Islam is a Democracy
The Myth:
Islam is
compatible with democratic principles. The religion itself is a democracy.
The Truth:
A democracy
is a system in which all people are equal before the law, regardless
of race, religion or gender. The vote of every individual counts as much
as the vote of any other. The collective will of the people then
determines the rules of society.
Under
Islamic law, only Muslim males are entitled to full rights. The standing of women
is often half that of men - sometimes even less. Non-Muslims have no
equal standing with Muslims. In fact, a Muslim cannot be put to death for
killing an unbeliever.
The Islamic
state is guided by Islamic law, derived from the Quran and Sunnah. A body
of clerics interprets the law and applies it to all circumstances social,
cultural and political. The people are never to be placed above the Quran
and Sunnah any more than man should be above Allah.
It is
somewhat debatable as to whether there are any states in the Muslim world that
qualify as actual democracies. There is no denying, however, that the tiny
handful which are often held up as democratic nations are ones in which deep
tension exists between the government and religious leaders, as the latter often
complain that democracy is an idolatrous system imposed on them.
Islam is not a facilitater of democracy.
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