Conference report: implementation of shariah in a democracy:The Nigerian experience

Conference Report:
The Implementation of Shari‘ah in a
Democracy: The Nigerian Experience
In This Issue:
1 The Implementation of
Shari’ah in Nigeria
4 Dimensions of National
Security
6 Women in Islam - The Right
to Vote
7 CSID and Street Law Workshop
in Casablanca
8 Defining & Establishing
Justice in Muslim Societies
10 New Book: Woman’s Identity
and the Qur’an
10 American Muslim Icon Passes
Away
11 CSID Membership Form
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Muslim Democrat www.islam-democracy.org
Published by the Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID), Washington, D.C. Volume 6, No. 2, November 2004
The Center for the Study of
Islam and Democracy
(CSID) organized a
conference on “Shari‘ah in a
Democracy” at the Sheraton
Conference Center in Abuja,
Nigeria from July 7 through July
9, 2004. Over 300 people
attended the opening session,
chaired by Nigerian Chief Justice
Muhammad Lawal Uwais. The
special Guest of Honors were the
Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakr,
represented by Dr. A. D. Yahaya, Special
Advisor on Political Matters, and the
Governors of Kano, Bauchi, and Zamfara
States. Several other prominent guests were
in attendance during the opening session,
including prominent Qadis (judges) and
several academics and civil servants.
Professor S. U. Abdullahi, Vice
Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University in
Zaria, gave the welcoming address on
behalf of the Centre for Islamic Legal
Studies, CSID’s local Nigerian partner for
the conference. Dr. Radwan Masmoudi,
President of CSID, then welcomed the
guests and spoke about the need to reflect
on Nigeria’s experience with Shari‘ah. He
called for open discussion and for intellectual
examination of Shari‘ah practices in
Nigeria.
In his welcoming
remarks, Chief Justice
Muhammad Lawal
Uwais summarized the
purpose of the three-day
event: “This conference
is concerned with the
implementation of
Shari‘ah in a democracy,
and in particular,
in Nigeria. Shari‘ah has been in Nigeria
for many years, even before colonialism.
With the coming of democracy in 1999
and the declaration of Shari‘ah, a lot of
interest has been shown on the implementation
of Shari‘ah. Some of this attention
has been positive and a lot has been
negative. This conference will examine the
difficulties of this implementation.”
In his address, the Governor of Bauchi
State raised a set of questions: “In the light
of globalization, how do we determine the
limits within which we will implement
Shari‘ah so that the rights of non-Muslims
are respected? How do we evaluate changes
in Shari‘ah without losing our distinct
identity as Muslims? What practical steps
can we take? Shari‘ah should not only
apply to the weak and poor, while we turn
A Nigerian participant speaking
about women rights in Islam
2 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
a blind eye to the rich and the powerful.
How can we create a spiritual policeman or
a spiritual judge?”
The Meaning of Shari‘ah
The first working session concerned the
meaning of Shari‘ah. The Imam of Kano
opened the session with a prayer and a
welcome greeting from the people of Kano.
Malam Ibrahim Sulaiman of CILS spoke
about the meaning of Shari‘ah. Dr. Abdul-
Aziz Sachedina, Chairman of CSID, gave a
presentation titled “The Role of Islam in
Public Square: Guidance or Governance”,
in which he spoke of Shari‘ah as a vehicle
to strengthen and improve human
relations: “It is important to keep in mind
that Islam did not come into the vacuum
of other religions. Islam came into being
when there were other religions already in
existence. Islam is relationships. There is
an ethical component that is extremely
important. Modernization has weakened
human relationships. Implementation of
the Shari’ah means to improve human
relationships at every level.”
Dr. Mohamed Habash, an Islamic
scholar from Syria, spoke about “The
Concept of citizenship in Shari‘ah”. After
him, Professor Malam S. Abubakar of CILS
argued that before we understand Shari‘ah,
we need to understand what religion is. He
also criticized the US position on Nigeria,
saying, “The Prophet came to bring about
a change not only for his time but for all
times. So for us the issue of the Shari‘ah is
a matter of responsibility.” Justice A. Orire,
Secretary General of J. N. I. Kaduna, was
the discussant of the session.
