Progress and Pitfalls of “Peace-Building”

in Afghanistan continues...

On the question on whether democracy as a form of government is better than any form of government has been asked in public opinion surveys in a range of other nations in the region. Afghans tend to be

supportive of democracy more than Iranians, Iraqis and Indonesians and

Pakistanis, at a level comparable to Jordanians, but less than Egyptians or

Moroccans. The survey reflects that the Afghans are willing to accept democracy as a form of governance although they realize that it is being imposed by outsiders.

Similarly, while democratic aspirations seem widely dispersed,

democracy tends to co-exist with social and political norms derived from

Afghanistan’s traditional and Islamic heritage. A substantial minority sees

potential conflict between democratic and Islamic values, and such fears

have increased over time. It is found that while there is a significant

support (82 percent) for the separation of religion and politics, people

nevertheless believe that local religious leaders should be consulted on

matters that affect the community. Support for these local religious

leaders is greater among the more traditional sections of the society (rural

residents, older Afghans, the less educated, residents of Eastern

Afghanistan and central Hazarazat). This is reflective of the respect and

acceptance of the traditional role of the mullahs and their values in the

politics of the community. The respect for such local authorities however

should not contradict the greater democratic process underway in the

country.

A sizeable number of respondents felt that a country can become democratic without sacrificing Islamic values while on the other side, they believed that democracy could bring too much westernization and may 58 challenge Islamic values. Today, while majority of (52 percent) viewed

democracy and Islam as compatible, a sizeable section (37 percent) saw

democracy as a challenge to Islam. The fact that a significant percentage of people feel that Islam and democratic norms do not contradict brings about some hope for the success of democracy.

To be continued.....