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| Secular Democracy: On the Retreat |
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Issue 3: Elections are not specific to an adoption of the western political model. There is evidence that people want elections but not necessarily liberal secular values.
It is another article of faith for most commentators that because people reject dictatorships and oppression, this means they inevitably support western political ideas. Elections are not unique to western politics and are found in different ideologies and political constructs. The fact that millions of people have voted in recent elections in the Middle East should not be viewed as an indication of support for secular democracy. Indeed, as many commentators have argued, democracy doesn't exist just because elections took place. Numerous elections have been held on and off in Africa in the last fifteen years, yet many of these countries remain dictatorial and corrupt. Haiti and Venezuela, alongside many other countries in Central and Southern America, have also had elections, yet the US has intervened there covertly and overtly on more than one occasion to restore the rule of law.
In addition to elections, western democracies also champion a separation of state and religion, liberal values towards personal conduct as well as economic capitalism with its policy of unbridled free markets. Western societies also promote individualism, hedonism and utilitarianism, with faith and morality kept strictly to the private arena. There is very little evidence that the people of Kabul (never mind Kandahar), Baghdad or Cairo support or accept that Islam should be marginalised in society and kept solely to the confines of the mosque, nor would most accept that a person has freedom and a right to commit adultery, view pornography or consume heavy amounts of alcohol. Nor would most agree with laws permitting same-sex partnerships and relationships, gambling establishments or free market capitalism with all its adverse impacts; yet these are all norms in western democracies. It is precisely because of these major differences in values and their foundations that the vast majority of European citizens and many EU leaders are nervous about Turkey's application to the EU. If Turkey, after eight decades of rabid secularisation by the military, has been unable to fundamentally restructure the values of millions of Turks, it is incredibly unlikely that the Middle East will be buying into Martin Luther and Thomas Jefferson any time soon especially as they witness the day to day impact of the 'war on terror'. If people are still in doubt, how do you think most Muslims would respond if they were asked for their views on the following questions?
- Should the US get out of Iraq and remove all her bases from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Uzbekistan and Pakistan?
- Do Muslim countries have the same right to nuclear weapons as Britain, America and Israel?
- Should Islam be separated from life's affairs and restricted to private space as the West demands? Would you support the establishment of an Islamic state based on the 'Shariah'?
- Do you agree with western values which allow people to commit adultery and engage in same sex relationships? Would you support the legalisation of alcohol, pornography and gambling?
- What is more important to you: your religious identity or your nationality?
- Do you believe in force to repel Israeli, American and British occupations in the Muslim world? Do you view organisations that engage in violence in the context of these occupations as legitimate resistance groups or terrorist organisations?
- Do you believe the Roadmap, which is the preferred solution of the international community, is a just solution to the Palestinian problem?
- Do you believe the United Nations engages in double standards and lacks legitimacy?
The Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan recently published a survey (February 2005) entitled 'Revisiting the Arab Street' in which they interviewed numerous population samples (national representative sample, university students, media elites and business elites) in Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon. The report was based on interviews conducted between March and June of 2004. Some of their conclusions were
- Arabs are largely disenchanted with the West though percentages differ with respect to individual countries e.g. the US vs. France.
- The US and Britain have reason to acknowledge and be concerned about the ever growing negativity felt towards them in the Middle East. Younger generations and those outside of elite business and media circles demonstrate greater and growing disgruntlement with these western powers.
- Arabs believe that their societal values stand in sharp contrast to those in the West. They generally associate Western societies with liberalism, individual liberty, democracy and technological progress, but also with a higher proportion of social problems. In contrast they see their societies as maintaining stronger values of tradition, religion and family and as being less fraught with social problems.
- There was a huge perception that Muslims living in the West were not treated on an equal par with other citizens. Less than 18 percent believed France treated Muslims equally, while for the UK and the US the figures were even worse at 13 percent and 12 percent respectively.
- Two thirds of respondents in Jordan, Egypt and Palestine stated that the Shariah should be the only source of legislation while one third believed it should be a source, while in Lebanon and Syria these figures were reversed. Very few people carried the view that the Shariah should have no role in governance.
- Most believe that America and Britain are selfish and insincere in their foreign policy while holding France in a better light. They believe that America attempts to dominate countries, violates human rights and rather than approach countries with dignity and respect tries to impose its policies on other countries. As the survey cites, this is not specific to the Arab world but is a similarly held view in South Korea, Russia and Brazil.
- Only 8 percent of Jordanians, 2 percent of Syrians, 12 percent of Lebanese, 6 percent of Palestinians and 36 percent of Egyptians believe the road map espoused by the international community is a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
- Overwhelmingly all respondents believed the US led invasion of Iraq was not justified at all with business and media elites even more doubtful. Only 1 percent of business communities in Jordan, Syria and Palestine believed the invasion was justified. Most believe that the US and her allies will loot the resources of Iraq and that the invasion of Iraq has enhanced the security of Israel.
- Most disagree with the US definition of terrorism seeing violence and the groups that engage in it as legitimate if they are part of a strategy to counter the policies of what they see as threatening powers - the US and Israel. Actions against these nations are largely seen as legitimate resistance and acts committed by Israel and America are viewed as true acts of terrorism. Most consider attacks against US troops in Iraq or Israeli settlements, military or civilians, as not being terrorist acts. Most viewed organisations like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah as legitimate resistance organisations. Even 74 percent of Lebanese Christians viewed Hezbollah as a resistance organisation. There were also significantly more people in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine who believed Al Qaeda was more a resistance group than a terrorist one with two thirds of the 16-34 age group believing this.
Though it is difficult to generalise based on these conclusions, this author believes that the conclusions of the CSS survey clearly highlight the huge gap in positions between the western political establishment and the Muslim masses. This does not necessarily imply conflict or a dislike of western citizens per se, or even a rejection of the principles of justice, accountability, minority rights and good governance. However what it clearly illustrates within the Muslim world is a growing emergence of a new political outlook, vision and value construct aligned to an Islamic belief system. This outlook therefore amounts to a rejection of a secular liberal democratic framework, which remains the ultimate goal of western policymakers.
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