Third Annual Conference of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy

Abstract

On April 6-7, 2002, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy
(CSID) held its Third Annual Conference on the theme "Democratization
and Political Violence in Muslim Societies" just outside Washington, DC,
at the Sheraton Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. The conference
was cosponsored by the Institute for Global Cultural Studies, State
University of New York, Binghamton, NY, and the International Institute of
Islamic Thought (IIIT), VA.
The conference got off to a lively start on Saturday morning with Panel
One: "Islam and Political Participation: Ideals, Actors, and Processes"
which was chaired by Charles Butterworth of the University of Maryland,
College Park. Asma Afsaruddin of the University of Notre Dame, IN,
explored links between early Islamic discourse of the Khulafa 'a/-Rashidun
era and modern Islamic conceptions of leadership in "Medieval Islamic
Discourse on Legitimate Leadership and its Modern Implications."
Wanda Kruse of the University of Guelph, Canada, discussed the
underestimated role played by non-governmental political actors in the
Middle East in "Civil Society in the Democratization Process: A Case
Study on Cairo Islamic Women's Organizations." Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad of
the Minaret of Freedom Institute, MD, focused on the cases where democratic
decision-making in government enhanced law and order in early
Islamic history in "The Anti-Correlation between Democracy and Political
Violence in the Experience of the Khulafa' al-Rashidun." Moataz A. Fattah
of Cairo University closed the panel with an overview of empirical evidence
about Muslims' attitudes towards democracy in "The Compatibilty of
Muslims' Beliefs and Democracy: Survey Results."
Panel Two which was chaired by Jamal Barzinji of the International
Institute of Islamic Thought had as its theme "Western Democracies and
Authoritarian Muslim Regimes: Understanding the Relationship." Auwalu
Hamisu Yadudu of Bayero University in no, Nigeria, analyzed the Shari'a ...