Examining the Compatibility of Islam and Liberalism

Writing for the New York Times, Mustafa Akyol addresses the the capacity of Islamist political parties to cope with liberalism. Akyol articulates that the debate used to focus on the if  Islam was compatible with a democratic regime, but he argues that democracy as a regime could be distinguished from liberalism. Experiences shown that Islamist parties could participate in the electoral process, as was observed last year in Tunisia and Egypt.  However according to the writer the issue is more about about if “Islam is compatible with liberalism.” Akyol uses Turkey’s transition from secular authoritarianism with liberal democracy as an example, concluding that  ”If Turkey succeeds in that liberal experiment, and drafts its new constitution-in-the-making accordingly, it can set a promising example for Islamist-led governments in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere.”

In the Acton Institute Blog, Kishore Jayabalan also tackles the compability of liberal democracy and Islam by discussing a lecture given by David F. Forte, professor of Law at Cleveland State University. Forte explained the evolution of the Christian Church regarding liberalism, suggesting the church has become “the greatest defender of liberal democracy” after initial reticence. Forte also contends that Islam has a “legal tradition that can be recalled to support some form of similar accommodation between a liberal society that places the highest premium on individual freedom.” However, Jayabalan expresses pessimism about the “liberalization of the Islamic world.”