Shari‘ah and Good Governance
The second session concerned Shari’ah
and Good Governance. It started with a
presentation by Dr Sulaiman Kumo on
“Shari‘ah issues in Nigeria: Politics and
Legal Technicalities.” Syed
Mostafa Qazwini, director of
the Islamic Educational
Center of Southern California,
Los Angeles, spoke on
“Shari‘ah and Good
Governance”: “We in
America enjoy freedom that
we were deprived from in
our native lands, especially
freedom of religion and
freedom of expression. And
although we do not
implement Shari‘ah, we
implement the spirit of
Islam which believes in freedom and
equality. We enjoy good relationships with
the people of the book and this is because
we believe in the sanctity of human
beings.” Justice Mohamed Bashir Sambo
spoke critically of the discourse on
Shari‘ah and Democracy, saying that while
there is always pressure to conform Islam
to democracy, there is very little effort to
see if democracy can conform to Islam. He
asked: “Has anyone heard about divine
right? They will not speak about it because
everything in the UN is based on manmade
laws. Human rights, animal
rights—these are all in Islam. You preach
laws belonging to other nations but they
forget divine laws?”
In a moving paper presentation on
“Shari‘ah and Nigerian Legal System”,
Professor Awwalu Yadudu of Bayero
University stated three facts about Shari‘ah
in Nigeria:
1) That Shari‘ah was introduced by
popular demand, not by the military;
2) The Shari‘ah law is constitutional;
3) the Shari‘ah is implemented within the
context of the federal government but
not directly by the national government.”
Dr. Usman Bugaje, Chairman of House
Committee on Foreign Affairs, was the
discussant of the presented papers. He said
that some presentation were lacking depth
and were merely ceremonial. During the
question and answer session that followed,
many participants offered their candid
criticism of the speakers and the issues
The Ambassador’s Reception
The newly arrived US ambassador to
Nigeria invited the conference participants
to a reception at his residence where the
participants spent a fruitful time with
Ambassador Campbell and his staff.
Shari‘ah, Women and Minorities
The second day of the conference
started with a panel on Shari‘ah, women
and Minorities. Professor Margot Badran
of Northwestern University presented her
paper on “The Ongoing Tafsir on Men and
Women: Constructions and Practices of
Democracy and Social Justice”. She said
that while we tend to think of the women’s
rights in Islam as a result of Islam’s
intersection with modernity, there have
been people in the Islamic community
calling for greater women’s rights since
Islam’s beginning. Saudatu Mahadi,
Secretary General of WRAPA, Abuja
addressed the issue of “Women and
Shari‘ah”. Dr. Philip Ostein of the Faculty
of Law, University of Jos, addressed “The
Implementation of Shari‘ah in Democratic
Nigeria: A Plea for Deeper Study of
Its History”. The Sudanese Thinker
More than 200 Nigerian scholars, leaders, lawyers, and judges
participated in the three-day conference deliberations.
3 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
Muhammad Abulqasim Haj-Hamad called
for the critical evaluations of Shari‘ah
treatment of women and for freeing the
laws of Arab tribal traditions and biblical
influences that do not have a firm basis in
the Qur’anic viewpoint. Several Nigerian
women rights activists also commented
that while Shari‘ah does give equal
provision to women, often the implementation
does not.
Shari‘ah: Rights, Economy
and Society
Following a lunch banquet, the
afternoon session started with a presentation
by Professor Mohamed Al Hasan
Biraima, director of the Institute of
Islamization of Knowledge, University of
Gezira, Sudan, who addressed “The Role of
Freedom in True Implementation of
Shari‘ah Goals”. Those goals (maqasid alshari‘
ah) are for the securing of “self,
wealth, children, and the mind (knowledge).”
He said that we often focus on the
detailed legal aspects of Shari‘ah, but
Shari‘ah law must also encourage people
to be better Muslims. Professor Aminu S.
Mika’ilu, the former Vice Chancellor of
Danfodio University, Sokoto, spoke on
“Shari‘ah: The Socio-Economic Perspective”.
He spoke of three requirements:
In addition to eliminating interest
(riba), it is necessary to build institutions
for collection of zakah. This was responsible
for most of the failing implementations
of shari‘ah in Nigerian states. Such a
system would require a significant amount
of resources in the beginning, but will
be immensely beneficial in the end.
He added that states must, in
implementing Shari‘ah, bear in
mind their duty to ensure full
employment. “In the states that
practice Shari‘ah, you find the
highest level of unemployment,
illiteracy and disorganization.”
Professor Muhammad Tabiu of
the Faculty of Law, Bayero University,
Kano addressed “Shari‘ah and Human
Rights”, Malam Salisu Shehu of the
Faculty of Education, Bayero University
addressed the issue of “Shari‘ah, Education
and Social Orientation.” Professor TijaniAl
Miskin of the University of Maiduguri
initiated the discussion.
