FEBRUARY 05 NEWSLETTER
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The German College for Security Visits ICDS

On the 28th of February a delegation from the German College for Security Studies visited ICDS within the context of its annual fieldtrip to the region aimed at discussing with governmental and non-governmental institutions security-related issue and exchanging experience with other Mediterranean states. The visitors raised questions concerning Arab security including the role that Europe should play in this regard, and the kind of support it could provide to promote democratic reform in the Arab region. Other questions related to the relationship between Islam and democracy.

In responding to the questions raised, ICDS Consultant, Mr. Moheb Zaki maintained that the Arab world is not stable enough to construct a grand security arrangement similar to the European model. He attributed this to the state of instability resulting from the Israeli occupation of Arab lands, the wide-spread ethnic tension that exists in some Arab states such as Sudan and Lebanon, and the invasion of Iraq.

In regard to the role that the Europeans could play in security matters, Mr. Zaki held that they could contribute to the economic well-being of the region through economic integration, co-operation, and assistance in development projects. Such economic development will alleviate the hardships of poverty that often produce negative phenomena such as political instability, terrorism and illegal immigration that remain major security threats to both Europe and the countries in the region.

As for the relationship between Islam and democracy, Mr. Zaki stressed that no religion is univocal--inherently democratic or authoritarian. All religions are multi-vocal- a myriad of at-times contradictory principles can be extracted from the same religious texts. How did the Inquisition transform the extreme tolerance advocated by the Christian Holy Book? In that context, there is no contradiction between Islam and democracy, or the principles of human rights. The seemingly authoritarian verses found in the Quran are circumstance and time-specific reflecting a turbulent time period when the new religion was under attack. But the eternal principles of Islam, which advocate freedom of faith, democracy (shura), and the tolerance of diversity, are enshrined in multiple verses of the Qur'an in the most explicit terms.