Democracy under God
Constitutions, Islam and Human Rights in the Muslim World

State recognition of Islam in Muslim countries invites fierce debate from scholars and politicians alike, some of whom assume an inherent conflict between Islam and liberal democracy. Analyzing case studies and empirical data from several Muslim-majority countries, Ahmed and Abbasi find, counterintuitively, that in many Muslim countries, constitutional recognition of Islam often occurs during moments of democratization. Indeed, the insertion of Islam in a constitution is frequently accompanied by an expansion, not a reduction, in constitutional human rights, with case law from higher courts in Egypt and Pakistan demonstrating that potential tensions between the constitutional pursuit of human rights, liberal democracy and Islam are capable of judicial resolution. The authors also argue that colonial history was pivotal in determining whether a country adopted the constitutional path of Islam or secularism partly explaining why Islam in constitutional politics survived and became more prevalent in Muslim countries that were colonized by the British, and not those colonized by the French or Soviets.

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'In this book, Ahmed and Abbasi present a systematic argument and a powerful empirical lens to study the interface of religion, law, and politics in the Muslim world. Democracy under God presents an original and illuminating perspective on Islamic constitutionalism, which is supported by multi-disciplinary perspectives and a rich array of historical and contemporary empirical cases ranging from the Ottoman Empire to West Africa and Pakistan. This is a provocative and insightful book that will be of interest to a wide audience.' Adeel Malik, University of Oxford

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Product details

• Date Published: February 2023
• format: Adobe eBook Reader

• isbn: 9781009325066
• availability: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.