Reconciliation by Benazir Bhutto

Author:Benazir Bhutto
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

The election of the chief executive depends entirely on the will of the general public with no one having the right to impose himself forcibly as the ruler.

The ruler must be elected and can only rule by the consent of the people. No clan or class shall have a monopoly of rulership.

The election shall be free of all coercion.

These principles stress the important Islamic ideals of free and fair elections, as well as the power of the opposition and the will of the people. However, during the long night of terror when General Zia’s dictatorship crushed all opposition, Maudoodi’s party stood shoulder to shoulder with General Zia. Maudoodi’s party leaders were members of Zia’s cabinet. Thus we see once again that political expediency and not political principle was at the root of Jamaat’s alliance with the brutal military dictatorship. Political power prevailed over Islamic principles of consensus and pluralism. It is part of a disquieting pattern all over the Muslim world that most often remains intact.

I’ve talked about a variety of authors who argue for the importance of focusing on the Quran’s meaning for each age. Now I would like to present some quranic references to democratic ideals that can be used positively in current circumstances.

Importantly, the Quran gives authority to human representatives on earth (i.e., government): “O you who believe! obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority from among you.” This passage is the basic building block of government, as it allows for human authority on earth: government.

Shura (Arabic for “consultation”) is an important quranic concept. The Quran instructs governors to consult the people whom they rule. This is the basis of consultative government in Islam. The Quran gives instruction to the Prophet to consult those whom he rules and to govern the people by a consultative, consensual process. This is good in God’s eyes. According to the Quran:

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