Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis
This paper examines the impact of democracy and democratization on contemporary Muslim societies. The institutional and philosophical approaches to democracy and democratization are inseparable. The paper investigates the relationship between the philosophical dimension of Western democracy and the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Research Center, IIUM
2010
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/3/Democracy_and_democratization_in_contemporary_Muslim_societies.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848776389367431168 |
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| author | Ra'ees, Wahabuddin |
| author_facet | Ra'ees, Wahabuddin |
| author_sort | Ra'ees, Wahabuddin |
| building | IIUM Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This paper examines the impact of democracy and democratization on contemporary Muslim societies. The institutional and philosophical approaches to democracy and democratization are inseparable. The paper investigates the relationship between the philosophical dimension of Western democracy and the Muslim philosophy of life and concludes that the democratization of contemporary Muslim societies leads to serious and destabilizing ideological polarization and division of Muslim societies into supporters of secularism and political Islam. The Islamist-secularists relation radicalizes: (1) when the Islamists are prevented from capturing power through democratic institutions and (2) when the advanced Western democratic states cooperate with non-democratic secular elites of Muslim societies. The destabilizing role of democracy can be moderated if the Islamists are engaged in the democratic process, and the debate between the Islamists, the secularists and the West . based on the view that the West should conceive Islam as an alternative weltanschauung (worldview) . focuses on issues that are human properties, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or language. The institutional approach to democracy provides a common ground for cooperation and dialogue between the Islamists, the secularists and the West.
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| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T14:29:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | iium-4780 |
| institution | International Islamic University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T14:29:19Z |
| publishDate | 2010 |
| publisher | Research Center, IIUM |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | iium-47802012-05-08T08:30:28Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/ Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis Ra'ees, Wahabuddin JA Political science (General) JC Political theory JF Political institutions (General) This paper examines the impact of democracy and democratization on contemporary Muslim societies. The institutional and philosophical approaches to democracy and democratization are inseparable. The paper investigates the relationship between the philosophical dimension of Western democracy and the Muslim philosophy of life and concludes that the democratization of contemporary Muslim societies leads to serious and destabilizing ideological polarization and division of Muslim societies into supporters of secularism and political Islam. The Islamist-secularists relation radicalizes: (1) when the Islamists are prevented from capturing power through democratic institutions and (2) when the advanced Western democratic states cooperate with non-democratic secular elites of Muslim societies. The destabilizing role of democracy can be moderated if the Islamists are engaged in the democratic process, and the debate between the Islamists, the secularists and the West . based on the view that the West should conceive Islam as an alternative weltanschauung (worldview) . focuses on issues that are human properties, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or language. The institutional approach to democracy provides a common ground for cooperation and dialogue between the Islamists, the secularists and the West. Research Center, IIUM 2010 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/3/Democracy_and_democratization_in_contemporary_Muslim_societies.pdf Ra'ees, Wahabuddin (2010) Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis. Intellectual Discourse, 18 (2). pp. 235-259. ISSN 0128-4878 http://www.iium.edu.my/intdiscourse |
| spellingShingle | JA Political science (General) JC Political theory JF Political institutions (General) Ra'ees, Wahabuddin Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| title | Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| title_full | Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| title_fullStr | Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| title_short | Democracy and democratization in contemporary Muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| title_sort | democracy and democratization in contemporary muslim societies: a theoretical analysis |
| topic | JA Political science (General) JC Political theory JF Political institutions (General) |
| url | http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/4780/3/Democracy_and_democratization_in_contemporary_Muslim_societies.pdf |