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In a recent article, Pakistani writer Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi discussed the question of governance in Islamic societies, arguing that while secularism in the Western world curtailed the role of the Church, the situation is the opposite in Muslim societies where governance has been left to the dictates of Islamic clerics.
In the article, titled "Secularism and Islam," Kundi, who is President of the Pakistan Chamber of Commerce – USA, wrote that this trend in Muslim societies began after the Islamic state expanded from the 6th century onwards to Spain and Turkey in Europe, parts of Central and South Asia, and North Africa. From the 6th to 15th centuries, Islamic clerics were supposed to educate non-Muslims about Islam in these societies but assumed a far greater say in government policy making.
Kundi also noted: "In an Islamic society, a candidate should not seek public office; rather the people should choose the person they feel is most suitable for the post. That is an advanced concept even today and addresses the dilemma of conflict of interest. The U.S. presidential system comes quite close to the Islamic form of government."
Following are excerpts from the article:[1]
"The Islamic Concept of Government Emphasizes that, as a Creator, Absolute Sovereignty Resides with God; Humans… can Rule a Community with Limited Authority to Make Laws"
"Secular governments believe that God has no place in the affairs of the state. This concept of a Godless state in secularism is similar to the communist rejection of religion as an institution. Proponents of secularism think that it is a fair solution to manage religiously diverse societies because spirituality is an individual act.
"During the Middle Ages, from the 5th to 15th centuries, Europe was engulfed in a conflict of cultures and needed an ideology to unite the people. The Christian church, with its universal appeal, cut across national lines and provided an alternative institution to create a community. As it grew in influence, endorsement of the church became mandatory for a monarch to rule. This political endorsement by a religious entity created frictions among rulers, which turned violent on many occasions. Rulers legitimized their political power by emphasizing that the Christian religion did not provide a code for managing the affairs of the state.
"This lack of theological basis and constant struggle for power between a temporal and spiritual authority created an environment conducive for the separation of these rights. At the beginning of the modern era, the French Revolution introduced the concept of a nation state governed by the people's representatives without any endorsement from the church. Over the last three centuries, the U.S. and Europe have developed a secular form of government with democracy and capitalism as its vehicles.
"While Europe was lurking in the Dark Ages, a new religion emerged in Arabia called Islam. The Islamic concept of government emphasizes that, as a Creator, absolute sovereignty resides with God. Humans, as vicegerents, can rule a community with limited authority to make laws. In Islam, the concept of monarch or king is unacceptable. A ruler is elected by the consent of the people, laying the foundation of popular democracy and direct elections. This was a relatively modern concept in the 6th century, when the rest of the world was ruled by monarchs. Islam presented the idea that a ruler should stay in power as long as he does not break the covenants of religion.
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"The Islamic concept of government looks down upon succession through inheritance and prefers that personal character be the criteria to choose a leader. In an Islamic society, a candidate should not seek public office; rather the people should choose the person they feel is most suitable for the post. That is an advanced concept even today and addresses the dilemma of conflict of interest. The U.S. presidential system comes quite close to the Islamic form of government."
"[Islamic] Religious Scholars Used the Pulpit of the Mosque to Start Influencing the Political, Social and Scientific Views of the People"
"Islam grants absolute authority to the rulers but clearly states that they will be subjected to higher standards of judgment in the afterlife. Rulers are required to appoint a group of people, called a Shura [council], for advice. It is widely perceived that members of a Shura have to be experts in Shari'a or religion. The reality is that it should comprise technocrats who are experts in matters of governance.
"Unlike Christianity, in Islam there was no concept of institutionalization of church or appointment of religious leaders that could influence people's political choice. This liberated the people from a divided loyalty between a temporal and spiritual authority.
"From the 6th to 15th centuries, the Islamic state expanded to include most of the Middle East, Spain and Turkey in Europe, parts of Central and South Asia, and North Africa. As the community grew, and included people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, it became necessary to create a cadre of religious scholars to educate these new converts about the Islamic way of life. The intentions were good but these religious scholars used the pulpit of the mosque to start influencing the political, social and scientific views of the people.
"This eventually led to the curtailment of open inquiry. While Christianity found the solution in secularism to curtail the political influence of the pope, in Muslim capitals around the world, muftis [those who deliver edicts] started exerting their political influence."
"The Koran Clearly States that There is No Compulsion in Religion; A Muslim Citizen has to Obey the Law of the Land in Which They are A Minority"
"While Islam was on the decline in the 17th century, Europe emerged from the Dark Ages and embarked on an industrial revolution that was credited to their adoption of a secular ideology. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s was considered as the triumph of secularism and its validity as a common good for all. Throughout its history, secularism has struggled with controlling the religious impulses of decision makers who governed. U.S. President [George W.] Bush, though head of a secular state, sought guidance from a higher Father to start the invasion of Iraq.
"In a purely secular society, abortion should not be a debatable question, but it has been at the forefront of presidential campaigns. During President [Barack] Obama's election campaign, many questioned his religious orientation, demonstrating that even in a secular government, the religion of the candidate is important for an electorate. Similar struggles have been experienced in Holland, Sweden, and France, where expressions of religion have been widely criticized. In Islam, there is no ambiguity as it is mandatory that the person elected to public office is a person of faith.
"Some political thinkers question the viability of an Islamic system of governance in a religiously diverse society. The Koran clearly states that there is no compulsion in religion and that each person has to find his/her own faith. A Muslim citizen has to obey the law of the land in which they are a minority and defend their country against any kind of aggression. They are required to agitate only when they are discriminated against or restrained from practising their religion. Similarly, a non-Muslim in a majority Muslim country is ensured safety and free expression of their religion."
"The Islamic Economic System Can Be Called Capitalist, With the Only Exception that Interest as a Financial Instrument is Prohibited"
"The Islamic economic system can be called capitalist, with the only exception that interest as a financial instrument is prohibited. In Islamic society, capital that is in excess of a person's need has to be reinvested through equity participation. This not only creates employment through the formation of small enterprises but also engages the investor as an active participant rather than a passive receiver of a fixed share.
"Private property is considered sacred in Islam and no one, not even the state, has the right to confiscate it except when a criminal or civil court orders it. To reduce income inequality, wealth tax in the form of zakat is imposed, which has to be distributed among the poor.
"In the 21st century, the West may be rich in terms of quality of material life, but it is faced with a spiritual dilemma resulting in suicides, broken marriages and children being raised by single parents. These will ultimately affect creativity, innovation and the passion to succeed. Muslim societies, on the other hand, have spiritual values intact, but have relegated governance to mullahs [Islamic clerics] instead of field experts.
"Islamic societies have to take power away from theologians to empower each individual to seek knowledge, elect their leaders without coercion and have a direct spiritual connection with God."
[1] Daily Times (Pakistan), December 17, 2010. The text of the article has been lightly edited for clarity.