The Impact of Shari‘ah
Implementation
The last session was about the impact
of Shari‘ah implementation. Professor
Ishaq Oloyede, Deputy Vice Chancellor of
the University of Ilorin, presented a paper
on “Private Implementation of Shari‘ah
in Southwest Nigeria”. Ishaq Kunle Sanni
presented a paper on “Independent
Shari’ah Courts in Oyo State.” Malam
Muhammad Babangida Muhammad
presented a paper on “The Impact of
Shari‘ah Implementation”, Hajiy Bilkisu
Yusuf addressed the issue of “Media
Reporting about Shari‘ah”. Dr. Baffa Aliyu
Umar of the Department of Sociology,
Bayero University presented a paper on
“Socio-Economic Impact of Shari‘ah
Implementation in Nigeria”. Muzamil
Sani was the lead discussant of the session.
Working Groups
The conference participants were
divided into the five working groups:
1- Politics and Good Governance
2- Economics and Finance
3- Women’s rights
4- Justice, Legal System, and Punishments
5- Minority Rights.
The participants spent five hours in
these workshops. During these brainstorming
sessions, participants developed
recommendations in light of the conference
panels and discussions. The groups
adopted several recommendations and
suggested some proactive steps for followup
after the conference.
The Banquet
Dr. Usman Bugaje, Chairman of the
Foreign Relations Committee at the
National Assembly, gave the keynote speech
at the conference banquet. Aly R.
Abuzaakuk, CSID program officer,
introduced the speaker as an enlightened
Muslim whose concerns extend beyond
Nigeria to include the world at large. Dr.
Bugaje gave an illuminating speech in
which he touched upon the role of
Muslims living in
a global world and
emphasized the
need for communication
between
Muslims and non-
Muslims and
between Muslims
themselves.
Muslims should
understand the
context in which
they implement
Shari‘ah, and develop a thorough
understanding of Shari‘ah. Muslims must
equip themselves to face the challenges of
the twenty-first century.
The conference successfully engaged
Muslim scholars, from Nigeria and abroad,
on the key question of what Shari’ah really
means, and how an enlightened implementation
of Shari’ah can lead to a better
society and a better life for all Nigerians.
Discussions were frank, open, and illuminating
Usman Bugaje, Chairman
of the Foreign Relations
Committee
Note: A conference report is being prepared and
conference papers, communique, and
proceedings will be available on the CSID
website: www.islam-democracy.org
n
4 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
Dimensions imensions of National ational Security ecurity
Currently, the United States confronts
unique geostrategic challenges. The
admiration that America once
enjoyed on the world stage has been
shattered. That reality is hardly conducive
to American success in the war against
terrorism, or to the advancement of U.S.
national interests. Throughout much of
the world, one now encounters deep,
visceral, and consuming anger toward the
U.S. The truth is that the news for the
United States on the national security
front is very bad.
Why?
The war in Iraq appears unwinnable
militarily. Unless, perhaps, some 300,000
U.S. troops are dispatched to occupy Iraq
for several years. That is politically and
militarily impossible.
In Iraq, the United States is now
caught in a geostrategic trap. If the U.S.
withdraws from Iraq, civil war, or chaos, is
likely to ensue. Destabilization elsewhere
(Turkey, Iran, Syria) will more than likely
result. However, if the U.S. stays in Iraq, it
will continue to bleed. Resistance to what
most Iraqis now regard as an American
occupation will steadily increase, and
radicalization in Iraq and across the
Muslim world will deepen.
Iraq now risks becoming a viral
breeding ground for a new generation of
extremists. Kidnappings and car bombings
have become almost daily occurrences.
Surely, these developments do not contribute
to U.S. national security, or enhance
the effectiveness of the war against
terrorism.
Because of the territorial expansionism
of Israel especially under the Sharon
government, radicalization is spreading
not only in the West Bank and Gaza but
also in Egypt, Syria, Jordan and elsewhere.
Such radicalization can hardly be
considered a contribution to U.S. national
security, or helpful in the war against
terrorism.
The truth is that American national
security is eroding. It must be stated
clearly: the United States is losing the war
against terrorism. And it will continue to
lose that war, and American national
security will continue to be compromised,
until and unless changes are made in U.S.
foreign policy.
What is to be done?
First, the U.S. must recognize the
nature of the war in which it is involved.
In fact, this is not a war against terrorism,
which is a tactic, not a capital or country.
Rather, it is a war against a worldwide
Islamic insurgency. Tactics appropriate to
law enforcement are not appropriate here.
Rather, special operations, and greatly
improved intelligence capabilities,
combined with initiatives of such
non-governmental organizations
as the Center for the Study of Islam
and Democracy and the International
Institute for Political and
Economic Studies sponsored by The
Fund for American Studies, should
be the order of the day.
Moreover, the United States
must understand the motivations
of its enemy. To understand is not
to condone. Rather, understanding
is a weapon to enable the U.S. to
combat its enemy more effectively.
Unless we understand how our
enemy thinks, we will have no chance of
winning the war against terrorism.
