Given what is happening in Syria as it tries to plan its political future amid the fall of the regime of Bashar al Assad, a question that was posed in ONE magazine in July 2011 with the rise of the Arab Spring, “Is Islam Compatible With Democracy?” remains relevant. This article was reprinted in the June 2024 edition as a part of the ONE @ 50 anniversary series, which highlighted a ONE “classic” in each issue of the magazine this year.
This past summer, Michael J. La Civita, director of communications and marketing for CNEWA, interviewed John L. Esposito, the author of “Is Islam Compatible With Democracy?” more than 10 years after its original publication for ONE: In Conversation. They discuss how this question applies in our modern world and the challenges that arise when democracy is founded on ideologies or theologies.
Mr. Esposito is a professor of religion, international affairs and Islamic studies, and founding director of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Watch the interview below, then read “Is Islam Compatible With Democracy?”