الإسلام والغرب: نحو عالم أفضل

@ @

Islamic Republicanism and Liberal Democracy

of bay’a (allegiance), shura (consultation) and ijma’a (consensus)i.e. such linking of these concepts can perhaps contribute more to the achievement of justice than the isolated and alien concept of liberal democracy (the more customary way they are commonly referred to). One observes that as one reads many of the Islamic writings on Democracy, there is a certain hesitation and awkwardness as they desire to speak of justice but find world opinion compelling them to be perhaps defensively distracted by the concept of individualistic liberal democracy. Islamic republicanism is perhaps a more accurate and informing label of what it is they are attempting, namely the transformation of society and the state within a culturally authentic Islamic framework. The political forms of Islamic republicanism are varied. They can include, for example, constitutional monarchies as well as presidential republics. Finally, the possibility of a broader agreement between Islam and the West is clear by noting that each of these civilizations has different but proximate and overlapping priorities. One can note, for example, that the military leadership of the American Revolution and The Federalist Papers outlining some the significant political concepts of the US Constitution were provided by such republicans such as Washington, Hamilton and Madison . The West is self-assured in dogmatically presenting liberal democratic answers to political questions. Islam, on the other hand, is engaged in determining what the important questions are. It is in the degree of overlap between the parallel traditions of republicanism in the West and in Islam that both civilizations can possibly discover the basis of potential dialogue and agreement. It is clear that Islamic republicanism as both a Western and Islamic tradition can be presented as a respected alternative to liberal democratic theory. In addition, the centrality of justice to Islamic republicanism can perhaps remind the Western proponents of liberal democracy that too often the self assured advocacy of the latter masks and hides the evidence of its often significant inequalities and injustice.

-71-

Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter