from the persian, edited and with a critical introduction by mahmoud sadri and ahmad sadri. Islam and religious freedom institute for advanced study. Translated and edited by mahmoud sadri and ahmad sadri. Liberal democracy and the right to religious freedom. In the muslim community, soroush argued, there is great resistance to the idea that reason can critique religion, but it is a step the community needs to take.

Analysing the compatibility of islam and democracy. Therefore, the aims of islam conform to the reality of human society. Islam and democracy eliane ursula ettmueller abstract. Islam and the notion of public reason article pdf available in critique critical middle eastern studies 121. The new voices of islam by mehran kamrava paperback.

Religious freedom is one of americas most fundamental liberties, and a central principle upon which our nation was founded. Islams contribution to the construction of a pluralistic world, convened by the embassy of switzerland in jakarta, 18 march 2004. The polity iv index has been criticized for similar reasons, but the. Sep 08, 2008 but this is not the real reason that islam cannot ever have democracy. Protecting the religious freedom of muslims american. There is a delicate point when comparing islam and democracy. Above all, he thinks democracy is consistent with islam and the fundamental rights of mankind prescribed in islam can be ensured through democracy.

Presenting eleven of his essays, this volume makes soroushs thought readily available in english for the first time. In this format some definition is given of islam and of democracy, and then it is argued how those definitions are either complementar y. Both writers believe that islam is the reason muslim countries are lacking modernity and democracy, and thus, it is important to test their claims by looking at authentic islamic doctrine and whether it truly is incompatible with democracy, and second, by analyzing empirical. Protecting the religious freedom of muslims american civil. Democracy is a system that is contrary to islam, because it gives the power of legislation to the people or to those who represent them such as members of parliament.

It focuses on his work about islam and the fundamentals of power, published in 1925. He also showed that islam spreads through political freedom. Freedom of conscience is a fundamental principle of the quran that is clearly stated in many quranic verses. Jan 01, 2000 reason, freedom, and democracy in islam book. Reason and revelation can relate in several waysthrough understanding, analysis, theology, and critiqueall of which can be helpful, but problematic as well. In surveying muslim populations, gallup solicited answers that shed. Everyone must be given freedom on both the individual and societal levels. Islamdemocracy reconciliation in the thoughtwritings of. However, within islam there are ideas held by some that believe islam and democracy in some form are indeed compatible due to the existence of the concept of shura meaning consultation in the quran. Prominent among them is the idea that faith arises through internal communication between god and the individual. It is extremely important especially for us in this turbulent and pluralistic world today to separate the divine message from the earthly action of the prophet. The long history of brutal religious wars in western europe helped give rise to the modern notion of religion as a matter of individual conscience, rather than an official policy of the state. Similarly, the five pillars of islam alarkan al islam.

Democracy requires a diversity of views and choices, an environment in which differing opinions can be debated freely. Essential writings of abdolkarim soroush soroush, abdolkarim on. Let me cite an example so that the readers could understand better. Islam forbids freedom of speech, in that criticism of mohammed, the qoran, islam, or allah is a capital offence, accusations sometimes followed by summary execution. Dominating the list are muslimmajority countries, all but one of which are friends of the u. Had your lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Essential writings of abdolkarim soroush oxford university press, 2000 is the subject of his keynote lecture.