Comparing Concepts of Shura - Insights for a Further Deparochialization of Democracy

Abstract

In 2020, Melissa Williams proposed that Western democracy should undergo a process of deparochialization. This inquiry contributes to this effort by comparing different concepts of Shura from Islamic thought, deriving from a Quranic principle. Despite the extensive debate surrounding Islamic democracy, systematic comparisons of various concepts of Shura within the framework of Comparative Political Theory are scarce. To address this gap in the literature, this paper focuses on three Islamic authors with different backgrounds: Rachid Ghannouchi, Murad Hofmann, and Fathi Osman. The paper first reconstructs the Quranic tenets of Shura and their respective concepts. Secondly, it compares the three concepts by highlighting their similarities and differences. Finally, it evaluates how these comparative insights contribute to the deparochialization of democracy. The analysis concludes that deparochialization not only challenges parochial aspects of Western democracy but also highlights the enduring value of certain democratic principles in shaping a more inclusive, globalized understanding of democracy.