Islam is democracy [Archives:2008/1177/Community]
Afrah Jaan
[email protected]
I am a young woman who embraced Islam a few months ago and was in the process of considering moving to the Middle East because I was hoping that moving to that part of the world would enable me to live in a more Islamic environment.
After speaking to several sisters at my local mosque, I was surprised to hear the negativity Arab Muslim women feel about their homelands. I was even more surprised at their shocked looks when I said that I'd prefer living in a society that is an Islamic state rather than living in a society driven by Western democracy.
My three years of research and studying Islam prior to reverting leads me to believe that Islam is democracy, so why do we look elsewhere? I believe no form of democracy can measure up to the rights and freedoms Islam gives men, women and children in all matters, whether personal, marital, legal or state affairs.
My question then is why aren't all Middle Eastern nations Islamic states? Why do we need a “domino effect” geared by the West to begin the process of their version of democracy when in reality, Muslim countries already have the tools to create such an environment for their peoples?
Dear Afrah,
While I am respectful of how people choose to live their lives (this being the very definition of democracy), I ask you as a woman, a mother and a human being to consider the plight of Nadia Muhsen and her sister Zana and then ask yourself if this is democracy – all in the name of “Islam, Muslim tradition and the West not wanting to upset the East.”
I agree that everyone should live in a society where they can be free and enjoy a good quality of life that is wholesome and good, but we must never accept that human suffering caused by another individual is acceptable to God. He is the only one to administer discipline except, of course, when we train our children or those appointed to maintain law and order in a democratic land, which in turn doesn't torture, beat or maim our fellow brothers and sisters.
The Bible and the Qur'an are the rulebooks of life (working manuals for humans). Just as a washing machine requires an instruction manual, we also must consult these manuals regularly to keep us functioning properly.
However, neither book condones the use of kidnapping, slavery or violence against those who can't defend themselves or who are weaker than the one asserting power. This isn't God's arrangement; rather, this is how man has interpreted things for his own gain.
Please do a Google search of the abovementioned two women's names and remember that there are thousands of women and children in the same position who are being shipped off to Muslim states every day to meet the same fate. We turn a blind eye to this while others call this democracy.
Some may be able to see why some Muslim women are happy to come to England to find inner peace and just be able to care for their families, be good Muslims living law-abiding lives and caring for humanity because they know the true meaning of democracy when they come here. The West isn't a bad place; rather, it's the people there – just like everywhere else in the world – who take advantage of God's goodness.
Thinking about these two women, please answer this: Did they or thousands like them come up during your research? If so, how do you feel about this being protected by Islam and the Muslim faith? Was it really part of the religious deal or was it simply from man? How was it justifiable?
If you knew about this situation, then why were you shocked that the women at the mosque prefer living in England?
I am interested in your views and I wish you every happiness and inner peace with all of your life choices.
Best wishes,
Gina Tyler
P.S. I am a Christian but was raised in a multiracial community (a chaplet in Leeds) all of my life, so I have a range of friends from different faiths. I say this so you'll know I'm not anti-Muslim – I just love people and I don't like the suffering doled out in the name of religion or the misuse of power because being powerless is a horrendous place in which to be. Nadia's family knows this more than most. Salaam.
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