Al-Qaida is not fighting America
because of "what it is," or because it enjoys
free speech and practices democracy. Co-ed
Ivy League universities, an independent
judiciary, and bikini-clad sunbathers are
not inspiring Muslim fundamentalists to
fly aircraft into buildings.
If not, what is?
The answer is simple. It is very specific
U.S. policies that enrage almost all
Muslims-whether they support the tactics
of al-Qaida or not-that are fueling the
international Islamic insurgency against
By Antony T T. . Sullivan
CSID Board Member
Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Images
Explosions and violence are becoming daily occurrences and
threatening to destabilize the future of Iraq and the region.
Dimensions imensions of National ational Security ecurity
5 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
us. Unless a major policy reassessment is
undertaken, we are likely to face a war
without end. Unending war is surely not
good for American national security.
What are the U.S. policies
that so enrage Muslims?
F The American military presence in
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and elsewhere in the
Persian Gulf.
F The American occupation of Iraq.
F The U.S. occupation of Afghanistan.
F U.S. support for the Israeli occupation
of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
F U.S. support for India in Muslim
Kashmir, Russia in Muslim Chechnya, and
Peking in Western Muslim China.
F Perceived U.S. pressure on Arab oil
producers to sell oil at below-market prices.
F U.S. support, ever since the end of
World War II, for repressive governments
“America seems to be
ubiquitous in the
Islamic world, occupying
territory, exploiting
resources, and
attempting to impose
cultural values.” n
which appear to be stable.
Graham Fuller, a former Vice Chairman
of the National Intelligence Council
at CIA, maintains that prospects for success
in the war against terrorism are slight.
Fuller writes: "I anticipate a worsening of
the relationship between international
Islam and the United States, based on
several factors: ultimately inconclusive
results from the War Against Terrorism,
[the War's] probable failure to end
terrorism, and…the greatly increased
resentment across the Muslim world
[against the U.S.] as [the War's] outcome.
This process may well result in more
terrorism against Americans
specifically…Such a situation will place
the United States in a deeply defensive
position across the Muslim world."
What is the bottom line?
Unless major changes are made in the
way the United States relates to the
Muslim world, hatred of the U.S. across the
world is likely to continue to metastasize.
Little inducement will exist for countries
to collaborate with the United States. And
U.S. national security will continue to be
undermined. Reassessment of U.S. policy
toward the Islamic world should be a high
priority for the incoming Bush administration.
CSID launched its Monthly Lecture
Series on October 27th. The first
lecture was given by Professor Louis
J. Cantori, member of CSID Board of
Directors, on "Islam, Democracy &
Development: Why Islam is not the
Problem." Professor Cantori discussed the
differences between the concepts of liberal
democracy and republican democracy. In
so doing, he stated that democracy does not
come in "one size fits all," and that the
culture or nature of society has to be
consistent with democracy if it is going to
work. Cantori recommended that Islam be
included in the republican democracy
model and should not be excluded from
the reformists' agenda.
In celebration of Ramadan, CSID held
a community Iftaar Dinner on Friday,
October 29, 2004, which included a debate
on "How to Improve the Image
of Islam in the United States."
The Iftaar was well attended
(over 100 people) by both
Muslims and non-Muslims
alike. Misrepresentations and
distortions of Islam in the
media were examined by two
invited speakers: Ms. Anisa
Mehdi, documentary film
producer and journalist who
reports on religion and the arts;
and the Chair of CSID's board
of directors, Dr. Abdulaziz
Sachedina.
Ms. Medhi suggested that Muslims
become more involved in such fields as
business and the arts so that coverage of
Islam and Muslims could appear in
different sections of the newspaper. She
added that the proper use of language
would also improve the image of Islam.
Dr. Sachedina stressed the important role
that academia plays in correcting the
image of Islam since academics are called
upon by policy makers for expert advice,
and commentaries. He noted that the new
trend in academia is to seek Muslim
scholars to teach Islamic studies. He added
that Muslims can improve the image of
Islam by being more vocal against
oppressive regimes in the Muslim world
since these regimes breed violence.
CSID Events in October
By Layla Sein - CSID Conference Coordinator
n
A standing room only listened attentively to both Ms. Mehdi and
Prof. Sachedina.
6 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
Women in Islam:
THE RIGHT TO VOTE
By Asma Afsaruddin
CSID Board Member
Political rights for women are usually
assumed to have been born in the
modern period and as a consequence
of the rise of the modern nation-state.
Prominent among such rights is the right
to vote and hold public office, the most
graphic indicators of modern participatory
citizenship on a par with that of men.
Foundational discourses concerning most
religions and civilizations do not emphasize,
if acknowledge at all, the existence of
public, political space for women in the
pre-modern period. For Muslim women,
however, it can be persuasively argued that
there has been such a recognized space
from the very inception of Islam. Early
historical and biographical sources
contain valuable information that lends
much support to this position.
