Islamic Democracy and Islamic Governance

http://www.drsoroush.com/English/By_DrSoroush/E-CMB-20001121-Islamic_Democracy_and_Islamic_Governance.html

One of the greatest warriors in the debate regarding Islam and Democracy, and the possibility of an "Islamic Democracy" is Dr. AbdolKarim Soroush. Soroush outlines six preconditions in order for anyone to debate the notion of Democracy and Islam. These essential preconditions are:

1: The recognition of the distinction between "religion" and our "understanding of religion"
2: Distinction between "essential" and "accidental" aspects of religion.
3. Distinction between "minimalist" and "maximalist" interpretations of Islam.
4. Distinction between values and morals that are considered internal in respect to Islam and those that are external.
5. Distinction between Religious "belief" and Religious "faith".
6. Distinction between religion as an ideology/identity and religion of truth.

"Soroush believes that every Divine Law has a purpose. Once one uncovers these purposes, one has a clearer view of the law itself and can reinterpret it to fit changing modern requirements" (MEI).

This belief expands ones ability to argue for the ability for legislatures to exist within an Islamic State, and empowers the legislatures to govern more effectively. Simply due to the belief that yes, humans can not "create law" however, we can interpret divine law, and once we have realized the purposes for such divine law, we can create legislation that respects the ideals of such Divine law. Secondly, we as Muslims, are able to "seek knowledge to China" (Prophet Muhammad PBUH) thus one can only expect that the knowledge that has been obtained, even though foreign to Islam, should be respected, and can be incorporated into society so long as it respects the basic pillars of Islam. Therefore, the notion that "democracy" is foreign to Islam can be countered by the fact that certain aspects of democracy are inherently Islamic and can be attributed and used in an Islamic system of governance.

The most important tactic which Soroush imploys in this great debate, is the very fact that he is an Islamic Scholar, it is said that "Only a diamond can cut another diamond" therefore, Soroush's background enables him to use Islamic theory as a means to advocate for Islamic Democracy. Secondly, Soroush, combats those against the Islamic Democracy by using Qur'anic and Sunnah evidence. Therefore making his arguments legitimate in the eyes of fellow Islamic Scholars.

Pakistan: 5 Killed in Religious School Bombing

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1842777,00.html

The current conflict in Pakistan, which has essentially been waged prior since the nation's inception in 1947 is a manifestation of the Mawdudi versus Jimah debates over what it type of system of governance shall be enacted in the Indian sub-continent .

Jimah used the Muslim identity almost identically to that of the Jewish identity in Israel. That there can be a state for Muslims in South Asia, a Muslim homeland, remaining secular. The notion of being a Muslim becomes a cultural identity with religious underpinnings. Jimah has basically manufactured a nationalist cause for Muslims. He created the idea that a people who share a religious philosophy can too form a unique nation.

Mawdudi rejects this notion, Mawdudi claims that the very notion of nationalism is to be essentially "haram" since we as Muslims shall not subject ourselves to a cause greater than Allah, and this cause is driven through the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which forms the foundations of Islam. Therefore, the idea of creating a homeland for Muslims was at first rejected by Mawdudi since it corresponds with the manufacturing of "Muslim Nationalism" (now Pakistani Nationalism) through a Muslim identity as a nation. However, since a state was created, the Pure Land, Pakistan, it was vital that this state subject itself to the teachings of Islam, and it be essentially an Islamic State, not simply a state for Muslims.

The September 19 bombings of a religious school in the outskirts of the city Quetta is simply another materialization of the inability to come to a consensus of how the state shall be governed, not to mention the general existence of geo-politics, a government being forced to enact America's demands on the War on Terror or it will experience the loss of grants, and military aid to keep Pakistan competitive with its fellow nuclear neighbor India. The school was run by Jamiaat Ulama -e Islam which is the far offshoot of Mawdudi's Jamaait Islami. Interesting enough, the bombing was a suicide bomb, which raises many suspicions and questions as to why a suicide bomber would bomb an Islamic school in support of Islamic cause in Pakistan.

Edward Said

            Edward Said is viewed to be a cultural hero within my family. Having been raised in a Syrian-American family whose father left Damascus following the 1967 war with my mother from Tartous, Said's Orientalism is portrayed to be "the truth" within my family. Living in the United States as an Arab-Muslim is not particularly difficult for me but it is extremely frustrating when having to defend one's culture to a nation who essentially has very little knowledge of the Middle East aside from popular Hollywood films, and the media's misrepresentation of Arab-Islamic politics. 

            I was raised watching uneven debates on CNN between the PLO’s representative to Washington Hassan Abdul-Rahman and the CNN anchor who teamed up with the AIPAC representative in asking trap-door questions loaded with logical fallacies which neglect the very issues of occupation.

             I remember when my 11^th grade World Religions teacher, Mr. Sanders asked me to explain why “MY country Syria” supports terrorism against Israel in accordance to Shariah law. I laughed, I told him that I was an American like him, then explained that the Al-Assad regime is one the most “secular” regimes in the Middle East, gave reference to Hama where in 1982 nearly 10,000 civilians were killed in an attempt to wipe out the Muslim Brotherhood, then explained that the state of Syria does not adhere to Shariah law, and that the notion that Shariah law condones terror is outrageous. The fact that I found myself defending the dictatorship that my family fled scared me. Unfortunately, this teacher’s worldview is widely believed and propagated by mainstream television outlets. There needs to be nationwide course on the topics of Arabic Culture, Islam, distinguishing Arabs from Islam, and Islam from whatever stereotypes that currently exist.

            It is important to note that Said himself is not a Muslim, he is a Christian, and this is extremely telling of what he is advocating for because this is not a religious nor a cultural war, this is an argument dealing with prejudice, discrimination, and intolerance of the non-Eurocentric peoples who have had their cultures and religions misrepresented subtly and persistently for hundreds of years. There truly needs to be a scholarly reexamination of the “Orient”.

            The most essential matter that I took away from the film was the idea that the Eurocentric prejudice is “subtle and persistent”. The discrimination is not glaring to those who are unfamiliar with Middle Eastern culture. The example of Aladdin was enormous, when it was said “They will cut off your ear if they don’t like your face, it’s barbaric, but hey its home!” Most families watching the movie did not notice that statement, and if the parents did, it’s not too foolish to assume that they might have thought it was nearly factual, but I remember the expression of my parents’ faces. The nineties were filled with films that had the “turban-wearing” bad guys killed in drones with terrible Arab accents, who looked remarkably Mexican. These subtle yet persistent stereotypes subconsciously forced the masses to create completely outlandish non-factual perceptions of Middle Eastern and Islamic society. The masses already assume who the “bad guys” are when an attack occurs, the masses know everything they need to know about the Palestine-Israel Conflict (the Palestinians are always at fault).

            I do not see the controversy in what Said advocates, the simple notion that the victors of wars record the accounts in which how the events take place should lead any reasonable person to reexamine how the history of the Middle East has been recorded.  Said’s death is truly untimely, he was champion in the eyes of millions, his elegance in argument will truly be missed and his departure has created an enormous vacuum of intelligence in the field of Orientalism.