4.6. THE MOVEMENT AND POLITICAL FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY
It is the duty of the Movement in the coming phase to stand firm against totalitarian and dictatorial rule, political despotism and usurpation of people’s rights. The Movement should always stand by political freedom, as represented by true, not false, democracy. It should flatly declare its refusal of tyrants and steer clear of all dictators, even if some tyrant appears to have good intentions towards it for some gain and for a time that is usually short, as has been shown by experience.
The Prophet said, (When you see my Nation fall victim to fear and does not say to a wrongdoer, “You are wrong”, then you may lose hope in them). So how about a regime that forces people to say to a conceited wrongdoer, “How just, how great you are, O our hero, our savior and our liberator!”
The Quran denounces tyrants such as Numrudh, Pharaoh, Haman and others, but it also dispraises those who follow tyrants and obey their orders. This is why Allah dispraises the people of Noah by saying, (But they follow [men] whose wealth and children give them no increase but only loss) [Surat Nuh: 21].
Allah also says of Ad, people of Hud (And followed the command of every powerful, obstinate transgressor)[Surat Hud: 59]
See also what the Quran says about the people of Pharaoh: (But they followed the command of Pharoah, and the command of pharaoh was not rightly guided) [Surat Hud: 97], (Thus he made fools of his people, and they obeyed him: truly they were a people rebel [against Allah]) [Surat AzZukhruf:54].
A closer look at the history of the Muslim Nation and the Islamic Movement in modern times should show clearly that the Islamic idea, the Islamic Movement and the Islamic Awakening have never flourished or borne fruit unless in an atmosphere of democracy and freedom, and have withered and become barren only at the times of oppression and tyranny that trod over the will of the peoples which clung to Islam. Such oppressive regimes imposed their secularism, socialism or communism on their peoples by force and coercion, using covert torture and public executions, and employing those devilish tools that tore flesh, shed blood, crushed bone and destroyed the soul.
We saw these practices in many Muslim countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, [the former] South Yemen, Somalia and northern African States for varying periods of time, depending on the age or reign of the dictator in each country.
On the other hand, we saw the Islamic Movement and the Islamic Awakening bear fruit and flourish at the times of freedom and democracy, and in the wake of the collapse of imperial regimes that ruled peoples with fear and oppression.
Therefore, I would not imagine that the Islamic Movement could support anything other than political freedom and democracy.
The tyrants allowed every voice to be raised, except the voice of [slam, and let every trend express itself in the form of a political party or body of some sort, except the Islamic current which is the only trend that actually speaks for this Nation and expresses its creed, values, essence and very existence.
However, some Islamists still have their reservations on democracy, and are even wary of the word ” democracy ” itself.
What I wish to stress here is that Islam is not democracy and democracy is not Islam and that I would rather that Islam is not attributed to any principle or system. Islam is unique in its means, ends and methodologies, and I do not wish that Western democracy be carried over to us with its bad ideologies and values without us adding to it from our values and ideologies in order to integrate it into our comprehensive system.
However, the tools and guaranties created by democracy are as close as can ever be to the realization of the political principles brought to this earth by Islam to put a leash on the ambitions and whims of rulers . These principles are: shura [consultation], good advice, enjoining what is proper and forbidding what is evil, disobeying illegal orders, resisting unbelief and changing wrong by force whenever possible. It is only in democracy and political freedom that the power of Parliament is evident and that people’s deputies can withdraw confidence from any government that breaches the Constitution, and it is only in such an environment that the strength of free Press, free Parliament, opposition and the masses is most felt.
The fears of some people here that democracy makes the people a source of power and even legislation (although legislation is Allah’s alone) should not be heeded here, because we are supposed to be speaking of a people that is Muslim in its majority and has accepted Allah as its Lord, Mohammad as its Prophet and Islam as its Religion. Such a people would not be expected to pass a legislation that contradicts Islam and its incontestable principles and conclusive rules.
Anyway, these fears can be overcome by one article stipulating that any legislation contradicting the incontestable provisions of Islam shall be null and void because Islam is the religion of the State and the source of legitimacy of all its institutions and therefore may not be contradicted, as a branch may not run against the main stream.
It should be known that the acceptance of the principle that legislation or rule belong to Allah does not rob the Nation of its right to seek for itself the codes necessary to regulate its ever-changing life and earthly affairs.
What we seek is that legislations and codes be within the limits of the flawless texts and the over all objectives of Shari’ah and the Islamic Message. The binding texts are very few, while the area of “permissibility” or legislative free space is quite wide and the texts themselves are so flexible and capacious as to accommodate more than one understanding and accept more than one interpretation, which leads to the existence of several schools and philosophies within the expansive framework of Islam.
I perused some laws that were passed in Qatar recently, and have found them to include scores of articles that rest on realizing interests and removing evils, but were not directly introduced by texts except for one or two of them.
The most serious danger threatening the Muslim Nation and the Islamic Movement is the rule of the Pharaohs who believe that their opinion is infallible and is right itself that can never go wrong. Such rulers adopt Pharaoh’s logic:(I but point out to you that which I see [myself]; nor do I guide you but to the path of right) [Surat Ghafir: 29]. (I but point out to you that which I see [myself]; nor do I guide you but to the path of right) [Surat Ghafir: 29]. (I but point out to you that which I see [myself]; nor do I guide you but to the path of right) [Surat Ghafir: 29].
To these rulers, every opinion that runs against theirs is rejected, even accused, just like Pharaoh spoke of Moses: (What I fear is lest he should change your religion, or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land!) [Surat Ghafir: 26]. [Surat Ghafir: 26]. fear is lest he should change your religion, or lest he should cause mischief to appear in the land!) [Surat Ghafir: 26].
Source: Islamic Basics by Yusuf Al-Qaradawi
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