Is Islam Incompatible with Democracy?
The 12th of April will see Sydney’s Recital Hall play host to a live debate, contesting the delightful motion, “Islam is incompatible with democracy”. This is one of a series of debates that will be hosted by Intelligence Squared, which is in effect a sort of high brow entertainment start up. For $150 a ticket, you too can join “a sell-out crowd of opinion leaders”. And a sell out it is too.
Intelligence Squared claims that it’s goal in hosting these debates, apart from presumably making a bucket load of cash, is to, “transcend the toxically emotional and the reflexively ideological” (From about IQ2Oz). Brilliant. Because nothing will “transcend the … reflexively ideological” like waving the red flag of Islam baiting.
In Islam, Allah is the ultimate authority. In democracy, authority ultimately lies with the people. But does this mean that Islam is incompatible with democracy? - topic intro to Islam is Incompatible with Democracy
All religions call upon their followers to accept their strange and fantastical beliefs. Most strands of religious delusion call upon their follows to accept the supposed words of their particular imaginary friend as the ultimate authority in governing their actions. And many of these cults will try and impose outcomes informed by these religious delusions upon the whole of society, and thus subverting the secular democracy.
If the promoters of this debate were really about promoting reasoned debate, they might have framed this in terms of religion and secularism, ie. “Is religion incompatible with democracy?”. But no, the fact of the matter is that Islam baiting will sell more tickets. Instead of a reasoned debate, expect to see a partisan screaming match.
Austrolabe is discussing the debate line up, and in particular the fact that Mr Nooooooo Bingo will be appearing for the Islam is Evil side.
Related Posts:Posted: April 6th, 2008 under religion.
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