Islam And Democracy?

Question

Are there any totally muslim countries that are truly democratic?
Or are they all run by religious zealots with medieval ideology?

Can Democracy withstand Islam?

Answer 1

Democracy and Islam is an oxymoron.
The two cannot exist pecefully.
The only Muslim country that is somewhat democratic (if you forget about freedom of speech) is Turkey, and only because the majority of Turks are not devout Muslims. Fundamental Islam is growing in Turkey, and the current ruling part is much more religious than the previous one, which may mean that Turkey will become less and less democratic.

Answer 2

The whole idea of Democracy may be why so many Muslims have a problem with us. We say Democracy and they see nothing but greed and consumerism from us. I love the United States. I'm blessed to live here, but we've got to start facing reality. We live on a planet, not just in a country.

Countries that are primarily Muslim may not be doing any better than us, but it's time that we started to realize that we're not as great and special as we think we are.

Out of the 6 billion people living on this planet, 3 billion live on less than $2 a day. Wester Countries - America, Canada, Great Britian - citizens make an average of $73 a day. We spend almost a Trillion dollars on a war. We could ensure the whole world drinking water for 9 Billion.

From the outside looking in, I'm pretty sure Democracy doesn't look all that great to the rest of the world.

Collon Powell said the war on terrorism won't be won until we win the war on poverty.

Answer 3

I do not feel that democracy and Islam will ever work together.

Democracy needs for the people to be free to make their own decisions and vote the way they want. The people make their own laws and live by them, represented by the people they elect.

Islam is a harsh religion. There are many factions inside of Islam that all want to be right and all want to be on top telling everybody else what to do. And in order to be in charge, well, lets just go over here and kill everybody in this group so we can be the big dogs. Democracy doesn't work that way. We all learn to live together and have equal representation.

If one group of Islamics doesn't like another then jujst strap on a bomb, walk into a crowded bus station and kill as many of the other people as possible. Democracy is not perfect, but it does not provide the insane notion that it is ok to kill other people just because we don't like them.

I am of the persuasion that we will never be able to bring true democracy to any of the Islamic countries of the middle east.
They will pervert the idea for their own intention. You can't simply give the people some industry and teach them how to vote and they just magically become Democratic. It has to be a desire of the heart. The Islamic people of the middle east have been raised in whatever rift of Islam they were raised in and it is nearly impossible to change their minds and hearts from that.

Only by the grace of God will their ever be a moving and permanent change.

Answer 4

Islam can be democratic -- as long as all of the voters are Muslims. Turkey has tried to pull this off. They have had several military coups overthrowing the elected government in the history of the republic because the elected officials were allegedly trying to impose a Muslim theocracy on the state.

-------------------------------------------
1923
Foundation of the modern Republic of Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

1938
Ataturk dies in Istanbul's Dolmabahce palace

1939-45
Turkey manages to remain neutral during the second world war

1946
Charter membership of the UN

1952
Turkey joins NATO

1960
Military coup, successive governments ineffective

1964
Associate member status of EU

1974
Cyprus crisis

1980
Kanan Evren leads military coup. 3 years of military government

1983
Turgut Ozal elected prime Minister

1985-90
Full EU membership for Turkey impeded by Cypriot issue and questions over human rights record

1991-93
Suleyman Demirel elected Prime Minister, inflation at 70%

1993-96
Demirel President, Tansu Ciller Prime Minister, Turkey joins EU Customs Union

1997-98
5 attempts at forming coalition governments, Islamic Welfare party disbanded, reforms as Virtue and is the largest single party in parliament. Military intervenes to prevent Islamicists forming governments. 75th Anniversary of the Turkish Republic (and 15th of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) celebrated.

====edit===
In response to "flameslivewire" comment below, he might be correct in stating that I am no expert on Islam. But I do know that two of his statements are incorrect: (1) the idea of democracy originated with the pagan Greeks living in Athens, not from Islam; and, (2) many of the Caliphs of Islam were the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire (after the Ottomans conquered Egypt, the Caliphate came to Istanbul and stayed there), and they were absolute monarchs in every sense of the word (I'm not sure about the original four).

Answer 5

Islam is only been around for 1500 years The Romans had very complex democracies long before Islam was even thought of .FLAMES LIVE......Is what they teach you at school were you one of the 4 yr olds with an AK-47 with proud parents smiling?? Because if you really believe that crap answer you gave to this question It may mean that muslims are now trying to change history for their image sake......... That is what Nazis too... The answer is ..well this must a rhetorical question..

Answer 6

I have to agree with Flaco. Religions are fundamentally undemocratic. They define the laws of the land as interpretations of books which are supposed to be 'the word of god' and as such cannot be deviated from by man. That is non-democracy, and has the effect of putting all power in the hands of the 'interpreters' which is precisely what we see in islamic countries. Arbitrary interpretations produced by self serving sheiks, imams, ayatollahs and the like. And they have the nerve to call the west corrupt. If there were such a thing as 'god' he would have surely smited the likes of these people for twisting his 'word' to suit their own self-serving religious and political agendas.

Answer 7

No, maximum are theocracies or worse yet dictatorships. nevertheless the diverse royalty in some muslim international places comprehend incredibly a thank you to be a king alongside with bulding up thier kingdom. With super homes, and paying for department stores. I even have heard of the extravigant paying for there. I even have additionally seen video clips and photograph the place Gaza now looks like a place to shop shop shop until ultimately you drop drop drop. i think of the folk asserting the the democracy is in simple terms an imagery there is utilising Iran to illustrate. contained in the West we vote awful politicians out and in.

Answer 8

What do you know about islam???

If you dont know then why do you pass, ignorant baseless comments?

Infact it was Islam that gave the world the theory of democracy.

At the time, when the whole of Europe was ruled by ruthless monarchs, the muslims had the 'Caliphs' who were elected by the people. These 'Caliphs' were righteous men unlike the Bushs and Blairs of today. And they ruled the muslim empire wisely as per the islamic law.

The Caliphs were responsible to the people and were questioned occasionally by them on administration matters. The story of Umar (a companion of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is well known) about how he used to patrol the streets at night to look at the affairs of the people.

So when the Europe was in the dark ages, it was islam that taught Europe the fundamentals of Administration.

Know more:

http://www.harunyahya.com

Answer 9

There are many imperfections with Democracy. Look no further than the US.

Democracy breeds people like Bush. What kind of leaders is that... how many American soldiers and Iraqi civilian he wants dead to protect his greed for Iraqi's oil. Look at what's happening to Iraq!!!. And what had he done to help the Katrina's survivors?

How many more years must you wait to dump him? You have to wait till the next elections... and by that time... many more will die.

Peace-

Answer 10

I don´t think there is a totally muslim democratic country, but Turkey and Jordan have kind of a combined government.
Also Russia is full of muslims.