Essay - Is the Religion of Islam Compatible with Democracy? Modern Day...

Is the Religion of Islam Compatible with Democracy?

Modern day democracy, especially in the Western world, is equated with a politic*****l system marked by free and fair elections, rule ***** law, ***** upholding of human rights and individual liberties, including the basic rights ***** freedom of speech, assembly, religion, and property. Such liberal ideals sometimes come in conflict with religious beliefs and sensitivities of others, particularly if the practitioners of democracy and religion display rigidity in the practice of their beliefs and insensitivity towards the views of each other. A pertinent example of such a conflict was the publication of the cartoons by the Danish newspaper, "Jyll*****s-Posten" in 2005 depict*****g irreverent images of ***** Prophet Muhammad, which were considered blasphemous by most Muslims. Because of the violent reaction of some Muslims that followed the publication of the *****, several Western commentators argued ***** the religion ***** Islam in particular was incompatible with democracy. While agreeing with ***** view-point that the extremist version of Islam may be in conflict ***** ***** of ***** ***** of democracy, I strongly ********** that a moder*****te ***** of *****, which is practiced by an overwhelming majority of Muslims around the world, ***** in no way incompatible with democracy. ********** this paper, I will explain why this is so. I will also argue that both the violent ***** of some Muslims against the publication of the Muhammad cartoons, as well as ***** publication in the first place, ***** *****s of *****sensitivity and intolerance towards the views of others.

Does Islam Support Terror*****m?

Following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 it has become fashionable to dub Islam as a religion that is inherently violent and promotes terrorism. It is ***** widely believed that Islam is incompatible ***** democracy. Some verses of ***** Quran, the history of the expansion ***** *****, the presence of a number of authoritarian regimes in the Middle E*****t, and the reaction of Muslims to incidents such as ***** Danish cartoons are often cited as proof of ***** a view. Let us see if this is re*****lly so.

***** Holy Quran is considered to be the word ***** God (Allah) ***** Muslims as it ***** revealed to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 chapters (surahs), ***** a total of 6236 ***** (ayat) and deals with a num*****r of topics. ***** mixes narrative, exhortation, and legal prescription for the Muslims ***** is not a simple straightforward ***** or a compil*****tion ***** commands. As a result, its text can be (and has been) interpreted in different *****s. Critics of Islam find in it passages about "Jihad" and "War," which *****y contend are the root of violence by *****ic extremists. For *****stance, they quote Verse 9:29 of the Quran, which says:

Fight those who believe ***** in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, ***** acknowledge the religion ***** Truth, (even if ***** are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with