Rāshid al-Ghannūshi̇̄̇̄̇̄̇̄ on Democracy and Power-Sharing Debate

Abstract

The first part of this chapter explores the views of some of the major Muslim (political) theorists and groups who strongly uphold that democracy is inherently adversative to Islam. Though, there is a brief mention of those Muslim theorists and groups who advocate Islam-Democracy compatibility, yet, because of the scope of study, the focus in the subsequent pages has been placed extensively on the view and vision of Rāshid al-Ghannūshi̇̄ regarding the subject of Islam and Democracy. The final part of this chapter offers a detailed overview of (political) pluralism through a critical and deep examination of Ghannūshi̇̄’s “Power-Sharing Theory.” The study also attempts to find out that on what grounds and what sort of motivations and contestations made him to favor the theory of “coexistence and cooperation” among the various political identities.