Sowing the Seeds of Democracy in Islamic Countries

It’s been fifteen days since the protests in Egypt began and even longer since voices of dissent erupted in Tunisia. Across the Arab world, there have been unrelenting calls for democratic reform. However, some claim that Islam and democracy are too incompatible to function together. Can an Islamic state embrace democracy?

What will the intersection between Islam and democracy in the Middle East look like? Akbar Ahmed, chair of Islamic Studies at American University and Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the United Kingdom has some insight. He is the author of many books on the Islamic world, including “Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam.”