August 7th, 2008 by Sarah

Robert Satloff at Middle East Strategy at Harvard introduces several recommendations made by the late Peter Rodman to policymakers regarding Islamist political groups.  Rodman had argued that merely because a group is elected through democratic processes, does not mean that it is democratic; they must also agree to certain liberal principles including ”political pluralism, limitations on government power, guarantees of individual and minority rights, the possibility of alternating parties in office.” Rodman also argued that the best way to encourage moderates is to “demonstrate by our firm resistance that radical policies are counterproductive.”  In regard to U.S.-friendly autocrats, Rodman warned “it is not our job to accelerate the delegitimization of friendly governments that seem not to meet our standards, only to have them succeeded by something infinitely worse, as happened in Iran.” 

Posted in Democracy Promotion, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Political Parties, US foreign policy |