modern democracy and islamic democracy
TRANSCRIPT
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ModernDemocracy
&Islamic
Democracy
A research by,M.FaizanQadriSoftgenic.i8.com
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Content
Chapter # 1 : Overview of democracyWhat is democracy?.......................................................................................................................Page#2
Brief history of democracy................................................................................................. ............Page#2Middle ages ....................................................................................................................................Page#4States of democracy........................................................................................................................Page#5
Chapter # 2 :Modern democracyWhat is democracy? In the light of modern democracy..................................................................Page#6Introduction to Modern Democracy in the light of democratic countries ......................................Page#6Difference in the ideologies found in Modern Democratic Countries.........................................Page#7Ideological differences ............................................................................Page#8Ideological differences conclusion...................................................................................................Page#9Authority in the modern state...........................................................................................................Page#10The democratic state and the citizen................................................................................................Page#12
False Assumptions and Beliefs about Modern democracy.....................................................Page#15
Chapter # 3 :Islamic democracyWhat is Islamic democracy? ...........................................................................................................Page#17Type of State and society which Islam envisaged...........................................................................Page#18Difference between Shura and Democracy.....................................................................................Page#20Concept of (democratic) parties in Islamic Democracy..................................................................Page#21The Islamic system..........................................................................................................................Page#22Adopting Devine Rules (Ahkam-e-Shariah) .................................................................................Page#23Why Islamic state differs very much from a Communist State? ...................................................Page#24Refutation of the doubts related to the participation in democratic Elections................................Page#25
References of BooksReferences of Books of Modern and Islamic democracy...Page#27
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Chapter#1: Overview of Democracy
What is Democracy?
[1] Government by the people; a form of government, in which the supreme power is lodged in
the hands of the people collectively, or in which the people exercise the powers of legislation.
The term comes from the Greek: (dmokrata) "rule of the people"[1]
Brief History of Democracy
Ancient origins[2] The term democracy first appeared in ancient Greek political and philosophical thought. The
philosopher Plato contrasted democracy, the system of "rule by the governed", with the
alternative systems of monarchy (rule by one individual), oligarchy (rule by a small lite class)
and timocracy (ruling class of property owners).Although Athenian democracy is today
considered by many to have been a form of direct democracy, originally it had two
distinguishing features: first the allotment (selection by lot) of ordinary citizens to government
offices and courts, and secondarily the assembly of all the citizens.
All citizens were eligible to speak and vote in the Assembly, which set the laws of the city-state.However, the Athenian citizenship was only for males born from a father who was citizen and
who had been doing their "military service" between 18 and 20 years old; this excluded women,
slaves, foreigners and males under 20 years old. Of the 250,000 inhabitants only some 30,000 on
average were citizens. Of those 30,000 perhaps 5,000 might regularly attend one or more
meetings of the popular Assembly. Most of the officers and magistrates of Athenian government
were allotted; only the generals (strategoi) and a few other officers were elected. [2]
[1] Webster Dictionary
[2] Democracy and Early State by Grinin L. E.
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Middle Ages
[3] During the Middle Ages, there were various systems involving elections or assemblies,
although often only involving a small amount of the population, the election of Gopala in
Bengal, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Althing in Iceland, the Lgting in the Faroe
Islands certain medieval Italian city-states such as Venice, the tuatha system in early medieval
Ireland, the Veche in Novgorod and Pskov Republics of medieval Russia, The States in Tirol and
Switzerland and the autonomous merchant city of Sakai in the 16th century in Japan. However,
participation was often restricted to a minority, and so may be better classified as oligarchy.
Most regions in medieval Europe were ruled by clergy or feudal lords. [3]
Democracy was also seen to a certain extent in bands and tribes such as the Iroquois
Confederacy. However, in the Iroquois Confederacy only the males of certain clans could be
leaders and some clans were excluded. Only the oldest females from the same clans could choose
and remove the leaders. This excluded most of the population. An interesting detail is that there
should be consensus among the leaders, not majority support decided by voting, when making
decisions.
[4]
Band societies, such as the Bushmen, which usually number 20-50 people in the band often do
not have leaders and make decisions based on consensus among the majority. In Melanesia,
farming village communities have traditionally been egalitarian and lacking in a rigid,
authoritarian hierarchy. Although a "Big man" or "Big woman" could gain influence, that
influence was conditional on a continued demonstration of leadership skills, and on the
willingness of the community. Every person was expected to share in communal duties, and
entitled to participate in communal decisions. However, strong social pressure encouraged
conformity and discouraged individualism.
[4]
[3] Democracy and Early State by Grinin L. E.
[4] Democracy and Early State by Grinin L. E.
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States of Democracy
There are three states of democracy Early State, Developed State and Mature State
yEarly State[5] The concept of the early state introduced by Henri J. M. Claessen and Peter Skalnk
appears to have been the last among the great epoch-making political-anthropological
theories of the 60s and 70s of the last century.The early state is a category by means of
which we denote a specific form of political organization of a sufficiently large and
complex craft-agrarian society (or a group of such societies/territor- ies) that controls its
external policy and, partly, social order; at the same time this political form is a power
organization separated from the popu- lation, which a) possesses sovereignty (or, at least,
autonomy); b) is cap- able of forcing the population to fulfil its demands, change
important re- lationships and introduce new ones, and redistribute resources; and ) is not
built (basically, or mainly) on kingship principles. [5]
y Developed State[6] The developed state is a category by means of which we denote a natural form of
political organization of a civilized society (or a group of such societies) that is
characterized by a centralized organization of power, administration and order
maintenance in the form of a system of special insti- tutions, positions (titles), organs,
laws (norms) and which possesses (a) sovereignty; (b) supremacy, legitimacy and
efficiency of power within a certain territory and a certain circle of people; (c) and has
the capability to change relations and norms.
y Mature StateThe mature state is a category by means of which we denote an organic form of political
organization of an economically and culturally developed society, a system of
bureaucratic and other specialized political institutions, organs and laws supporting the
internal and external political life; it is an organization of power, administration, and
order maintenance that is separated from the population and that possesses: a)
sovereignty; b) supremacy, legitimacy and the reality of power within a certain territory
and a certain circle of people; c) a developed apparatus of coercion and control; d) the
ability to change social relations and norms in a systematic way. [6]
[5] "The Early State"by H. J. M. Claessen, Peter Skalnik
[6] The Statehood Evolutionary Sequence by Leonid . Grinin
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Chapter#2: Modern Democracy
What is Democracy? : In the light of Modern
Democracy
[7] Democracy is a political government carried out either directly by the people (direct
democracy) or by means of elected representatives of the people (Representative democracy).[7]
We can categorize modern democracy into the mature state because it satisfies every singlerequirement of the mature state of democracy.