For example, the early converts to
Islam personally had to make a pledge of
allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad,
which signaled their formal entry into the
Muslim polity. This pledge, known in
Arabic as bay'a, was required equally of
men and women. The fact that the
Prophet took the bay 'a from all the
faithful, regardless of gender, as a prelude
to membership in the Islamic polity is
pregnant with political ramifications for
the contemporary period. The practice of
proffering bay'a to the political leader (or
withholding it to express one's disapproval)
remained standard procedure
throughout the medieval period, even
though it became more or less pro-forma
after the first century of Islam. Modernist
Muslims today see in the bay'a an early
precursor of the electoral vote, by means of
which their predecessors registered their
approval of the community's leader. On
the basis of this historical precedent,
modernists argue that Islam from the very
beginning had recognized the right of
women to "vote" by means of the bay'a
and thus their right to take part in
political decision-making alongside men.
Early authorities, like Ibn Sa'd (d.
845), record numerous instances of
women's public activities during and after
the time of the Prophet. These included
transmission of Qur'anic verses and the
sayings of the Prophet, running makeshift
hospitals in the mosque at Medina,
tending to the wounded on the battlefield
and sometimes even fighting shoulder to
shoulder with their male co-religionists. It
is well-known that women served as prayer
leaders as well, usually over other women.
roughly equivalent to today's office of a
city mayor. Throughout the pre-modern
period, wealthy women continued to
endow charitable foundations and
establish institutions of higher learning, a
consequence of their ability to inherit and
freely dispose of their wealth. Women also
played an active role in religious scholarship.
The fifteenth century Mamluk
scholars Ibn Hajar and al-Sakhawi
gratefully included the names of their
female teachers in their lists of prominent
scholars of their day and testified to their
extensive learning. The list of documented
female public activities could go on, but
the point has been made. There is nothing
in Islamic belief and history that inveighs
against women's participation in the
public sphere, including the political
realm. If anything, the early record shows
that Islamic principles of egalitarianism
and reverence for learning allowed women
considerable access to the public sphere.
The later gradual and relentless attrition
in the public rights of women is a
consequence of culturally conditioned,
androcentric interpretations of the
religious law, whose effects are still with us
today.When some ostensibly Muslim
countries today attempt to deny
women their political rights and
restrict their participation in public life in
the name of a reified Islam, truth is better
served by invoking the Islamic polity's
venerable track record of empowering
women in both the private and public
realms. It remains the responsibility of
Muslims everywhere to challenge the
ahistorical obscurantism that continues to
limit Muslim women's political rights
and citizenship today in various Islamic
societies.
“the early record shows
that Islamic principles
of egalitarianism and
reverence for learning
allowed women considerable
access to the
public sphere”
But Ibn Sa'd records one instance in which
a woman, Umm Waraqa, was appointed
the prayer leader over her entire, mixed
household by the Prophet. The Prophet's
widow, 'Aisha bint Abi Bakr, gave a public
speech in the mosque at Medina after the
assassination of the third caliph, 'Uthman
(d. 656) and led an army against his
presumed assassins. The second caliph,
'Umar b. al-Khattab (d. 644) appointed a
woman, Shifa' bint 'Abdallah, as the
public inspector of markets in Medina,
n
7 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
CSID & Street law
Workshop orkshop on connecting Islam &
Democracy in Morocco
n
The Center for the Study of Islam and
Democracy (CSID) in cooperation
with Street Law, Inc. has successfully
concluded the first seminar of their joint
program on "Connecting Islam and
Democracy" in Casablanca on 7-9 October
2004. The seminar was hosted locally by
"The Citizenship Forum" of Casablanca,
Morocco. It was attended by a selected
group of 23 religious, political, educational
and community leaders from
Algeria (11 participants including 4
women) and from Morocco (12 participants
including 3 women). The objective
of the project -which will continue for 16
months and is going to include Egypt and
Jordan- is to develop materials and
strategies that show the connection
between Islamic and democratic principals.
As a result of this project, we
envision that the participants will be better
able to discuss Islam and Democracy with
their constituencies.
CSID and Street Law have selected a
group of civil society leaders from Algeria
and Morocco and invited them to attend
the orientation and planning Seminar in
Morocco. A similar orientation and
planning Seminar for Jordan and Egypt
will be held in Amman Jordan on
December 10-12, 2004.
The seminar started on Thursday
afternoon by welcoming remarks and a
brief introduction from the three organizers;
Dr. Mokhtar Benabdellaoui, Director of
Citizenship Forum, Dr. Radwan
Masmoudi, President of CSID, and Dr.
