Islam, Democracy, and the Question of Coexistence

Islam and Islamic culture are the subjects of discussions and debates around the world. Often these discussions have been connected to immigration in general and the policies of assimilation and integration and, by extension, to the co-existence of different religious and ethnic groups and the practice of racism and racial segregation in particular. Thus these issues have now become prominent in the fields of cultural, religious and migration studies and in studies on race relations and socio-economic inequalities. For instance, people inside and outside of academia are questioning Islamic politics, the place of democracy and human rights in Islam, and crucially whether Islam can coexist with other (i.e. Western) cultures. Against this background, it is important to understand the Islamic cultural system, Islamic society and politics, including democracy, in Islam, the Muslims’ views on migration, and some other phenomena associated with Islam. This article will discuss Islamic norms and values regarding current questions and search for the place of political Islam, democracy in Islam and whether Islam can coexist with other cultures.