Ausaf Ali

About the author: Ausaf Ali is a former professor at the Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Karachi and the author of Broader Dimensions of the Ideology of Pakistan.

Muslims, particularly Pakistani Muslims, have failed at creating lasting democratic governments. Islamic fundamentalists do not appreciate the dynamism and rationality that are necessary to maintain a democratic government, mainly because Islam does not champion these values. According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad ruled according to Allah's (God's) will, and the consent of the governed was irrelevant to his rule. Moreover, Islam and democracy are incompatible because Muslims reject diversity, the acceptance of which is essential to a successful democracy.

It has been well said that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. I offer...