support for Muslim exceptionalism.
Hello, welcome to this oral presentation that attempts to show support for Muslim exceptionalism. Today, researchers are interested in comparative politics to establish the state of democracy in different states. The influence of Islam religion in Arab countries is one of the popular debates among scholars. For instance, Lakoff echoes Khoemeini’s words, a Muslim theologian, who acknowledges that God is the owner of the law and that it is sinful to think that human beings could make decisions (Source 4). By contrast, some authors believe that Muslim exceptionalism explains the existing electoral gap in Arab states. In my opinion, Islam is an exception in its relation to governance, jurisprudence, economics, and politics.
Understanding Muslim exceptionalism is based on the origin of Islam and the nature of teachings available in the Quran. Prophet Mohammed showed interest in addressing politics, governance, law, social contexts, and order. The second factor is based on the fact that Muslims believe in God’s words as they appear in the Quran. These reasons make Islam fundamentally unique from other religions such as Judaism and Christianity. The Arab Spring is an example of an event in history that explains Muslim exceptionalism’s idea ( Source 3). The influential leaders supported the need for an authoritarian rule, but people from Islamic states strongly protested against the new law. Citizens from Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, Syria, and beyond challenged the new proposal (Source 2). They successfully withdrew the implemented authoritarian regime.
The relationship of Islam to the state and public life also explains the reason for Muslim exceptionalism. Muslims believe that Islamic law plays a critical role in politics. Islamists also show immense support for political organizations. The Arab Spring is one example of a historical event that demonstrated the idea that Islam is also a symbol of identity (Source 2). Besides, the Arab countries are electorally competitive, and they conduct free and fair elections (Source5). It is prudent to accept Islam’s role in influencing politics and accommodate all perspectives, to show a sense of respect for the constitution and democracy. Though Muslims seem authoritative in nature, they show immense interest in achieving a competitive election process (Source 6). Islam ensures that people appreciate and uphold acceptable values even in political processes, which is one of the goals for a democratic nation.
Human rights and the protection of citizens is a primary indicator of democracy. Islamic teachings also propose that leaders should actively protect people’s rights (Source 1). The Quran clearly states the behavior of leaders towards the state and citizens’ role to the state, an element that is rare in Christianity and other religions (Source 4). Historically, Muslims co-existed peacefully with Christian and Jews despite the differences in the belief system. The current state of conflict could relate to Muslims resisting secularization as per the teachings in the Quran. I believe that Muslim exceptionalism is a unique subject that would help understand the democratic processes in Islamic states.
References
Ayubi, N. (n.d.). Islam and Democracy. In B. Democratization. (pp. 345-367)
Bellin, E. (2004). The robustness of authoritarianism in the Middle East: Exceptionalism in a comparative perspective. Comparative politics, 139-157.
Bellin, E. (2012). Reconsidering the robustness of authoritarianism in the Middle East: Lessons from the Arab Spring. Comparative Politics, 44(2), 127-149.
Lakoff, S. (2004). Debate: The Reality of Muslim Exceptionalism. Journal of Democracy, 15(4), 133-139.
Stepan, A. C., & Robertson, G. B. (2003). An” Arab” more than a” Muslim” democracy gap. Journal of Democracy, 14(3), 30-44.
Stepan, A., & Robertson, G. B. (2004). Debate: Arab, Not Muslim, Exceptionalism. Journal of democracy, 15(4), 140-146.