Islamic Democracy
I think Islamic Democracy is possible. Moreover, I
think that some sort of loose coalition of Islamic democracies in the Middle
East would be the best thing for the region. Where such countries would stand on
women's rights is the biggest thing giving me pause, but there are definitely
ways of purifying the faith from such things as stonings, honor killings, and
genital mutilation -- none of them truly Islamic, more African tribal practices
that have been practiced by Muslims in Northern African countries and spread as
such; modifying and codifying women's rights in family law, vis a vis equal
weight of testimony; and dealing with issues of the veil -- only the prophet's
wives veiled, and that was to distinguish them from other women -- most women in
the time of the Prophet didn't veil at all; if these were resolved, an IU, an
Islamic Union -- like the EU, with a constitution, perhaps based on a regionally
agreed-upon sharia -- would be
great.
Anyway -- Ian Baruma had a great
article in the New York Times
Magazine about the possibility of an
Islamic Democracy in
Iraq. Check it out. It's one of the better cases
I've read, although he falls off a bit towards the end.
Happy Sunday.
Posted: Sunday - December 05, 2004 at 08:28 PM
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