THE PERCEPTION OF MUSLIM DEMOCRACY IN THE POLITICAL THOUGHT OF RACHID GHANNOUCHI

Year 2021, Volume: 8 Issue: 15, 361 - 376, 26.04.2021

Hafijur Rahman

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze Rachid Ghannouchi’s perception of Muslim democracy, one of the leading Muslim intellectuals in contemporary time. Following the Arab Spring, the perception of Muslim democracy and the politics of Ghannouchi, i.e., the Ennahda party, is a crucial topic in academia. Ghannouchi intended to argue that Islamic political values are compatible with democratic values, particularly election, pluralism, freedom, etc. Within this aspect he discussed the approach of Shahada, Shura, Ijma, Bay’ah, Ummah, Amar-bil-Maroof and Nahi-anil-Munkar and Hikmah in the Islamic political thought. He considered democracy as the best product of contemporary civilization that Muslim should accept it. Though he criticized Western liberal democracy for its inadequateness of being an ideal regime from different perspectives, it is also better than the autocratic role worldwide, particularly in the Middle East. Along with this theoretical perspective he has a long experience in politics where he faced the autocratic regimes in Tunisia. After the Arab Spring, this experience directed him toward Muslim democracy to ensure political stability. This paper analyzes his perception of democracy from both theoretical and realpolitik perspective. This research argued that Ghannouchi’s perception of democracy is based on both the approach of Maqasid as-Sharia and his realpolitik experience.

Keywords

Ghannouchi, Muslim Democracy, Ennahda, Tunisia

RAŞİD GANNUŞİ’NİN SİYASİ DÜŞÜNCESİNDE MÜSLÜMAN DEMOKRASİ ALGISI

Abstract

Bu makale çağdaş zamanında önde gelen Müslüman Aydınlardan biri olan Raşid Gannuşi’nin Müslüman demokrasisi algısını analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Arap Baharı'nın ardından, Müslüman demokrasisi ve Gannuşi’nin yanı Ennahda Parti’nin siyaseti akademik Dünya’da çok önemli bir konu halıne gelmiştir. Gannuşi, İslami siyasi değerler demokratik değerlerle özellikle seçim, çoğulculuk, özgürlük vb. uyumlu olduğunu iddia etmiştir. Gannuşi bu bakımında, İslam siyaset düşüncesinde Şehadet, Şura, İcma, Biat, Ümmet, Emri bil maruf ve Nehyi anil münker ve Hikmet yaklaşımlarını tartışmıştır. Demokrasiyi Müslümanların kabul etmesi gereken çağdaş medeniyetin en iyi ürünü olarak görmüştür. Batı liberal demokrasisini, farklı açılardan ideal bir rejim olmayışından dolayı eleştirmesine rağmen Orta Doğu başta olmak üzere tüm dünyada otokratik rollardan daha iyi olduğunu düşünmüştür. Bu teorik bakış açısının yanı sıra kendisi Tunus'taki otokratik rejimlerle karşı karşıya kaldığı uzun bir siyaset tecrübesine sahiptir. Bu deneyimler Arap Baharı'ndan sonra onu siyasi istikrarı sağlamak için Müslüman demokrasisine yöneltmiştir. Bu makale demokrasi algısını hem teorik hem de realpolitik açıdan değerlendirmektedir. Bu araştırma Gannuşi’nin Müslüman demokrasi algısının hem Makasıdü’ş-Şeria yaklaşımı hem de realpolitik deneyimine dayandığını savunmaktadır.

Keywords

Gannuşi, Müslüman Demokrasi, Ennahda, Tunus

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