The Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy is a non-profit organization, based in Washington,
D.C., dedicated to promoting democracy in the Muslim world. The Center will endeavor to encourage peaceful dialogue and coexistence as the best way to resolve political disputes and disagreements among the various factions in the Muslim countries. By proving that Islam and democracy can be compatible, the Center seeks to foster the principle that a democratic and representative form of government is the best way to avoid the violence and confrontations that are threatening peace and stability in those countries. The Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy has three main functions. First, it acts as a Think-Tank and research institute to study Islamic and Democratic political thought and merge them into a modern Islamic Democratic discourse. Second, it attempts to propagate and publicize these democratic principles and ideals in the Muslim world. And, third, it will encourage the West, especially the United States, to play a constructive role by promoting and encouraging democratic reforms in the Muslim world.

In order to accomplish this mission, the center will bring together academicians, scholars, and activists, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to analyze political developments in the Muslim world and identify ways of promoting freedom, justice, and democracy in the various Muslim countries. The Center will organize meetings, seminars, and conferences, publish periodicals, and promote democracy in Muslim countries by organizing workshops, training classes, and seminars on conflict resolution, political participation, and building a strong civil society. By engaging the various groups, parties and governments, both secular and Islamic, in a public debate on how to adapt Islam and democracy, the CSID seeks to avoid conflicts and violence, and promote dialogue, tolerance, and mutual understanding between civilizations and within the Muslim societies.

The Center will cooperate with various organizations, both governmental and non-governmental (NGO's) that share its mission and objectives. The Center will be supported by the generosity of its members and supporters, as well as by grants from public and private institutions. The Center is, however, not a mouthpiece for any government, group, or individual and is independently managed by an Executive Committee and a Board of Directors elected by its members.

The work of this center will focus on paving the way for a better future for the Muslim world; a future that is based both on the Islamic principles of freedom, justice, tolerance and equality as well as the concepts of human rights, democracy, and rule of law.

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Preamble

The Islamic world is going through a turbulent period, as is its relationship with the rest of the world, especially the West. The Muslim population in the world, which numbers more than one billion, is being pulled by different forces and in different directions. On one hand, the religion and principles of Islam continue to play a major role and exert a major influence on the majority of this population. On the other hand, a significant group, probably close to one third, believes in the virtues of modern western-developed principles. The rest is probably torn between those two ideals, Islam and modernity. The fate of the Muslim world and its future relations with the rest of the world depends on how this conflict, or apparent conflict, is resolved.

As we quickly enter the 21^st century, Islamic thought and practices are being challenged to adapt to modern ideas, methods, and principles. The future peace and prosperity of the Muslim world depends on the Muslims' response to these challenges and on their ability to resolve political differences and disputes through peaceful and legitimate means.

Islam is not a stranger to civilization and innovation. For over a thousand years, Islam was the launch pad of a great civilization and scientific breakthroughs and co-existed peacefully with other world religions in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East. However, in the last four or five centuries, Muslims and the Islamic civilization have stagnated and suffered major setbacks. In the 20^th century, Muslims have started to regain their awareness after decades of colonization and centuries of stagnation. Due to the lack of democracy and freedom in most of the Muslim world, movements and individuals that have tried to revive Islamic thought were often seen as a threat to the status quo and to the existing political and social order. They were severely repressed and driven into secrecy, and often became violent themselves due to oppression.

The Islamic world today is in a state of disarray and confrontation between extremist religious movements that see themselves as the "defenders of Islam" and authoritarian political regimes that claim to be "defenders of modernity". Yet, neither Islam nor modernity can be imposed on the people. This dichotomy warns of terrible consequences if the voices of reason and moderation _ on both sides _ are not allowed to prevail. Democracy offers a practical solution, and, possibly, the only way out of this dangerous situation.

Democracy is not an alien concept to Islam. When the Prophet of Islam died, he did not appoint any person or group of people to lead the Muslim society. The companions of the Prophet (pbuh) were asked to convene in a house and elect a new leader, Abu Bakr. By not appointing a successor, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) clearly wanted to teach his followers that it is up to them to choose their leader. Therefore it is clear that the ruler in a Muslim society does not represent God Almighty but represents and serves the people who elect him. He serves at their pleasure and can be removed from office if he does not do a good job. Although Islam does not specify how these elections are to take place or the mechanism by which the ruler is made accountable to the people, Islam clearly forbids repression and oppression and advocates justice, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, and the freedom to criticize, or even oppose, the ruler. Islam is inherently democratic because it does not have a religious hierarchy or spokesperson. What Islam has is generations of religious scholars (Ulama), and Muslims are in effect free to choose whom to follow or not to follow.

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What is an Islamic State?

