2010/05/01 by Uriya Shavit · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Islamic Studies and History #Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies #Education and Islamic Studies #Democracy #Islam #Politics #Hegemony #Scholarship #Law #Sociology #Muslim world #Political science #Critical theory #Political philosophy #Philosophy #Theology
paper · doi:10.1080/00263200902917085
openalex publication_date 2010/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The article examines the contemporary debate in Muslim–Arab scholarship as to the compatibility of Islam and Western democracy. This debate centres on interpretations of shura, or consultation. The article claims that Islam, as a body of texts, traditions and practices, does not favour or reject any specific system of government. Rather, four main theories on Islam and democracy compete for hegemony: a theory integrating some aspects of Western democracy with shura and rejecting others; a theory dichotomizing shura and democracy; a theory contending that shura is democracy; and a theory legitimizing exiting political orders by defining them as manifestations of shura. The article examines the historical roots of each of these theories and analyzes the social-political roles they play.