March 10, 2011
"Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It cannot be fabricated out of public relations. It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when we suddenly realize that, knowing the good, we have done it; knowing the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth, we have spoken it”. Whitney Griswold
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Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with wife Suzanne and two sons |
To many people, the statement, “Democracy is essentially a Western concept, one that is ill-suited to countries with other cultures and historical traditions”, raises eyebrows. If democracy is compatible with Islam, then there shouldn’t be any problem having its values and ideals encompassing the entire globe. However, some leaders will continue to resist democracy not because it is impossible for some cultures to grasp, but because of selfishness on the part of the leaders themselves. According to world famous Muslim scholar Yousuf Al Qadarawi, there is no problem if Muslim countries embrace democracy. He was quoted saying: "Democracy has done some good things. It has saved humanity from despots and dictators who act like gods. The details should be left to the people. Let them decide for themselves". [(1)] However, he cautioned that the kind of democracy in the Muslim world would be different. “This is because in Islam there are some fixed principles that cannot be changed. But there are some things where the people can call for change, depending on the time and place,” he said.
Followers of Islam have been admonished by Allah to look to the Qur’an for governance as per the statement: "And he who does not rule by what Allah sent down, it is they who are the rebellious." (5:47) Muslim countries could have prospered only if they were ruled by just rulers. Majority of Muslim rulers today have been designated tyrants and usurpers by learned Muslim scholars. At the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), there were no beggars; equality and justice thrived; highway robbers and criminals diminished due to the enforcement of rule of law; and peace and prosperity thrived everywhere under the sway of Islam. The separation of state from Islamic practices is an impossible undertaking for any strict Muslim nation.
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Followers of Islam have been admonished by Allah to look to the Qur’an for governance as per the statement: "And he who does not rule by what Allah sent down, it is they who are the rebellious." (5:47) Muslim countries could have prospered only if they were ruled by just rulers. Majority of Muslim rulers today have been designated tyrants and usurpers by learned Muslim scholars. At the time of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), there were no beggars; equality and justice thrived; highway robbers and criminals diminished due to the enforcement of rule of law; and peace and prosperity thrived everywhere under the sway of Islam. The separation of state from Islamic practices is an impossible undertaking for any strict Muslim nation.
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