Introduction to Modern Democracy in the light
of (modern) democratic countries
[8.1] No doubt that modern democratic countries of the world have ideologies which historically
evolved from the main ideological thoughts such as Communism, Liberalism and Conservatism
developed over many centuries ago. However it can be observed that modern democratic
societies have recently tended towards the acceptance of certain fundamental foundational
beliefs of each of these founding ideologies. Thus, differences still exist in the ideologies found
in modern democratic countries.
Its in light of this that I pose and seek to answer the following research question:
Are there any meaningful differences in the ideologies found in modern
democratic countries?
Before we go any further I would like to note here that modern democratic countries can in my
opinion be classified into developed modern democracies and developing modern democracies.
Understanding this classification is vital in my reasoning, to understanding the differences to be
discussed in the body of this research work. [8.1]
[7] Webster Dictionary
[8.1] Ideological Differences in Modern Democratic Countriesby Lawrence
OkechukwuEmeagwal
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[8.2] It is important to use this medium to also shed more light on the form of differences which
may exist, and these includes
Ideological differences within developed democratic countries.
Ideological differences between or among two or more developed democratic countries.
Ideological differences within particular ideological groups within a country or among
countries.
Ideological difference within and among developing countries. [8.2]
Difference in the ideologies found in Modern
Democratic Countries
[8.3] Ideological differences within aModern Developed Democratic
Country
Modern developed democracies such as the USA and Canada, and indeed most of North
America, have very few ideological divisions when it comes to such clear cut standing on
Liberalism, conservatism or communalism. However certain ideological differences still exist
which have their roots in the original forms of the three main ideologies stated before. According
to Richard Sigurdson, examples of these differences include the ideology ofnationalism,
populism, environmentalism, and feminism. I will discuss a little more on feminism as an
ideological difference within a modern developed democratic country.
FeminismAccording to Richard Sigurdson, Feminism is that ideology which have progressed over time
and is now prevalent and which concerns itself as its name implies, with effecting a change in the
situation of male dominance still present to an extent in developed democracies. Sigurdson also
noted that feminism is an ideology which not only supports the uplifting of women, but also
concerns itself with the equality of the sexes. Feminist such as Kathleen Lahey, decry the inferior
treatment of women of any kind. In her article titled On Silence, Screams and Scholarship Lahey
decried the historic legal subjugation of women from the time of theancient Mesopotamian law
called the Urukaginas Code enacted in 2415 B.C.E, believed to be one of the first laws ever
enacted and which subjugated the right of women to speak their minds or give their views; to the
present modern, subtle, written and unwritten laws which still prevents women in certaindeveloped democracies from acquiring an equal 50% split in family assets after a divorce [8.3]
[8.2] Ideological Differences in Modern Democratic Countries by Lawrence O.Emeagwal
[8.3] Ideological Differences in Modern Democratic Countries by Lawrence O.Emeagwal
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Ideological Differences between or among two or
more Developed Democratic Countries
[9] Ideological differences may also exist among developed democratic countries of the world.Although these countries believe in the ideology of democracy, one country may have an
inclination towards a certain type of ideology than another. For example comparing the United
States and Canada, it is easy to see that although both are developed democracies, like all
modern developed democracies, and have ideological groups which despite their differences, still
reach out across ideologies, to accept and share certain ideological fundamentals; still the
prominence of certain ideological groups differ in both countries. Andrew Heard lends credence
to this fact when he revealed that social democracy a modern variant of the communist ideology
founded by Carl Marx was more prevalent and prominent in Canada as opposed to the US. [9]
Ideological differences within particular
ideological groups within or among developed
democratic countries
[10] Other ideological differences exist among members of the same ideological group in a
particular country or among different countries. Andrew Heard also elaborated on this when he
highlighted the difference between the prominence and prevalence of Populism among Canadianand US Neo-Conservatives. He stressed that Populism which is a significant variant of classical
conservatism, rejects the elitist views of its founding ideology and finds a larger followership
among Canadian Neo- Conservatives than their American counterparts. [10]
[9] Ideological Differences in Modern Democratic Countries by Lawrence
OkechukwuEmeagwal
[10] Political Culture and Democracy in Developing Countries by Almond, Gabriel &
Diamond, Larry
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Ideological differences within and among
developing countries
[11] The differences in the ideologies prevalent in and among developing democratic nations, ishinged not necessarily on the differences or affiliation to the three traditional ideologies
mentioned earlier, but is shaped rather by the dominant beliefs, values and attitude towards
socio-political environment. True many developing countries have embraced democracy and
have adopted a combination of the three traditional political ideologies, yet the extent to which
these traditional ideologies have been adopted have been dependent and in some areas limited by
the cultural, societal and religious belief system of these developing countries. For example,
many African countries especially in the west and south of Africa, have embraced democracy for
many decades now, but still feministic ideologies are yet to be as profound as in developed
democracies. And the issue of discrimination in the equal splitting of family property upon
divorce which Kathleen Lahey complained about in her article, is heavily prevalent, in most of
these developing countries, the woman doesnt even have the privilege of parting with any
family asset, talk less of a 50% share. These ideological differences according to Gabriel
Almond and Larry Diamond stem from the resistance of such developing nations to what they
see as overtly western influences. While recognizing the benefits of democracy, these countries
have sought to customize their adoption of this way of governance, by crafting and tailoring it
according to their historical, cultural and value ideologies. [11]
Conclusion of Ideological differences of
developing countries
[12 (-] Although the ideologies currently prevalent in most modern democratic countries of the
world today are based to a large extent on the three different traditional and fundamental
ideologies of Liberalism, Conservatism and Communism; they have evolved into ideologies
which reach out across all three ideologies combining and building a foundation in most of the
fundamental similarities they share. However, just as there are similarities there are also
differences, which can be observed in the ideological environment of a particular modern
democratic country, as well as the ideological environment among modern democratic countries.
