Panel debates coexistence of Islam, democracy

Correction appended

Fundamentalist Islam is "the antithesis of secular western democracy," Director of Islamic Affairs Ahmed Kostas argued yesterday during a panel discussion on the religion's relationship to democratic institutions.

"The Islamic states are set up [so] that no further Sharia is needed," Kostas said, using the Arabic term for "law." Consequently, he said, Islamic states reject imposition of Western legal thought.

Kostas spoke alongside Near Eastern studies graduate student Karen Bauer and politics professor Amaney Jamal, who discussed their research on Islam. The panel, "The Contrasting Concepts of Reform and Democracy and the Transmission of Islamic Practice," was part of a weekend conference on the Muslim faith.

Muslim jurists consider democracy to be governance through whim and illusion rather than government through revelation and clairvoyance, Kostas said. He added that he questions whether Islamic fundamentalists can ever be reconciled to modern notions of democracy.

Additionally, Kostas cited reasons for "the chaos and confusion that we live in today." One, he said, is Western ignorance of the Islamic scriptures. "Then," he said, "add most of all the haphazard generalizations of the mass media."

During the panel, Bauer shared research done by Ziba Mir-Hosseini on the three types of clerics in Iran. The traditionalists, she said, adhere strictly to conservative laws, even if the case concerns a contemporary development.

Neo-traditionalists are less strict, believing that the circumstances of a case can determine the ruling. Modernists, or reformists, are the most progressive group of clerics, Bauer explained, noting that they support allowing women to be judges.

"Reformists are praised because they are working from within to change ... the religion," Bauer said.

Bauer also noted the irony of the traditionalists' advocacy of strict interpretation of the law; in the past, interpretations have been more flexible.

The "traditionalists will take strict rule that is not part of tradition," she said. "Flexibility is inherent in tradition."

Citing differences in opinion among clerics regarding the possibility of sex change operations in Iran, Bauer also argued against the perception of Islamic law as monolithic or rigid.

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Jamal, who conducted her research by interviewing around 200 Jordanians, said she seeks to understand the rise of nationalism in Jordan during the last five years. While she noted that one would expect patriotism to reflect satisfaction with a government's policies, she said this has not been the case in Jordan.

"The experiences of most Arab states are far removed from the national aspirations of the citizen," she said.

Nevertheless, Jamal said the Jordanian public supports the continued existence of monarchy. Jordanians are less likely to believe that democracy is a good political system, she said, because such a form of government would make Jordan "all the more susceptible to foreign powers."

Citizens are desperate to free themselves from the geopolitical strategies of the West, she added, noting that Jordanians consider the United States' presence in the region "domineering."

Jamal gave examples of Jordanians' reactions when asked about their attitudes toward America. Responses included, "America looks after its interests for America inside of Jordan," and, "Yes, America cares about Jordan, but for its own benefit, not for Jordan itself."

She also noted that monarchy better enables Jordan to resist the influence of Western nations. When asked about Islam and Sharia, she added, her interviewees said they wanted their country to embrace Sharia as the dominant form of governance.

Their general attitude, Jamal said, was, "If we were to follow [Sharia] 100 percent, we would be the happiest people."

Moderated by Princeton anthropology professor Abdellah Hammoudi, the panel was part of a weekend conference titled "Breaking Apart the Monolith: The Many Ways of Being Muslim." It was sponsored by the American Moroccan Institute and several University departments and programs.

Correction

The original version of this article misidentified Near Eastern Studies graduate student Karen Bauer as a professor in that department. It also misattributes work on Syrian clerics by Ziba Mir-Hosseini to Bauer and misinterpreted some of Bauer's comments on Mir-Hosseini's work. The Daily Princetonian regrets these errors.