Edward O'Brien, Executive Director of
Street Law. The Moroccan TV , Radio and
press attended and covered the opening
session.
The first session was dedicated to
explaining the goals and objectives of
"Connecting Islam and Democracy"
project and the objectives of the orientation
seminar. The participants discussed
the major themes of the seminar: The
principles of democracy and their compatibility
with Islamic
values, awareness of
contemporary issues
related to Islam and
democracy, planning
for the introduction of
the program and the
dissemination of its
ideas in the two
countries.
The issues that
were introduced in the
seminar sessions were:
F The principles of democracy
F The structure of democratic
government
F Citizen participation
F Checking the abuse of
power
F Human rights and freedom
of expression
F Human rights and equality
Upon completion of the seminars,
two people from each country will
continue to work with Street Law
and CSID to write new textbook materials
for everyday citizen that show the connection
between Islam and Democracy. A
facilitators' guide that can be used by
community leaders will accompany the
materials. The remaining seminar
participants will have input into the
materials and will be asked to commit to
implementing strategies that promote
discussions about Islam and Democracy
with everyday citizens.
By Aly Abuzaakuk
CSID Program Officer
24 NGO and political leaders and democracy activists from
Algeria and Morocco attended the 3-day seminar
Participants from both countries engaged in thoughtful discussions about
the textbooks and the training program for their constituents.
CSID & Street law
Workshop orkshop on connecting Islam &
Democracy in Morocco
8 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
The Center for Islam and Democracy
(CSID) held its Fifth Annual
Conference in Washington, DC on
May 28 – 29, 2004. Twenty seven presentations
examining the concept of justice in
Muslim societies were highlighted in seven
panel sessions. CSID inaugurated an Open
Forum for Muslim Democrats from
Muslim world. About 200 scholars,
diplomats, government officials, democracy
professionals and academicians
attended the conference.
The Conference Chair, Dr. Akbar S.
Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic
Studies at American University, welcomed
the guests and encouraged frank and
honest discussions. CSID President, Dr.
Radwan Masmoudi, underscored the need
to establish justice in the Muslim world
and the world at large. He hoped that this
conference would help shed light on what
justice really means and how it can be
strengthened. He stated that “justice
cannot endure under authoritarian
rulers, and the dream of
a ‘just oppressor’ (al-mustabid
al-adil) is obsolete and toxic.”
Session One - Political
Foundations of Justice:
Kamran A. Bokhari, Howard
University, Washington, DC,
explored the “correlation
between the lack of an Islamic
political system capable of
dispensing justice and the
(current) general state of poverty of
thought among Islamists.”
Imad ad-Dean Ahmad, Minaret of
Freedom Institute, MD, highlighted the
need to understand why “sound governance
must incorporate Shurah and Ijma while
respecting justice as both a means and a
goal.”
Abdel-Fattah Mady, Claremont
Graduate University, CA, further reinforced
the need to understand the role of Islamic
law (Shari’ah) in Muslim societies and in
establishing justice among Muslims and
non Muslims alike.
Session T Two wo - Economic Justice:
Paul Sullivan, National Defense University,
VA, began by saying that “Muslims
know [democracy] in their hearts. The
people in these countries desire democracy
because they have done without it for so
long.” As an economist, Dr. Sullivan
argued that the absence of economic
justice in Arab societies is attributed
mostly to poor leadership and governance.
Dr. Bart J. Ryan, Harvard University,
MA, analyzed the Indonesian economy in
light of the role that Islam will play in
democratic reform.
Norman G. Kurland, J.D., the Center
for Economic and Social Justice, VA, stated
that there is not enough focus on justice,
and that law is often unjust. Kurland
presented the “Just Third Way” as an
alternative to today’s two economic
paradigms: capitalism, and socialism/
communism.
The Friday luncheon featured Carl
Gershman, President, National
Endowment for Democracy; and
Alina Romanowsky, Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Gershman emphasized that “American
Muslims can be a force for democracy in
their countries of origin.” Romanowsky
described the role that America plays in
supporting democratic reform in the
region by initiating workshops for women
hoping to run for political office.
Sessions Three - The
“Ambassador’ Ambassador’s s Forum” on “Islam &
Democracy Democracy: Four Ambassadors from four
Muslim nations - Morocco, Egypt, Turkey
and Jordan - analyzed democratic reforms
currently underway in their countries. After
the presentations, conference participants
had an opportunity to ask questions and
engage in discussions with the ambassadors.
Ambassador Aziz Mekouar of Morocco
examined the status of his country’s
democratization process. He spoke about
the economic and educational challenges
facing Moroccan society since 70% of the
population is under 25.
Ambassador M. Nabil Fahmy of Egypt
talked about the need for people in the
Muslim world to do more since democracy
is a process that develops gradually.