True all of them are modern democracies, but the prominence of certain ideologies; differ fromcountry to country, with the developing democratic countries maintaining ideologies which have
strong roots in their traditional culture and belief systems.
[11] Ideological Differences in Modern Democratic Countries by Lawrence O.Emeagwal
[12 (-] Political Culture and Democracy in Developing Countries by Almond, Gabriel &
Diamond, Larry
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These differences in ideologies are fundamental in helping us understand our societies and their
position in the global scheme of things as well as enabling us to become active players in
shaping the ideological actions necessary for the betterment of our societies and the world at
large [12 -)]
Authority in the modern stateNationalism and the national state
[13] Nationalism (also known as liberal nationalism) defines the nation as an association of
people with equal and shared political rights, and allegiance to similar political
procedures.According to the principles of civic nationalism the nation is not based on common
ethnic ancestry, but is a political entity, whose core is not ethnicity.
nationalism might also be portrayed as collective identities towards imagined communitieswhich are not naturally expressed in language, race or religion but rather socially constructed by
the very individuals that belong to a given nation. Nationalism is sometimes reactionary, calling
for a return to a national past, and sometimes for the expulsion of foreigners. Other forms of
nationalism are revolutionary, calling for the establishment of an independent state as a
homeland for an ethnic underclass.
Nationalism emphasizes collective identity - a 'people' must be autonomous, united, and express
a single national culture. However, some nationalists stress individualism as an important part of
their own national identity.
National flags, national anthems, and other symbols of national identity are often considered
sacred, as if they were religious rather than political symbols. Deep emotions are aroused.Gellner
and Breuilly, in Nations and Nationalism, contrast nationalism and patriotism. "If the nobler
word 'patriotism' then replaced 'civic/Western nationalism', nationalism as a phenomenon had
ceased to exist." [13]
[12-)] Political Culture and Democracy in Developing Countries by Almond, Gabriel &
Diamond, Larry
[13] Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy by Anthony H. Birch
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Political equity and legitimacy
Legitimacy
[14] In political science, legitimacy is the popular acceptance of a governing law as an authority.Whereas authority denotes a specific position in an established government, the term
legitimacy denotes a system of government wherein government denotes sphere of
influence. Political legitimacy is considered a basic condition for governing, without which, a
government will suffer legislative deadlock and collapse. In political systems where this is not
the case, unpopular rgimes survive because they are considered legitimate by a small,
influential elite.
In law, legitimacy is distinguished from legality (see color of law), to establish that a
government action can be legal whilst not being legitimate, e.g. a police search without proper
warrant; conversely, a government action can be legitimate without being legal, e.g. a pre-
emptive war, a military junta. An example of such matters arises when legitimate institutions
clash in a constitutional crisis. Conceptually, legitimacy also applies to apolitical authorities,
e,g, the Marxist philosophic and politico-economic challenge of capitalism as form of social
organization, and government. [14]
Equity
[15] In modern practice, perhaps the most important distinction between law and equity is the set
of remedies each offers. The most common civil remedy a court of law can award is monetary
damages. Equity is the name given to the set of legal principles, in jurisdictions following the
English common law tradition, which supplement strict rules of law where their application
would operate harshly. In civil legal systems, broad "general clause" allow judges to have similar
leeway in applying the code.
Equity is commonly said to "mitigate the rigor of common law", allowing courts to use their
discretion and apply justice in accordance with natural law. In practice, modern equity is limited
by substantive and procedural rules, and English and Australian legal writers tend to focus on
technical aspects of equity. [15]
[14] Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracyby Anthony H. Birch
[15] Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracyby Anthony H. Birch
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The democratic state and the citizen
Liberty and freedom
[16] Liberty is the concept of ideological and political philosophy that identifies the condition towhich an individual has the right to behave according to one's own personal responsibility andfree will. The conception of liberty is impacted by ideals concerning the social contract as wellas arguments that are concerned with the state of nature.
Individualist and classical liberal conceptions of liberty relate to the freedom of the individualfrom outside compulsion or coercion and this is defined as negative liberty. Social liberalconceptions of liberty relate freedom to social structure and agency and this is defined as positiveliberty and modern democracy contains positive liberty.Positive liberty asserts that freedom is found in a person's ability to having agency, particularlyin the sense of having the power and resources to carry out their own will, without being
inhibited by the structural inhibitions from society such as racism, classism or sexism. In thenegative sense, one is considered free to the extent to which no person interferes with his or heractivity. According to Thomas Hobbes, for example, "a free man is he that... is not hindered todo what he hath the will to do."In the past a part from few various civilizations embrace negative liberty for example Urukagina,most ancient freedoms focused on negative liberty, protecting the less fortunate from harassmentor imposition. [16]
Freedom as a philosophical concept may refer to liberty and free will. Types offreedom include:
Political freedom
Economic freedom
Freedom of religion
Political freedom
[17 (-] Political freedom is the absence of interference with the sovereignty of an individual by
the use of coercion or aggression. Freedom is commonly known as a state of being free from
government oppression. This is a definition of freedom which coincides with negative liberty
[16] Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracyby Anthony H. Birch
[17 (-]Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracyby Anthony H. Birch
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The concept of political freedom in modern democracy is very closely allied with the concepts ofcivil liberties and individual rights, which in most democratic societies is characterized byvarious freedoms which are afforded the legal protection from the state. Some of these freedomsmay include (in alphabetical order):Freedom of assembly
Freedom of associationFreedom of movementFreedom of speechFreedom of the pressFreedom of thoughtFreedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, which is related to freedom of privacyFreedom to bear armsSuffrageScientific freedomAcademic freedom[17 -)]
Economic freedom
[18] Economic freedomis a term used in economic and policy debates.Economic freedom inmodern democracy is the major approach to economic freedom comes from classical liberal andlibertarian traditions emphasizing free markets and private property. The free market viewpointunderstands economic liberty as the freedom to produce, trade and consume any goods andservices acquired without the use of force, fraud or theft. This is embodied in the rule of law,property rights and freedom of contract, and characterized by external and internal openness ofthe markets, the protection of property rights and freedom of economic initiative.A secure system of private property rights is an essential part of economic freedom. Suchsystems include two main rights: the right to control and benefit from property and the right totransfer property by voluntary means. These rights offer people the possibility of autonomy andself-determination according to their personal values and goals.With property rights protected, people are free to choose the use of their property, earn on it, andtransfer it to anyone else, as long as they do it on a voluntary basis and do not resort to force,fraud or theft. In such conditions most people can achieve much greater personal freedom anddevelopment than under a regime of government coercion. A secure system of property rightsalso reduces uncertainty and encourages investments, creating favorable conditions for aneconomy to be successful.[18]
[17-)] Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracyby Anthony H. Birch
[18] Economic Freedom and Interventionism by Ludwig von Mises
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Freedom of religion[19] Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community,
in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance;
the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to
follow any religion.Freedom of religion is considered by many people and nations to be afundamental human right. In modern democracy freedom of religion is given to every single
person as it is considered to be a human right of a person such as USA,UK but in both these
countries it had some of the lowest levels of government and social restrictions on religion. [19]
[20] According to the results, that were published in December 2009, about one-third of the
countries in the world have high or very high restrictions on religion, and nearly 70 percent of
the world's population lives in countries with heavy restrictions on freedom of religion.This
concerns restrictions on religion originating from both national authorities and social hostilities
undertaken by private individuals, organisations and social groups. [20]
Rights
[21(-]Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are
the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to
some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory. Rights are of essential importance in
such disciplines as law and ethics, especially theories of justice and deontology.
