ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY: SOME CONCEPTUAL AND CONTEMPORARY DIMENSIONS

This paper, published in Policy Perspectives, the flagship journal of IPS, authored by Professor Khurshid Ahmad, offers a profound critique of contemporary globalization and its intersection with the evolving discourse on democratization. Against the backdrop of global power asymmetries, Western dominance, and ideological contestations, the author calls for a critical reassessment of the Muslim world’s role in shaping global narratives. Challenging the one-size-fits-all export of Western democratic models, the paper articulates a vision for a participatory political order rooted in Islamic values of adl (justice) and shura (consultation). With clarity and conviction, Professor Khurshid Ahmad invites readers, particularly from the Muslim ummah and global academia, to engage in deeper reflection and dialogue on creating a just, pluralistic, and morally grounded global society.