Democracy and Pluralism in Muslim Eurasia

by Yaacov Ro'I 1 September 2004 This book is devoted to the study and analysis of the prospects for democracy among the Muslim ethnicities of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), both those that have acquired full independence and those remaining within the Russian Federation. The nineteen Western academics and scholars from the Muslim countries and regions of the CIS who contribute to this volume view the establishment of democratic institutions in this region in the context of a wide and complex range of influences, above all the Russian/Soviet political legacy; native ethnic political culture and tradition; the Islamic faith; and the growing polarity between Western civilization and the Muslim world.

The trend of democratization is not always linear. Nor can democracy be judged by the same standards in all societies. The new Muslim states of the CIS and the Muslim peoples of the Russian Federation are intent on constructing their societies on the basis of their own traditional culture and customs. The issues involved in seeking democratic models which can be adapted to societies which are Islamic and have significant, even dominant ethnic groups and strong authoritarian legacies are certainly relevant to other regions of the world and have implications for the challenges being faced today in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The essays included in this volume demonstrate that, despite the short-term obstacles on the path of democracy and pluralism and on the establishment of a true market economy and an effective civil society, there are forces at work which might make it possible to forge ahead.