In modern democracy Right are often considered fundamental to civilization, being regarded as
established pillars of society and culture, and the history of social conflicts can be found in the
history of each right and its development. The connection between rights and struggle cannot be
overstated - rights are not as much granted or endowed as they are fought for and claimed, and
the essence of struggles past and ancient are encoded in the spirit of current concepts of rights
and their modern formulations.
[19] "The Evolution of Religious Liberty as a Universal Human Right" by Davis, Derek
[20] Pew Research Center's Research of 2009
[21(-] Rights by Carlos Santiago Nino
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In modern democracy many diverse things are claimed as rights:A right to live, a right to choose;
a right to vote, to work, to strike; a right to one phone call, to dissolve parliament, to operate a
forklift, to asylum, to equal treatment before the law, to feel proud of what one has done; a right
to exist, to sentence an offender to death, to launch a nuclear first strike, to carry a concealed
weapon, to a distinct genetic identity; a right to believe one's own eyes, to pronounce the couple
husband and wife, to be left alone, to go to hell in one's own way. [21-)]
False Assumptions and Beliefs about
Modern democracy
[22] In my view democracy is not sacrosanct. In an ideal democracy, all citizens will beincredibly well educated and incredibly pro-active. They will make sure that their governmentrepresentatives truly represent what they say they stand for and they will also ensure that
government does not exercise powers beyond what is entrusted to them by an intelligent andempowered people.
Yet democracy as it exists today in many countries has become a means for some representativesin governments to hoodwink those they are meant to represent. Why do I say this? Some peoplevote for presidential candidates based on what these candidates say, yet they do not then followup on the activities of their president (if he or she is successful) to ensure that these campaignpromises are fulfilled. The popular Barack Obama is yet to fulfil a good number of the highflying promises he made before coming into power: a) I will bring the soldiers home from Iraqafter 16 months (broken) b) I will close Guantanamo bay (not yet fulfilled)...etc. To his credit, heis working on medicare and also on nuclear arms reduction with former soviet countries, among
other things
The African traditional system of government is built upon the idea of a leader guided by hiselders and other advisers. This is our system. There is accountability. Western style democracy isalso meant to have accountability. However in many supposedly 'developed' western countries,smart politicians usurp the power given to them by the people by introducing insidious motionsinto parliament which do not represent the will of the people who voted them in but whichrepresent private interest groups. In some 'developed' western countries, parliamentarians whosometimes vote on these issues do not even read some of these motions. These motions, some ofwhich are heavily supported by private lobbies and interest groups, then get made into laws thataffect EVERYONE! Who 'wins'? Those private interest groups and the politicians whose pockets
sometimes get lined with , $ or . [22]
[21-)]Rights by Carlos Santiago Nino[22] False Assumptions and Beliefs about Modern democracy by John Amponsah
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[23] How many citizens are pro-active enough to follow laws that are forwarded byparliamentarians and discussed by them? How many citizens who passionately vote for the fewmainstream options actually follow up that vote with a close observation of the leader who hasbeen elected to vote for them and the team working under that leader?
So if you think because the western style of government is more structurally sophisticated, it isessentially 'better' than our traditional forms of government then you probably believe indemocracy, but are you pro-active as well? Do you follow the edicts of parliament that interestyou? Do you make your voice felt by contacting parliamentarians who represent you if theiractions in government are at odds with what they promised to represent?
What is my overarching point? In principle western style democracy sounds good. In practise, ithas many potential flaws if it is not run in the way it is designed to run. It makes certainassumptions about the people who are supposed to make the system work. What often turns outto be the case is that only a few end up being pro-active about the machinations of governmentoutside the executive body. These few tend to be activists as well as private lobby groups. Theaverage citizen who should be checking that government remains "for the people and by thepeople", history has shown, becomes pro-active only during election time. Yes, they maycomplain when they hear something in the news which goes against what the government isdoing but few among the complainers will then go the extra step to research the issue, writeletters to parliamentarians etc. [23]Like any system of government, democracy can be abused.Personally I advocate minimal government where individual citizens are given greater personalresponsibility for handling their affairs, where there are not too many complicated laws that thenstart to confuse the populace and where limited government is well monitored to ensure that itcorrectly represents the needs of the people for which that government exists in the first place.
[24] Unfortunately it seems to me that in some countries people become afraid of theirgovernments, forgetting that governments exist to serve the people, not the other way round.
When people are pushed too far by corrupt governments not listening to their representatives, wesee situations like what recently has been occurring in Kyrgyzstan. In many western countriesthat I have personally observed, people have become so tamed (and are so well controlled) bytheir governments that you will not see something like Kyrgyzstan or Thailand happening there.I am not calling for frequent revolution to occur as the way for disgruntled citizens to get theirvoices heard. I am saying that it will be great for all the believers and proponents of western styledemocratic government to also make sure that the system they so much love and believe inworks well by continuing to be pro-active throughout the tenure of any western style democraticgovernment, not only during election time. [24]
[23] False Assumptions and Beliefs about Modern democracy byJohn Amponsah
[24] False Assumptions and Beliefs about Modern democracy by John Amponsah
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Chapter#2: Islamic Democracy
What is Islamic Democracy?
