试评学术界关于伊斯兰教与民主关系的争论

A Tentative Review of the Debate in the Academic Circle over the Relation Between Islamism and Democracy:

就伊斯兰教与民主之间的关系而言,西方学界一种意见认为两者之间是截然对立和不相容的,另一种意见则认为两者之间存在着一定的相容性。在伊斯兰世界,既有视民主为舶来品——民主与伊斯兰教是不相容的,又有把伊斯兰教看作是最古老的民主形式,认为两者之间是相容的;还有的学者提出了诸如“神权民主”或“伊斯兰民主”等方案。各种主张从不同侧面表达了如何理解伊斯兰教,伊斯兰世界如何回应现代化和民主化挑战等问题。伊斯兰教作为宗教信仰来说,它与现代民主观念是对立的。但是,伊斯兰教作为一种文化传统,有着丰富的内涵,存在着与民主相容的成分。

With regard to the relationship between Islamism and democracy, in the Western academic world, there is one opinion that they are absolutely opposed to, and incompatible with each other, and a second opinion that there is, to a certain extent, some compatibility between the two. In the Islamic world, there are both the views that democracy is imported, incompatible with Islamism, and that Islamism is the oldest form of democracy, so it is compatible with Islamism. There are also suggestions of the so - called 'theocratic democracy' or 'Islamic democracy' from other scholars. The various opinions express from different respects the views of how to understand Islamism and views of how the Islamic world should respond to the challenge of modernization and democratization. As a religious belief, Islamism is opposed to the modern notion of democracy. However, as a traditional culture, Islamism is rich in its intension and contains elements compatible with democracy.