Islam and the Challenges of Modernity

Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil

Since the end of World War II and the institutionalization of the international community under the United Nations framework, Western-style norms of human rights, democracy, and sound governance have been increasingly accepted as universal. Nevertheless, one cultural group has consistently lagged behind in adopting these norms: the Islamic world. Given the growing interconnectivity and interdependence of the world, Islamic governments have maintained economic, diplomatic, and strategic relations with Western states and signed numerous international conventions. Yet, these regimes operate systems of government and law that starkly contradict the norms outlined in these conventions.

Until now, the West has largely overlooked the obvious contradictions separating governance in Islamic states from universal norms. However, the West can no longer ignore this situation. Large-scale terrorist attacks against the West-especially the United States-drove home the point that lack of respect for human rights, democracy, and sound governance in other countries can directly and negatively affect the West. While Islamic legal norms are often still ignored with impunity, there is reason to expect the 21st century will witness the emergence of a systematically-enforced regime of sanctions for their violation. Such a development would render untenable the continuation of many aspects of the legal and governmental systems in force in most Islamic countries. Their friends in the West find it embarrassing to close their eyes to such a state of affairs.

Of graver concern to the West, however, is the present threat to its own peace and security. The recent terrorist attacks leveled at Western, and especially American, installations and individuals have been perpetrated by Muslim organizations in the name of Islam, and the West is now grappling with an entirely different and more threatening security environment. These security challenges are bound to give rise to a systematically-enforced regime of sanctions for violating universal norms of human rights and governance. Such a regime would condemn many defining elements of the governmental and legal systems in most Islamic states today. Yet, the West cannot succeed alone in enforcing change in Islamic nations, especially because of its deeply-rooted tradition of separation between church and state. Although secular governance has worked well in the West, history has shown that it is far more difficult to separate religion from governance in the Islamic world.

Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil is Scholar in Residence at the Middle East Institute and former Minister of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sudan.