Democracy Compatible With Islam

"The principle has been established that democracy is not only compatible with western countries and their civilizations," Berlusconi said.


Saturday, 28 May 2011 14:14
Courtesy Of "On Islam"

DEAUVILLE, France – Extending hands of friendship to the Arab and Muslim countries, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi praised the spring of democracy that has shaken the Arab world earlier this year as showing Islam’s compatibility with democracy.

"The principle has been established that democracy is not only compatible with western countries and their civilizations," Berlusconi told journalists at the Group of Eight summit in Deauville, ADN Kronos International news agency reported on Friday, May 27.

“I believe this is very important.”

Going out in massive pro-democracy protests across their countries, Tunisian and Egyptian people managed to topple their decades-long tyrant rulers in January and February.

Other massive protests followed in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Libya, Jordan and Iraq.

In Libya, hundreds of protestors took to the streets against the 40-year rule of Muammar Gaddafi.

Scrambling to save his 42-year regime, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi launched a deadly crackdown on protestors demanding an end to his rule of the oil-rich Arab country.

In Iraq, three people were killed and dozens wounded in the southern city of Kut in clashes between security forces and protesters demanding better basic services.

In Yemen, four months of ongoing massive demonstrations were still trying to end President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule in the impoverished Arab country.

Berlusconi’s comments followed sharp criticism over his warning earlier this week that Milan would turn into an “Islamic city” if his runner for mayor is defeated.

Italy has a Muslim population of some 1.2 million, including 20,000 reverts, according to unofficial estimates.

Italian Muslims have been in the eye of storm since the Berlusconi’s government and its far-right partners came to power.

The Northern League, an influential partner of Berlusconi coalition government, is widely accused of racism with many critics calling it the BNP of Italy, a reference to the British right-wing party.

History In The Making

Going on with his praise for the Arab spring, the Italian PM said that the democracy seen in the popular revolts was remaking the history.

The stirrings of democracy seen in the popular revolts are the latest in an "extraordinary period of history" that has unfolded over the past 25 years, he said.

"Who could have predicted the fall of Soviet Communism and the end of Apartheid in South Africa and the Arab people's decision to march towards democracy?" Berlusconi stated.

Tunisia's longtime president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali fled the country in January following a month of popular protests dubbed the Jasmine Revolution.

This inspired the revolt in Egypt that toppled its Hosni Mubarak from the presidency less than a month later on 11 February.

"These events show that democracy can take root in countries that have different cultures from those of the west and it's imaginable that these revolts could spread to other countries," Berlusconi concluded.

A similar message was conveyed in the statement concluding the two-day G8 summit in Deauville.

The G8 leaders signaled they “strongly support the aspirations of the Arab Spring as well as those of the Iranian people,” the G8 concluding statement said.

“The changes under way in the Middle East and North Africa are historic and have the potential to open the door to the kind of transformation that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall,” the G8 said.