Q. I was listening to a
radio talk show about Islam and the host mentioned how restrictive an Islamic
society would be towards non-Muslims, and that they would not enjoy the same
freedom and rights that Muslims have living in a non-Muslim society. A “Muslim”
called in to the radio station to object, saying that Islam would grant many of
the same rights to non-Muslims. However, when asked by the radio host if
non-Muslims would be allowed to vote in a Muslim dominated society, the Muslim
caller said that non-Muslims would NOT be allowed to vote according to Islamic
law. I believe this is the general feeling among Muslims globally towards
non-Muslims. How did Muslims come to the conclusion that non-Muslims would have
restrictive rights – including the right to vote – in an Islamic society?
A. I am afraid that the
information is incorrect, both theoretically and practically. I use
"theoretically" because it is possible that the Muslim was using
certain paradigms as his answer -- for example, that in a so-called Islamic
State, there would be the obvious classification between Muslims and
non-Muslims, and that since non-Muslims would be "dhimmis"
for the most part, they would be excluded from voting. The problem with this
assumption is that it is anachronistic: there was no voting in medieval Islamic
society as we understand it. Even to elect the caliph, as we know, it was done
through a select group of people, who would obviously be Muslim. In a modern
State, such as Saudi Arabia, it is entirely Muslim, and there are no non-Muslim
citizens -- and so the issue of non-Muslims voting is obviously out of the
question. In Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Pakistan, Morocco, and Syria, where
Islam is the dominant religion, we find non-Muslims not only voting but holding
office. So the concept about Islamic law forbidding non-Muslims to vote is
wrong. In theory, if there were a State that deemed the leader to be not only
the secular, but also spiritual guide, then non-Muslims would probably be
excluded from voting, in the same manner that non-Roman Catholics are excluded
from electing the Pope.
Posted August 7, 2005