Islam and Elections

2004 Report (Continued)

Program

Saturday, March 6

4:00 p.m. Session I: Opening

Organizers’ Introductory Remarks:

HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal, on behalf of
Majlis El Hassan
Mustapha Tlili, Founder and Director, Dialogues: Islamic World-U.S.-The West, World Policy Institute, New School University (U.S.)
Richard Bulliet, Professor of History, Columbia University and Senior Advisor to Dialogues: Islamic World-U.S.-The West, introduced the background paper.

5:00 p.m. — 7:00 p.m. Session II: Participatory Governance: Are Elections the Best Alternative?

Moderator: Seri Ahmad Sarji bin Abdul Hamid, Chairman of the Institute of Kefahaman Islam Malaysia, and former Chief Secretary to the Government of Malaysia

This session considered, in an Islamic context, the variety of ways in which citizens can participate in government: through referenda, advisory bodies (shura councils), elections for legislatures, elections for heads of state, or some combination of the above practices.

Sunday, March 7

9:00 a.m. Session III: Pluralism versus Islam, and Pluralism within Islam

Moderator: Marina Ottaway, Senior Associate,
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
(U.S.)

This session addressed the issue of whether, in light of current debates about the democratization of the Muslim world, pluralism can function within Islam or whether the two are antithetical. Participants looked at existing divisions within Islamic-majority states and within Islam as a religion, taking into account whether, in a pluralistic system, different groups (defined by politics, gender, ethnicity, occupation, etc.) should be guaranteed representation, freedom of expression, and/or access to elections.

11:00 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m. — 1:30 p.m. Session IV: Rights and Freedoms: How Can an Islamic Approach to the Issue Become Part of Governance?

Moderator: Fatima Gailani, member of Loya Jirga and spokesperson for the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan

This session explored ways in which rights and freedoms can or should be upheld by participatory governments built upon or incorporating Islamic principles. Participants discussed, for example, whether rights and freedoms can be guaranteed by evaluating laws--either before or after their enactment--according to their conformity with the shari'a, or whether the shari'a must be supplemented by other provisions.

2:00 p.m. Adjournment for lunch

3:30 p.m. Session V: Islam and Constitutions

Moderator: Mohamed Charfi, Former Minister of Education and Professor of International Law, University of Tunis
(Tunisia)

This session focused on defining the "Islamic republic" and debated whether a government must be based explicitly on Islam in order to satisfy Islamic moral and political values, or whether, on the other hand, a constitution embodying pluralistic values and according respect to Islam can adequately provide for Islamic political activity.

5:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. Session VI: Designing and Conducting Islamic Elections

Moderator: Bahman Baktiari, Professor of Political Science, University of Maine
(U.S. / Iran)

The final session covered the practice of elections, in terms of which types of elections are needed, the role of political parties, the question of nomination, the regulation of political campaigns, and eligibility for voting.