Strengthening liberal democracy in Muslim societies

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation debated its contribution to liberal democracy in Muslim societies during an internal FNF meeting in Malaysia. 21 staff members from 12 countries shared their experiences. They deliberated project approaches and the desired results.

Bombings in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chechnya, Indonesia and Sudan are just examples of conflicts with or within Muslim communities. Terror attacks in New York, Madrid, London and Paris highlight that those conflicts also affect the non-Muslim world.

Many Western politicians in Europe and America see the ideas of freedom and democracy under attack. All too often they are prepared to sacrifice civil liberties for the protection of their societies.

Meanwhile, many Muslims believe that Islam itself is under siege. They justify this hypothesis partly in view of their countries’ secular, but authoritarian governments. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, for example, claims to fight for good governance and the free market economy.

The conflict line is not drawn between liberal values and Islam or any other faith. Rather, the conflicts are inherently related to the introduction of democracy, human rights and the market economy. Since these are the core objectives pursued by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, it held a meeting in Kuala Lumpur to discuss its experiences in Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Bosnia, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The meeting was supported by inputs from eminent Malaysian experts: Datuk Seri Dr. Anwar Ibrahim, Dr. Mohamed Ariff, Cik Zainah Anwar, Prof. Norani Othman, Dr. Patricia Martinez, and Attorney Malik Imtiaz.

During the discussions it became apparent that FNF programmes in Muslim communities have to generally respond to three scenarios which all facilitate an Islamic extremism in parts of the population and to their rejection of liberalism and pluralism.

The most serious problems arise in authoritarian regimes, where the Muslim population turns to the Islamist movement for alternative sources of justice and good governance. This mainly appears in Arab countries, yet, to a certain extent, Malaysia also stands as an example.

The second scenario is that of post-conflict societies, mainly in former Yugoslavia. There, traumatised people search for retrieving moral standards after the civil war with all its atrocities committed on all sides. Against this background, the ascetic way of life promoted by Saudi Wahabism falls on open ears. The process is generously facilitated by Saudi Arabia through their investment in mosques, religious education and social welfare programmes.

Finally, marginalised Muslim communities in democratic societies, like France and England, favourably respond to illiberal and undemocratic calls of Islamic extremists, because they have developed a general sense of envy, deprivation and alienation. These groups can be compared to other anti-globalists, who fear for their identity and social welfare in an increasingly integrated and competitive world.

The three-day exchange of experiences from 12 – 15 June helped FNF staff to gain a more informed approach in their national projects. This will be further supported by a subsequent concept paper on the work of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in Muslim societies. The meeting also helped to further the debate about a planned international dialogue forum on freedom and democracy in the Muslim world.

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