In his discussion about democratic
reform in Turkey, Ambassador Osman
Faruk Logoglu remarked that secularism is
CSID 5th Annual Conference:
Defining & Establishing Justice in Muslim Societies
By Layla Sein
CSID Conference Coordinator
Approximately 200 participants attended the conference’s various
panels and sessions.
9 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
a key condition for bringing about
genuine democratic traditions. He stated
that Turkish democracy did not come
easily.
Ambassador Karim Kawar of Jordan
focused primarily on Jordan’s need to
build the pillars of democracy:
education, human rights, freedom of press,
civil society, rule of law, and entrepreneurship.
The Annual Banquet consisted of a
keynote address by Akbar S. Ahmed on “The
US and the Muslim World at a Crossroads:
A Call to Reason and Cooperation.” In
examining the question: “Why Must the
West understand the Muslim world?”
Ahmed talked about the “war on terror”
and the need to understand the strengths
and weaknesses of Islam. He stated that
both parties must engage in a dialogue on
the role of religion, democracy, justice and
gender in society through conferences,
seminars and the dissemination of
information.
The “Dialogue of Civilizations” award
was presented by CSID to Professor John L.
Esposito, University Professor at
Georgetown University. In his presentation
on “Post 9/11 Challenges to the Dialogue
of Civilizations,” Esposito explained that
the integration of religion in global ethnic
and tribal identity, along with nationalist
tendencies, is a political reality since the
fall of the Soviet Union, and will lead
either to a clash of civilizations or
dialogue and coexistence.” Professor
Esposito outlined the three realities that
define the post 9/11 period as being: a
global resurgence in religion, both in the
public and private spheres, the desecularization
of society and an emergence
of “civilizational dialogue.”
CSID presented the “Muslim
Democrat of the Year’ award to Professor
Abdolkarim Soroush. Dr. Hossein Kamali
accepted the award on behalf of Professor
Soroush, and read a statement on his
behalf. In his statement, the noted
Iranian scholar and activist said:
“Justice constitutes the key to formulating
such a notion of democracy that is not
only compatible but rather concomitant
with the teachings of Islam. We should
remember the Qur’anic injunction: inna-
Allah ya’muru bi al-’adl wa al-ihs’an (al-
Nahl/16:90) verily God commands justice
and doing good.”
Session Four - The Role of Social
Organizations in Promoting Justice Justice:
Orla Lynch, University College Cork,
Ireland, stated that Islamic fundamentalism
is the most significant challenge
facing the West since the post-Cold War
period. She argued that Islamic revivalism
and activism would be a more appropriate
term to describe this current phenomenon
and went on to trace its history and
evolution, first as a response to European
colonialism and then as a by-product of
the failure of Pan Arabism.
Moataz A. Fattah, Central Michigan
University, outlined the methodologies and
findings of an empirical study that he
conducted to determine whether attitudes
of ordinary Muslim citizens obstruct
democracy. Dr. Fattah characterized the
prevailing attitude of his subjects toward
the US as one of distrust as they felt that it
was not a credible promoter of democracy.
Mr. Babak Rahimi, European University
Institute, Italy, stated that Islamic
democracy should be based on a model
that emphasizes civil society. Rahimi
explained that the significance of civil
society is that it allows people and groups
to participate in the affairs of state and
check the power of the government.
Jennifer Bremer, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, examined the
importance of Islamic philanthropy. Dr.
Bremer asserted that it created a strong and
independent civil society whereby the elite
could challenge the authority of the state.
Islamic philanthropy also enabled the
upper middle class to strengthen its
linkages and networks with the poor by
demonstrating that society can meet their
needs without interventions from the state.
Session Five - Justice for Women
and Gender Equality Equality: Asma Barlas,
Ithaca College, NY, drew on her recent book
“Believing Women in Islam: Unreading
Patriarchal Interpretations of the Qur’an”.
Dr. Barlas argued for a new Qur’anic
hermeneutics of gender equality. She
argued that since God is a just God, he
cannot encourage zulm (oppression)
against any group. Another crucial
argument for gender equality was her
question: How can women be equal in the
eyes of God, but not in the eyes of men?
Sarah Mehta, Ethics and Public Policy
Center, Washington, DC, spoke about the
status of Muslim Indian women. She
explained how Muslim women in India
constitute a “double minority:” first, as
Muslims in a Hindu-majority state, and
second, as women subject to patriarchal
religious traditions.
continued on page 10...
Akbar Ahmed, John Esposito, and Asma Afsaruddin
Ambassadors of Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Turkey
addressed the CSID conference.
10 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
NEW BOOK
Woman’s Identity and the Qur’an:
A New Reading
Author: Nimat Hafez Barazangi
Nimat Hafez Barazangi
CSID Board Member
continued on page 12...
