SHAKER AL-NABULSI

Arabs and Muslims have no political heritage to draw upon in administering their affairs today. Politics for them was a way to rule, not a science or a political doctrine.

The Islamists became aware of democracy only recently, when the West implemented it and began urging other countries to implement it too, in order to protect the people of the earth from annihilation at the hands of despotic and repressive rulers. Although the Islamic jurisprudents have recently become aware of democracy, they have not acknowledged it, and have continued to believe in the limited Sura of the Righteous Caliphs, which does not meet the needs of 21st century peoples.

There should be a distinction between the Koranic chapters concerning belief, … and the chapters dealing with legislation or the life of the Prophet … That is, there are chapters that cut across history, and these are the verses revealed at Mecca … and there are circumstantial verses of legislation that were revealed at Al-Madina as a result of events that took place 1,400 years ago and which are no longer in existence… there are many … political and military verses… that are connected to circumstances that existed in the past but exist no longer. The verses revealed at Mecca, about the Jews, the Christians, and the People of the Book, for example … were usually verses of support for them, but the verses concerning the Jews and Christians … at Al-Madina were the result of the changing political relations of the People of the Book and the Muslims… Politics are fluid, not static; therefore, the laws built on a political foundation are also subject to movement, and are not static.

The Islamists became aware of democracy only recently, when the West implemented it and began urging other countries to implement it too, in order to protect the people of the earth from annihilation at the hands of despotic and repressive rulers. Although the Islamic jurisprudents have recently become aware of democracy, they have not acknowledged it, and have continued to believe in the limited Sura of the Righteous Caliphs, which does not meet the needs of 21st century peoples.

Arabs and Muslims have no political heritage to draw upon in administering their affairs today. Politics for them was a way to rule, not a science or a political doctrine.

There should be a distinction between the Koranic chapters concerning belief, … and the chapters dealing with legislation or the life of the Prophet … That is, there are chapters that cut across history, and these are the verses revealed at Mecca … and there are circumstantial verses of legislation that were revealed at Al-Madina as a result of events that took place 1,400 years ago and which are no longer in existence… there are many … political and military verses… that are connected to circumstances that existed in the past but exist no longer. The verses revealed at Mecca, about the Jews, the Christians, and the People of the Book, for example … were usually verses of support for them, but the verses concerning the Jews and Christians … at Al-Madina were the result of the changing political relations of the People of the Book and the Muslims… Politics are fluid, not static; therefore, the laws built on a political foundation are also subject to movement, and are not static.