Many movements in the Islamic world today aspire for an Islamic state, however, there is no clear definition or consensus on what an Islamic state is. There is disagreement among the various scholars and schools of thought on how the government should function and how laws should be made. The so-called `Islamic' state in Afghanistan illustrates how various Islamic groups can fight each other to death simply because they cannot agree on how to elect the leader or how to make and enforce laws. There are two ways to resolve these differences of opinion: violent confrontation or peaceful dialogue. Clearly, peaceful dialogue is preferable both from an Islamic and from a rational perspective. However, peaceful debates do not always lead to consensus and the question becomes how should Muslims resolve their differences when dialogue has been tried and no consensus has emerged? Some Muslims will say we follow the opinion of the religious scholars (Ulama), but there is no consensus on who the scholars are and there is no consensus among the scholars themselves. This is the dilemma that threatens to pit Muslim groups and individuals against each other and has already pitted Islamist movements (with few exceptions) against their governments. Furthermore, the scholars should not only possess religious knowledge (from the Qur'an and the Sunna) but must also have knowledge of the society and its needs. Thus, they will be able to perform the critical function of Ijtihad (coming up with innovative solutions to modern day problems) and their representation of the people is essential.

Since Islam does not have a final authoritative spokesperson, there is no easy answer or solution to this question. The only plausible solution is to follow the majority in the hope and expectation that the majority has more chances of being right and correct than does the minority. Some Muslim groups or individuals are bound to believe that they and they alone are right and those who disagree with them are wrong, however they have no religious basis to this claim other than their own convictions.

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What is Democracy?

Democracy means that the majority rules and that the rights of the minority are protected. One chooses to follow the majority, in a democracy, even when he/she holds a minority opinion, because a democracy guarantees respect for minority opinions even as the majority rules. Therefore a holder of a minority opinion does not feel threatened on account of his or her opinion, and each minority opinion has hopes of becoming the majority using open dialogue and persuasion. Democracy is not a perfect system but it offers the best type of government that can solve the real problems and address the real needs of the people. Democracy is not an ideal, it is an instrument to achieve a higher goal which is justice, peace, equality, and rule of law.

Democracy is an old concept. It was not invented in the West nor is it tied to any particular civilization or culture. The concept is at least 3,000 years old, and has evolved in several stages to become what it is today. Islam itself has made significant contributions to the evolution of democracy by protecting freedom of religion, by promoting the ideals of consultation (Shura), and by banning compulsion or oppression.

The Qur'an has made it clear that "there is no compulsion in religion". Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists lived and prospered under Islamic rule for almost 14 centuries in North Africa, Spain, the Middle East, central and southeast Asia. Even in Europe, until a few hundred years ago, if the King changes his religion from Protestant to Catholic, everyone had to follow or face persecution. Yet, the concept that people should be free to choose their religion had been practiced in the Muslim world for more than a thousand years. Significant Christian and Jewish minorities lived for centuries, and continue to live and practice their religion, in many Muslim countries. Some of the oldest churches and synagogues in the world today are in the Muslim world in Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. While things were not always perfect for these minorities (they were not perfect for the Muslim majority either), Islam has a proud history of tolerance and co-existence with other religions.

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A Bridge to the New Millenium

Current circumstances require a consolidated response to institutionalize the efforts of those who are working to promote freedom, justice and democracy in the New World order. As we enter the new millennium with high hopes and great dreams of a global village that enjoys stability, peace and understanding between civilizations, a serious effort is required to promote a universal culture of freedom, democracy and human rights. This effort should aim at convincing governments in the Muslim world to implement democracy and at changing the cultural imprints of the Muslim society toward adopting democratic ideals and principles.

Hence, the same effort should be channeled and facilitated through a great institution that we propose to form for this purpose under the name of The Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy.

To promote democracy in the Islamic world, the Center will work to develop a complete framework which brings together both Islamic and democratic principles and ideals. The CSID will be an independent non-profit organization that receives donations from various individuals and institutions, but without jeopardizing its independence and neutrality. The CSID will not support or oppose any government or movement but will seek to promote dialogue and understanding between the various players in the Muslim world. The CSID is not a political organization and will not support candidates or political parties in any of the Muslim countries. The CSID will be far from a confrontational approach toward any of the governments in the Muslim world and will seek to work with them to support their efforts and stated objectives of promoting democracy and respect for human rights. CSID will fairly monitor developments in the Muslim world and will acknowledge and encourage the efforts of any government, whether it calls itself Islamic or secular, in promoting tolerance, freedom, and democracy. Most of all, the CSID will foster a dialogue between secular and Islamic thinkers and scholars in order to develop a common platform which will serve as the basis for improving the prospects of democracy in the Muslim world. Conferences, meetings, and publications will be used as a way of fostering the dialogue and free exchange of information and ideas between these scholars and thought leaders.

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