Democracy i.eJamhnr'iyat (the word Jamhnr'iyat derived from Jamhur, meaning 'the people').Islamic democratic state a state which endeavors to institute Sharia (traditional Islamic law). [25]The Quran insists on shura, that is "mutual consultation", in deciding communal affairs [25] (Aal`Imran 3:159, Ash-Shura 42:38), which may include electing leaders to represent and govern onthe communitys behalf.
[26] According to the Islamic faith, sovereignty belongs to God and not to the people either as awhole or as a majority. As God is the Creator and the Law-giver of the universe, so all authorityin human affairs ultimately vests [is vested] in God. The phrase 'sovereignty of the people' wouldbe considered heretical or blasphemous. Whoever rules among the Ummah (community) rulesonly by delegated authority.
The real problem is to whom this sovereignty or authority is delegated. If there were anorganised Church in Islam, with a hierarchy of ordained priests, this body would claim to be theviceregent of God on earth. as the Catholic Church holds power in the name of Christ with aninfallible pontiff at the apex of the ecclesiastical pyramid deriving his infallibility directly fromJesus himself. It is as if Jesus himself were the executive head of the institution. But as originalIslam abolished monarchy and feudalism by abolishing primogeniture [an exclusive right ofinheritance belonging to the eldest son], so it categorically abolished priesthood. The Prophethanded over the preservation, propagation and implementation of the faith to the entirecommunity of the faithful advising them to choose their leader from among themselves on thebasis of all-round fitness, irrespective of tribe, race or wealth. He said; "Follow your leader evenif he is a negro with tangled hair." [26]
[25] Aal `Imran 3:159, Ash-Shura 42:38[26] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim
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Type ofState and society which Islam
envisaged
[27] How could the world believe that there was anything democratic in Islam when the commonman had no say in the working of the State and had no power to assert his rights? Among thepeople only a nostalgic memory was left of the type of State and society which was brought intobeing by the implementation of Islam for about three decades. They called this shortlivedexperiment KhilafatRashidah, the rightly-guided Caliphate, implying thereby that the rulers thatfollowed were misguided. The glory of Harun al-Rashid, the magnificence of Sulaiman theMagnificent, and the splendour of Shah Jahan who sat in the jewelled Peacock Throne, costinghalf the revenue of his entire kingdom, was not the glory of Islam or the furtherance of itsideology but quite the opposite of it. [27]
Let ussummarise the type of State and society which Islam envisaged as an ideal
pattern and which it tried to realise within the limitation of an early era, and the reliefswhich it was based upon:
[28(-](1) Sovereignty belongs to God alone Whose chief attributes are Wisdom, Justice andLove. He desires human beings to assimilate these attributes in their thoughts, words and deeds.
(2) Though ultimately God moulds destinies, He has endowed man with free-will so that he mayfreely attune his will to the will and purpose of God.
(3) In matters of faith, God has compelled nobody to believe; the ways of righteousness and theiropposites have been clearly indicated. Anyone may believe or disbelieve and bear theconsequences. There must not be any compulsion, in the matter of faith. An imposed faith is nofaith at all. Everybody should be free to follow his own way of life, either because of personalpreference or because of his belonging to a community, provided his conduct is not subversive offundamental morality or disruptive of the peace of the realm or does not trespass on thelegitimate freedom of others.
(4) An Islamic State is not theocratic but ideological. The rights and duties of its citizens shall bedetermined by the extent to which they identify themselves with this ideology.
(5) Non-Muslims can live peacefully as citizens of a Muslim realm. They are free to not take partin the defence of the State, and in lieu of this exemption pay a poll tax which shall entitle them tocomplete protection of life, property and liberty in the practice of their faith. If they are preparedto defend the realm as loyal citizens, they shall be exempt from this tax.
[27] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
[28(-] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
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(6) There shall be no racial discrimination within a Muslim realm. People become high or lowonly because of their character.
(7) All avenues of economic exploitation must be blocked so that wealth does not circulate onlyin the hands of the few.
(8) A person shall be free to earn as much as he can by legitimate means, without exploitation orfraud. But wealth, even legitimately acquired beyond a certain minimum, shall be subject to a taxon capital. This shall be an inalienable part of a Muslim polity state.
(9) Women shall enjoy an independent economic status. All their inherited wealth and theirpersonal earnings shall be their own property which they can dispose of as they please.
(10) A truly Islamic State cannot be a monarchical state. It must be a democratic republic inwhich the president is elected by a free vote of the community on the basis of his capacity andcharacter.
(11) It is incumbent on the ruler to have a council of advisers and consultants for purposes oflegislation or major decisions. They shall be chosen on grounds of their wisdom, experience andintegrity. The mode of their selection is left to circumstances. In matters not pertaining to faith,non-Muslims are not debarred from consultation.
(12) There shall be no special class of priests in an Islamic society, though persons leadingabetter religious life and possessing [a] better knowledge of religious affairs have a legitimateclaim to honour. They shall enjoy no special privileges, legal or economic.
(13) There shall be perfect equality of opportunity and equality before the law. The law shall
make no distinction between a Muslim and a non-Muslim either in civil or in criminal cases.Every citizen shall have the right to seek a judicial decision - even against the head of the state.[28-)]
[29] There were many instances of this in early Islam. The Khalifah 'Umar appeared in the Courtas a party in a suit and the judge stood up as a matter of respect, at which the Khalifah said thathe had started with an unjust act honouring one party more than the other; how could the otherparty have confidence in his sense of justice? [29]
[28-)] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
[29] HazratUmar FarooqkeHalat-e-Zindagi by MaulanaSadiq Husain Siddiqui
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[30](14) The judiciary was made independent of the executive. In periods of monarchical absolutism,when the judiciary began to be influenced by the men in power, the great jurist Imam AbuHanifah preferred to be whipped and sent to prison rather than accept the post of a judge. He wasimbued with the original spirit of Islam which desired uncorrupted justice between man and man.
