Islam and Democracy

In this exclusive Free To Choose Network video, scholars Guity Nashat and Fred Donner discuss the compatibility of Islamic countries with Democracy. In light of recent events in Tunisia, Egypt, Iran and now Bahrain -- an apparent domino effect is taking place. Will they become more democratic? No one can say. But the scholars in this clip think that if conditions are right, progress is possible.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Islam
• Democracy
• history
• Egypt
• Tunisia
• liberalization

[ambagoli21]

@blueray1969 in other words, trying to prove god using scripture (e.g. koran, torah, bible) is like trying to prove superman using comic books.

[blueray1969]

@DeniqueCoelum you can't disprove someone's opposition to superstition by quoting more superstition at me. Where was god for the first 198,000 years of man's existence? Why did he wait for 99% of our existence before letting us know how to behave or that he existed? He didn't - man waited 198,000 years before some bronze age men in a desert started writing down fairy tales. Personally, I prefer the fairy tales written by the Greeks, Persians and Australian aborigines. Why are they not valid?

[blueray1969]

@DeniqueCoelum please explain why god created animals hundreds of millions of years ago, and then waited for millions of years before putting man on earth? Why do people have to make up stories to explain what they don't understand? this is called lying.

[blueray1969]

@DeniqueCoelum man created god to explain what he didn't understand. He also proved perfectly capable fo creating the laws by which we live. The majority of civilisations never heard of any of teh monotheistic superstitions, but somehow managed to organise themselves. As I say, it is a total fallacy to suggest that man needs to relate to any specific book for his rules - he is capable of creating as many rules as necessary. Man has existed for 200,000 years - most without the Bible

[blueray1969]

@DeniqueCoelum It is a fallacy to suggest man cannot tell right from wrong unless he consults ancient texts religious texts which set out ideas subject to the assumptions and prejudices of the people at the time. As far as morality being more distinct, our morals are written down in the form of written laws and constitutions (or unwritten constitution in the case of the UK): laws that we admit were written by man, rather than laws which we claim to be authored by one god or another.

[blueray1969]

@DeniqueCoelum but are you suggesting that man is only capable of framing some sort of moral code around one or other form of superstition/religion? There is in fact very little to separate any of the major religions in terms of their 'morality', in terms at least of who they chose to either persecute or 'forgive'. None of the major monotheistic religions, for example, have been around for long when compared to how long homo sapiens has existed. Somehow, those societies had morals nonetheless...

[blueray1969]

'Jordan is a monarchy but is moving towards a democracy'? Most of Europe is a monarchy and all are democracies. What a stupid thing to say.

[blueray1969]

@DeniqueCoelum it's interesting that you respect muslims because of their moral code. do you respect atheists and agnostics as much? or hindus? what about the people that both christianity and islam discriminate against - do you respect their moral codes?

[kev3d]

Muslims gradually moving toward democracy does not lead to freedom, people drifting away from Islam leads people to democracy and freedom. Turkey didn't become a semi-secular state because it was voted upon; it was mandated by Atatürk among others. Europe had to reject most of the tenets of Christianity in order to modernize, so will Islam. Ceasing to hang homosexuals and accusing people of witchcraft is a good start.

[HappyBirthdaySANTA]

deep thoughts right here...