Islam and Democracy, by Malek Bennabi

In 1960, Malek Bennabi tackled the problems of the democratization of power in the newly independent Muslim countries in an original way. Recent developments in Muslim countries refer to the conclusions of this in-depth analysis of the problem of democracy in the land of Islam. Bennabi was convinced that true modernization is that which one produces oneself, taking into account one's own history and relying on one's cultural tradition. He studies democracy by drawing inspiration from the "concrete historical ideal", having the elective Caliphate as a model.

In countries where nothing valid “can be done against Islam”, the viability of political institutions depends on their anchoring in the cultural realities marked by the Muslim tradition. This is why our author calls on the founding texts of Islam and recalls episodes of the exercise of power by Caliph Omar to better show the part played by the liberation of minds in the success of a “Muslim democracy”.

About the Author: Malek Bennabi

Malek Bennabi (1905-1973) studied the problems of civilization in general and those of the Muslim world for a long time. Strongly imbued with Arab-Muslim and Western culture, we owe him the concept of "colonizability", a concept characterizing societies in decline. He has to his credit more than twenty books dealing with civilization, culture, ideology in general and problems related to the stagnation of Muslim society in particular. Through his writings, Malek Bennabi wanted to awaken Muslim consciences and relaunch a renaissance of Muslim society.