"Do not refrain from justice even if it goes against you" (Qur'an 4:136); "Let not the hostility of aparty tend to make you unjust towards it."
These are the fundamentals of an Islamic constitution that are unalterable. No ruler or nomajority possesses any right to tamper with them or alter them. This is eternal Islam rooted in theideals of a God-centred humanity. [30]
Difference between Shura and Democracy
[31(-] According to fatwa issued by the eminent Muslim scholar,Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi; it
reads"Islam wants this nation to consult with each other, and stand as a united body, so no enemy canpenetrate it. This is not what democracy is for. Democracy is a system that cant solve allsocietal
problems. Democracy itself also can make whatever it wants as lawful, or prohibit anything itdoes not like. In comparison, the Shari`ah as a political system has limits. If we are to adoptdemocracy, we should adopt its best features. These are the issues of methods, guarantees, andmanners of a democratic society. As a Muslim society we should adopt it in an Islamic context ofa society that seeks to live with its Shari`ah laws. Our society should abide by what have beenmade lawful by
Allah and also what have been made unlawful by Him. In comparison democracy with a slimmajority can cancel all laws and rules. It can even eliminate itself with this type of margin. Infact,In some cases democracy may become worse than dictatorship. What I am for is a genuine typeof democracy, for a society driven by the laws of Shari`ah that is compatible with the values offreedom, human rights, justice, and equity. I am against this type of distorted democracy that isadopted by many regimes in the Arab-Islamic world. I am really troubled by the four digit resultsof elections. Most rulers in the Arab world, as well as in the Islamic world are elected by 99.99%of the people. What kind of democracy is this? The people can never consent to anything withthis margin. Furthermore, I want draw the attention to the issue of the spread of deviance in the
democratic societies. We should take the good, and
abandon the bad. For instance, many democratic countries have allowed types of sexual
deviance to spread, and even legalized such behavior.
[30] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,[31(-] Shura and Democracy,(explained) by Yusuf Al-Qaradaw
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Gays and Lesbians now can marry each other legally. Our democracy is different. It is wellconnected to the laws of Shari`ah. Yes we adopt some of the principles of democracy, but it isincumbent upon us also to uphold our principles. We have pillars of our Shari`ah that we have toabide by. We want the people to be consulted and participate actively in politics as well as in theprocess of decision-making. Shurahas always been good for the Muslim society, and autocracy
has always been evil since the beginning of mankind on this planet. History has told us aboutdictators such as pharaohs, the Nimord, and many, many examples. The Qur'an tells us about thestory of Prophet Ibrahim [Abraham] (peace be upon him) and the Nimrod, the dictator whodisputed the existence of Allah, and declared himself as a God. The Qur'an says:Hast thou notturned thy vision to one who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had grantedhim power? Abraham said: my Lord is he who giveth life and death. He said: I give life anddeath. Said Abraham: but it is Allah that causeth the sun to rise from the East: do thou thencause him to rise from the West? Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance) rejected faith? Nordoth Allah give guidance to a people unjust.(Al-Baqarah: 258) This dictator was soarrogant. Tochallenge the will of Allah, he asked two people who were passing by during his argument withAbraham to come to him. He ordered one of them to be executed on the spot, and told the other I
pardoned you. He said to Abraham see I gave one life, and I ordered one to death. However,Abraham was smarter than the dictator and asked him, if he is really a God can he make the Sunrise fromtheWest. The same story repeats itself with the dictator of Egypt, the Pharaoh whodeclared himself as a God and refused to accept the message sent to him. Throughout historydictatorships, despotic regimes, and unjust regimes have been associated with the issue ofcorrupting earth. The Qur'an says,(All) these transgressed beyond bounds in the lands, andheaped therein mischief (on mischief).(Al-Fajr: 11-12) Allah also says about the Pharaohs ofEgypt: and remember, we
delivered you from the people of pharaoh: they set hard tasks and punishments, slaughtered yoursons and let your womenfolk live; therein was tremendous trial from your lord.(Al-Baqarah: 50)Islam has stood fast against these types of rulers and made it mandatory on the people to resisttyranny and injustices [31-)]
Concept of (democratic) parties in Islamic
Democracy
[32(-] An Islamic democracy could differ in its pattern from some of the modern democracies. Itis un-Islamic that parliamentary government should run on a party basis."My party, right orwrong," is morally as vicious as "My country, right or wrong." Once a haughty imperialist
British viceroy of India had the audacity to say in a public utterance that Indians are liars.Chesterton, the famous British author, hearing this, said that the atmosphere in India must bechokingly false in that a party politician like Curzon should feel the stink of it, because a partypolitician's life is based on hypocrisy and falsehood.
[31-)] Shura and Democracy,(explained) by Yusuf Al-Qaradaw[32(-] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
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The chief aim in party politics is not the welfare of the state or the weal of the commonwealth,but to strengthen the position of the party or weaken the position of its opponents.
When a party gets into power by either fair or foul means, it very often forgets all the promisesand does the very same things against which it raised a hue and cry and accused the opponents.
The reduction ad absurdum reduction to absurdity of this system is the French Chamber ofDeputies, which makes it impossible to have a stable government even for a few months. Everyday persons and parties come together or separate to dislodge others. No division on the basis ofprinciples is involved. [32-)]
The Islamic system
[33(-] Islam views that objects comprehended by our senses are matter and their being createdby a Creator determines the spiritual side in them. The spirit (Ruh) is mans comprehension ofhis relationship with Allah (swt). Thus, there does not exist a spiritual aspect separated from the
materialistic aspect, and also there is no spiritual ascension and physical desires in man. Rather,he has organic needs and instincts which need to be satisfied. One of the instincts in man is theinstinct of sanctification which means the need for the Creator, the Organiser, which is anoffspring of the natural inability of man. The satisfaction of the instincts cannot be labelled as thematerialistic aspect or the spiritual aspect. Rather, it should be viewed only as a fulfilment. Ifman satisfied this organic needs and instincts in accordance with the system revealed from Allah(swt) and in accordance with his relationship with Allah (swt), this satisfaction would be directedby the spirit. If the satisfaction was not based on a system or a system not revealed by Allah(swt), then the satisfaction will be purely materialistic and will lead to mans misery. If theinstinct of reproduction was satisfied without a system or with a system not from Allah it wouldlead to misery. Whereas, if it were satisfied through the system of marriage, which is revealed by
Allah (swt) according to the rules (Ahkam) of Islam, it would be a marriage resulting intranquillity. If the instinct of religiosity was satisfied without a system or a system not fromAllah, by worshipping other human beings or idols, it would be polytheism (shirk) and disbelief(kufr). If it were to be satisfied with theAhkam of Islam, it would beIbadah (worship). It istherefore necessary to observe the spiritual aspect in all things and to realise all actions byfollowing Allahs command i.e. on the basis of comprehension of his relationship with Allah. Inthis case, the actions will be directed by the spirit. Therefore, one cannot embody two things(spiritual or temporal). The fact is that there is only one things which is the action. Describingthe action as purely material or directed by (Ruh) does not derive from the action as such butfrom either being directed according to the rules (Ahkam) of Islam or not. For example, when aMuslim kills his enemy in the battlefield his action is considered a jihad for which he will be
rewarded, since it is directed by theAhkam of Islam. When the same person kills an innocentperson, Muslim or otherwise, his action is considered a murder for which he will be punished,because it is not directed by Allahs command.
