After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy
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After Jihad: America and the Struggle for Islamic Democracy Customer Reviews
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Islamic permutations
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Democracy had a trial run in Algeria in 1990. The experiment collapsed, however, and the Islamic political party was banned. Muslim countries differ greatly in political system. Violence has lost much of its politcal support. In the past the United States has preferred autocrats to elections in Muslim countries. Secular nationalism has been tried in the Arab world and has failed. Extremists, Palestinians excepted, represent a fringe. Islam has shown much internal flexibility. Democracy and Islam are mobile ideals. Islamic democracy is a desirable synthesis.
Most Muslims do not want religious enforcement. Potential democratic readings of Islam are possible. An official religion need not negate basic rights. Western democracy grew up among pious Christians. Democracies regulate personal relationships to a striking degree. What makes ideas mobile are their universality. Turkey offers a model of democracy. Indonesia has had a democratic movement. Pakistan has had brief periods of democracy. Iran needs gradual democratization. Ataturk's nationalism in Turkey included secularism. He banned traditional dress and imposed the Roman alphabet. (He reminds one of Peter the Great.) Religious parties have been disfavored by the Turkish military.
Indonesian Islam is famous for its relaxed style. Pakistan was conceived as Muslim and democratic. Nationalism has infected Arab states. Arab countries created through colonialism have survived. Some are monarchies. Oil has been transformative. Where there are no monarchies there may be dictatorships. Wherever there is oil, economic conditions are good. The monarchies in oil-producting countries use the oil to preserve power.
The endnotes are of great interest to any reader of this excellent study. |
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