An original and uncompromising
study of the Qur’anic foundations of
women’s identity and agency, this
book is a bold call to Muslim women and
men to reread and reinterpret the Qur’an,
Islam’s most authoritative source, and to
discover within its revelations an inherent
affirmation of gender equality.
Nimat Hafez Barazangi asserts that
Muslim women have been generally
excluded from equal agency, from full
participation in Islamic society, and thus
from full and equal Islamic identity,
primarily because of patriarchal readings
of the Qur’an and the entire range of early
Qur’anic literature. Based on her pedagogical
study of the sacred text, she argues that
Islamic higher learning is a basic human
right, that women have equal authority to
participate in the interpretation of Islamic
primary sources, and that women will
realize their just role in society and their
potential as human beings only when they
are involved in the interpretation of the
Qur’an.
Consequently, a
Muslim woman’s
relationship with
God must not be
dependent on her
husband’s or
father’s moral
agency. Barazangi,
an American
Muslim of Syrian
origin, is a scholar, an activist, and a
concerned feminist. Her analysis of the
complex interaction of gender, religion,
and the power of knowledge for selfidentity
offers a paradigm shift in Islamic
studies. She documents the historical
development of Islamic thought and
describes how Muslim males have arrived
at the prevailing exclusionary positions.
The book offers a curricular framework
for self-learning that could prepare
Muslim women for an active role in
citizenship and policy making in a
pluralistic society and may serve as a
guideline for moving toward a “gender
revolution.”
Sherien Sultan, International Center
for Transitional Justice, NY, talked about
the “gap between the rhetoric of equality
and the reality of the profound inequality
that exists between men and women in
Muslim societies.”
Michelle Carla Morelli, a consultant
for the federal government, examined
“how historically, Moroccan women have
struggled to become active participants in
their country’s labor force. Moroccan
women face discrimination in the
workplace and home; this discrimination
hinders some women from being fully
accepted as true and equal employees in
the labor market. ”
Professor Ali Mazrui, State University
of New York, Binghamton, gave the
Hesham Reda Memorial luncheon keynote
address on Saturday. Dr. Mazrui spoke on
“Pax Islamica and the Pursuit of Justice
Between Force and Forgiveness.” In his
interpretation of the relations between the
Muslim world and the West, Dr. Mazrui
examined the practical and philosophical
aspects of these wisdoms: tolerance and
minimization of conflict; optimization of
economic well-being; celebration of
diversity and social justice; gender equity
as a global ethic; ecological balance and
respect for nature; interfaith dialogue and
the pursuit of greater wisdom and justice.
Session Six - Open Forum –
Voices oices of Muslim Democrats: Democracy
activists from several countries shared
their experiences while voicing their hopes,
beliefs and expectations. Muslim democrats
participating in this forum included
Ms. Neila Charchour Hachicha – Tunisia;
Ms. Fida Shehada – Palestine; Mr. Hamid
Aminoddin Barra - the Philippines; Dr.
Seyed Hossein Seifzadeh – Iran; Mr.
Mohamed al-Yahyai – Oman; and Shaikh
Muhammad Sodiq Muhammad Yusuf –
Uzbekistan. Abdulwahab Alkebsi, of the
National Endowment for Democracy,
stated that “since Muslim democrats are
American Muslim intellectual,
activist, journalist, writer, and
friend to all Muslim women,
Sharifa Alkhateeb, passed away Wednesday,
October 20, 2004 AD/6 Ramadhan,
1425 AH. Sharifa has been an advocate
for Muslims and more specifically
Muslim women nationally and internationally
for the last 35 years. She was the
creator, cofounder, and president of the
North American
Council of Muslim
Women (NACMW).
As an active and
effective grassroots
organizer, she was an
active member of many national and
international organizations, including
CSID. May the Almighty God bless her soul
and be pleased with her.
American Muslim Icon Passes
Away
Sharifa Alkhateeb
n
n
a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a
11 Muslim Democrat Vol. 6, No. 2, November 2004
Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy
2121 K Street, NW, Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20037
Phone: 202-942-2183
Fax: 202-628-8189
www.islam-democracy.org
Board of Directors
Chair: Abdulaziz Sachedina
Vice-Chair: John L. Esposito
Akbar Ahmed
Asma Afsaruddin
Nimat Hafez Barazangi
Asma Barlas
Charles Butterworth
Louis Cantori
Radwan Masmoudi
Ali A. Mazrui
Joseph Montville
Louay Safi
Robert Schadler
Antony T. Sullivan
Svend White
Executive Committee
Abdulaziz Sachedina
Chair
n
Radwan A. Masmoudi
President
n
Robert Schadler
Secretary
n
Joseph Montville
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