[32-)] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
[33(-] The System of Islam, by Taqiuddin an-Nabahani&Hizbut-Tahrir
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Both actions are the same and stem from man in that they constitute the taking of a life, but thekilling would be worship when it is directed by the spirit and murder when it is not. A Muslim isobligated to direct his actions according to the spirit and the mixing of matter with spirit. It is notpermissible to separate matter from spirit or separate any action from Allah (swt)s order on thebasis of comprehending the relationship with Allah .
The State is a group of the AhkamShariah in the same manner that the prayer is. It is the methodto implement the rules of Islam and to carry the Islamic dawah. Therefore, anything thatconfines religion to the spiritual dimension, separating it from politics and ruling should beabolished. All institutions established to exclusively oversee the spiritual aspect haveto be shutdown. Therefore, the department of mosques has to be dissolved and should be managed by thedepartment of education. The Shariah courts and the statutory courts must also be dissolvedmaking the court system one and based upon Islam. After all, the authority of Islam is one. Islamis anAqeedah and system. The creed is the belief in Allah, His Angels, His Books, HisMessengers, the Day of Judgement, and al QadaawalQadar, the good and the bad are from Allah(swt). Islam builds theAqeedah which the mind can comprehend on the intellect. This includesthe existence of Allah (swt), the Prophethood of Muhammad (saaw) and the Quran. In the
aspects of the creed which are beyond the senses (Ghayb) such as the Day of Judgement, Angels,Paradise, and Hell, these are all based upon and proved by conclusive textual evidences(DaleelNaqli), which are themselves built upon rational proofs. Islam has made the intellect thefoundation for orders. The systems are AhkamShariah. whichorganise mans affairs. TheIslamic system handles all of mans affairs and outlined a comprehensive set of rules enablingone to derive detailed rules from these comprehensive meanings when carrying out theimplementations. The Quran and Sunnah also includes general outlines i.e. general hints to dealwith mans problems in his capacity as a human being and enabling themujtahideen to deducepartial judgements from the general hints for problems that occur throughout the ages and indifferent places. Islam has one consistent approach in solving problems. It invites themujtahid tothoroughly study the issue till he understands it and then to study the relevantShariah texts andfinally deduce the solution for the issue from the texts. Themujtahid deduces the hukmshari forthis question from the legal evidences of Islam and shouldnt use any other method. Any issuefacing man should be comprehensively studied as an integrated human problem. It should not bestudied partially as an economic, social, political or any other type of question. It should bestudied as a human question requiring hukmshari in order to know thehukm of Allah related toit. [33-)]
Adopting Devine Rules (Ahkam-e-Shariah)
[34(-] During the era of the Companions (sahaba), the Muslims used to extract theAhkamShariah from the Book and the Sunnah by themselves. The judges, when tackling thedisputes among people, would deduce for themselves the hukmshari
[33-)] The System of Islam, by Taqiuddin an-Nabahani&Hizbut-Tahrir[34(-] The System of Islam, by Taqiuddin an-Nabahani&Hizbut-Tahrir
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for every issue or event that they were faced with. The rulers, starting with the Amir al-Mumineen to theWoulat and others, would themselves deduce the AhkamShariah to solveevery problem that arose during their ruling.Abu-Musa al Ashari and Shuraih (R.A.A) were twosuch judges (qadi) who deduced the rules (Ahkam) and judged by their own ijtihad.MuazibnJabal (raa) was a governor (wali) at the time of the Prophet (S.A.W) and used to deduce
Ahkam and ruled in his wilayah by his own ijtihad. Abu Bakr and Umar (R.A.A) both deducedakham by themselves during their ruling and both ruled the people with the ijtihad each of themhad deduced. Muaweya and Amribn al As were two governors who deduced Ahkam forthemselves by their own ijtihad and ruled people in accordance with it in their provinces. In spiteof the ijtihad undertaken by the judges and governors, the Khaleefah used to adopt certain Hukmand to order their execution by the people who would be obliged themselves to implement theadopted rules and to leave their own opinion and ijtihad on those rules. This is because thehukmshari states that the Imams decree is to be executed openly and covertly. Examples of thisis Abu Bakrs adoption that the pronouncement of divorce three times in one sitting constitutesonly one divorce, and his adoption that funds should be equally distributed among Muslimsirrespective of the time when they embraced Islam or any other matter. The Muslims followed
Abu Bakr in these adoptions and the judges and governors executed them. When Umar came tooffice after him he adopted different opinions in the same questions. He obliged people to acceptand execute the pronouncement of divorce three times in one sitting as three divorces, and hedistributed the funds differently according to the time when the people had entered Islam andaccording to need. The Muslims followed Umar in these adoptions and the judges and governorsexecuted them. Umar also made the adoption that land obtained in war was aGhanima owned bythe Bayt al Mal (House of Funds), wherein the original owners would retain possession and notdistribute the land to the Muslim soldiers or the Muslims. The governors and judges followedhim in this adoption and enacted the hukm he had adopted. Accordingly, the consensus of theCompanions (ijmaa as-sahaba) confirms that the Imam has the authority to adopt certain rules toorder that they be executed and the Muslims must obey him, even if their ijtihad differs from it.Among the well knownshariah principles are: The Sultan has the right to adopt decrees asnumerous as the actual problems; The Imams decree resolves the discord; and The Imamscommand is executed openly and covertly. Henceforth, the Khulafaa adopted specific Ahkam.Haroonar-Rasheed, for example, adopted the book Kitab al-Kharaj in the economic affairs, andhe obliged all the people to execute the Ahkam included within it. [34-)]
Why Islamic state differs very much from
a CommunistState?[35(-] Following are the reasons that why Islamic state differs very much from a communist
state:(1) It derives the fundamentals of life from the great spiritual leaders of humanity who
taught that the ideals of human life are spiritual and Divine.
