Is “a culture based on Islam is as unsuitable grounds for democracy as Sahara is for agriculture” (Taagepera, 2003, 3)?

One of the main concerns of the political scientists is to analyze and predict the possible democratization of the Muslim countries, as the democratic ideas and democratization processes become a world-wide issue in a developing world in respect to humanism and world peace. The main characteristic of the Muslim states is the non-democratic ruling system, which is in contrast with the Western ideas like democracy and liberalism. Is democracy against the Islamic ideas that these states cannot adopt them? Is democracy possible in Muslim countries or not?

It is noteworthy to emphasize that the current rulers of the most Muslim states use Islam as a tool in order to hold their power. They misuse the religion and correlate it with nationalism, for which the mass believe in and follow them. Some of the rulers declare it as a Holy Spirit to struggle against the Western countries, but the main purpose is to get the power and keep it as long as they can at the extent of lots of sacrifices. These issues are in the case of Iran, Lebanon, and Syria and in the previous Saddam rule in Iraq. However there are kingdoms like Saudi Arabia, Qatar or Bahrain that are allies with the West. In order to exploit the oil of these countries easily, the West needs non-democratic rule and ignorant mass population. In this case, oil is another issue that hinders democracy in these states since the governments could satisfy the needs of the people in most of these countries that make people not protest or attempt to demand political and social rights. It is the concern in most Arabic, Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan. Fish claims that the oil impedes democratization of the Muslim countries and makes them more authoritarian (Fish, 2002, p 10). In my opinion, these are the main geopolitical reasons of backwardness of the Muslim states.

As Taagepera notes in his article, there are strong traditional rules in Muslim countries (Taagepera, 2003, p 6). As a supporter of the ideas of dependistas, it can be argued that such traditional rules are difficult to change and today, the main problem of the Muslim societies is related to this issue because the democratic values of the West are in collision with these ideas. Another issue is self-expression problem that is very low in Muslim countries, says Taagepera (Taagepera, 2003 p 6). Also, this is a concern related to the predominance of the traditional values in the Muslim societies. In my mind, the only way is education that can adjust the traditional values to the democratic ideas. Fish also affirms it in his idea that the illiteracy is one of the problems of the Muslim societies that deprive them from democracy (Fish, 2002, p 24). Moreover, if someone looks through the Muslim countries can see that there is a high level of illiteracy within the people in Muslim societies. Thus, if there are lots of educated people in the society they would find their own democracy. They would change, combine their traditional values to the new democratic ideas because the latter is their own, no one gave it them. It is known that democratic and liberal values emerged in Europe during the Enlightenment which is characterized by high level of scientific development. It is also fact that the West neither apply their democratic ideas fairly in these states nor let them make their own democratic rules themselves. Democratic ideas are not against the Islamic ideas, but in order of surviving together and making the democratization possible in Muslim countries the changes should be done in both sides: democratic ideas and traditional values. It means that the Muslim societies can create their own democracy in their won way.

Azerbaijan is a post-Communist state which was affected by Soviet policy negatively. For instance, Fish says that the political culture and civil society ideas were destroyed by the Soviet rule. He also argues that there is still the problem of political representation in Post-Soviet states that is logically about Azerbaijan as well (Fish, 2002, p 9). As an affect of Soviet secularism and as a tension to integrate to the West, Azerbaijan is officially secular state and does not base on Koran though paradoxically, the democratization process does not almost exist. In Azerbaijan, religion does not have a strong and clear-cut role in political system as in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the idea of Taagepera that secularism is the sign of democracy is not true about Azerbaijan.

On the other hand, the idea that oil impedes democratic rule is very true in case of Azerbaijan, as Fish argues generally about oil-rich Muslim states. Fish’s main idea is; the most important concern which hinders democratization process is the gender discrimination in Muslim countries. It is about Azerbaijan too, whereas Azerbaijani society can be included to the type which is “based on male dominance and clan and family honor and exhibit sex disparities in basic indicators” (Fish, 2002, p 36). Today, there is very low representation of females in the political arena in Azerbaijan in contrast with democratic states. As Fish notes there is democratic deficit in Azerbaijan as a Muslim country.

Currently, Azerbaijan has a non-democratic regime and future possibility of its democratization is very low because of the weak intention and desire of it. The democratization effect would threaten the dynastic rule in Azerbaijan. Still, there is possibility and prospects to generate democratic values and build democratic rule in Azerbaijan. It happened in the independent history of Azerbaijan in early 1990s (1992-3) during the rule of nationalist government. For me, high level literacy would do what we want about the welfare of Azerbaijani people. It would make people more tolerant and create intention to get new rights and privileges in order to perceive themselves as a citizen of democratic country. Thus, the Islam is not the main issue that impedes democracy in Azerbaijan recently. From another angle, it is like to happen that the democratic trends in Azerbaijan would bring new nationalist ideas that could ignore Westernization which is the issue that the West concerns on.

The possible evolvement of democratic values in Muslim countries is one of the disputes in the political science studies. Some argues that Islam is the hindrance on democratization in these countries and it (Islam) is incompatible with democracy such as Huntington. Others claim against these views that it is possible to democratize the Muslim countries as well. My main position was to explain both the Islamic and non-Islamic reasons of the backwardness of these countries and to show the optional ways for democratization process in relevant manner.

References:

---Taagepera, Rein, “Prospects for Democracy in Islamic Countries,” Center for the Study of    Democracy (University of California, Irvine), 2003, February, pp 1-7

---Fish, M. Steven, “Islam and Authoritarianism,” World Politics 55, 2002, October, pp 4 -37

Jeyhun Veliyev,

Department of International Relations

Qafqaz University