[34-)] The System of Islam, by Taqiuddin an-Nabahani&Hizbut-Tahrir[35(-] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
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(2) It shall not subscribe to the creed of dialectical or historical materialism, which forCommunism, is the only eternal truth, if it believes at all in any eternal truth.
(3) It shall be based on the firm belief in the liberty and dignity of the individual. The State is notan end but a means for promoting the maximum welfare of the individual. As the Qur'an says:
"You shall be responsible to God as individuals." The personal and private life of everyindividual must be secure.
(4) This necessitates absolute freedom of conscience which the Qur'an proclaims to the world inthe emphatic injunction that there shall be no compulsion about religious beliefs and practices(2:256). No one shall enjoy any privilege or suffer any disability because of belonging to anyparticular group. There shall be no ruling party enjoying any special privilege or power.
(5) Religious communities shall enjoy the maximum of freedom to the extent that, apart from thegeneral laws of the realm necessary for the common weal - general security and protection offundamental rights of the individual - they shall have the right to be governed by their personal
laws. The Qur'an and the Prophet granted that right to all religious communities which cannot betaken away by any legislation.
There are only two points of agreement between Communism and Islam. Both are against racialdiscrimination and both desire to do away with economic systems that tend to concentrate wealthin a few hands. One vital question remains to be answered which arises necessarily out of therelation of Islam to democracy and that is: 'How far is an Islamic society free to make laws foritself if a comprehensive code is already prescribed?' [35-)]
Refutationof thedoubts related tothe
participation in democratic Elections
[36(-] ShaykhAbuBasrMustafHalmahsaid,Firstly, Democracy is founded upon the principle thatthe masses are the source of power. And included in that is the power of legislationand that takesplace by means of selecting representatives for the general population who take their place in theduty of legislation and the creation of laws.And in other words, the legislator and the obeyed onein Democracy is the human and not Allah. And this means that the one who is worshipped andobeyed in the issue of legislation and the permitting and the prohibiting is the masses and thehuman and the creation and not Allah, the Most High. And this is the essence of KufrandShirkand misguidance, due to its contradiction to the fundamentals of the religion and itsTawhid.And it results in the association of the weak, ignorant human with Allah in the most uniquecharacteristic of devoted worship, which is the ruling and the legislation.So the reality is thatthese Members of Parliament, which act upon the will of the majority and take their place tolegislate laws etc., can only do so when the masses elect them to the positions to do so.__________________________________________________________________________
[35-)] The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,[36(-] The Doubts Regarding the Ruling of Democracy in Islam,by At-Tibyan Publications
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And if we conclude that these Members of Parliament commit Shirk and Kufrby legislating laws
besides Allah, then what would be said about the people who elect them for this job, knowingthat this candidate will be engaging in the formation of man-made laws on behalf of the peoplewho elect him?
And Shaykh, Abdul-QadirIbn e Abdil-Aziz, said, As for those amongst the people who vote forthem (i.e. Members of Parliament), they are committingKufr as well, because according to therepresentative democracy, the voters are in reality delegating them to practice the mastershipofShirk legislating beside Allah on their behalf. Thus the voters give the members of parliamentthe right to implementShirk, and set them up through their voting as legislating lords besideAllah. Allah, the Most High, says:Nor would he order you to take Angels and Prophets for lords(gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you were Muslims (Al-Imran 80).So if a person
who takes Angels and Prophets as lords has become aKafir, how then about the person who takesthe Members of Parliament for that? Likewise, this is also implied in His saying:Say: O peopleof the scripture, come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah,and that we associate no partners with Him, and none of us shall take each other as lords besidesAllah(Al-Imran 64).Consequently, takingpeople as lords beside Allah is aShirk and a disbeliefin Allah and that is what those who vote for the members of parliament are doing. And thisaction falls into the description of the known rule: Supporting Kufr is Kufr, because the onewho assists or enables the people to commit Shirk or Kufr, knowingly, takes the same ruling asthe one who commits the Shirk or Kufritself.[36-)]And this rule is consistent with what Allah, the Most High, said about those who remain presentwhile His verses are mocked:
[a]And it has already been revealedto you in the Book (thisQuran) that when you hear theVerses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talkother than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them.Surely, Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell.[a]
[36-)] The Doubts Regarding the Ruling of Democracy in Islam,by At-Tibyan Publications 2nd
edition[a] An-Nisa 140
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References of books
Modern DemocracyRefrences:
Democracy and Early State by Grinin L. E.The Early Stateby H. J. M. Claessen, Peter Skalnik
The Statehood Evolutionary Sequence by Leonid . Grinin
Ideological Differences in Modern Democratic Countries by Lawrence OkechukwuEmeagwal
Political Culture and Democracy in Developing Countries by Almond, Gabriel & Diamond,
Larry
Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy byAnthony H. Birch
Economic Freedom and Interventionismby Ludwig von Mises
The Evolution of Religious Liberty as a Universal Human Right" by Davis, Derek
Pew Research Center's Research of 2009
RightsbyCarlos Santiago NinoFalse Assumptions and Beliefs about Modern democracy by John Amponsah
Islamic DemocracyRefrences:
The Prophet and His Message, by Dr. Khalifa Abdul Hakim,
HazratUmar FarooqkeHalat-e-Zindagi by MaulanaSadiq Husain Siddiqui
Shura and Democracy,(explained) by Yusuf Al-Qaradaw
The System of Islam, by Taqiuddin an-Nabahani&Hizbut-Tahrir
The Doubts Regarding the Ruling of Democracy in Islam,by At-Tibyan Publications