Democracy Is Not for the Naïve

Democracy Is Not for the Naïve

Is Democracy a Suitable System for All Societies?

We begin this article with a story taken from the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity, specifically from Epistle No. 22, titled The Animals’ Complaint Against Man Before the King of the Jinn.

In this story, a just king of the jinn named Pirast the Wise rules over the island of Sagun, where the jinn live in harmony with the animals. However, this balance is disrupted when a group of humans arrives on the island, hunting and enslaving the animals.

Feeling endangered, the animals seek justice from the King of the Jinn. A grand trial is held, where humans justify their actions by claiming superiority over all creatures, while the animals argue for their right to live freely. Despite the animals’ strong arguments, the king rules in favor of the humans, affirming their dominance over the island.

But what if the animals had proposed a democratic system? If majority rule were applied, the parliament would likely be filled with donkeys, monkeys, and insects, and the island’s president might even be a donkey—while humans would be a powerless minority.

This story raises fundamental questions about modern democracy:

• Is majority voting truly the best method of governance?
• Do all nations need democracy to advance civilization?
• Is electoral democracy suitable for every society, or is it merely a political spectacle, as seen in the West?
• Is the majority always right?

Majority Rule: Does It Always Reflect the Truth?

A fundamental assumption of democracy is that the majority decides. But does this mean the majority is always right?

📌 The Quran itself states that “most of them do not reason” and “most of them do not know”, suggesting that the majority is not necessarily a measure of truth.
📌 On the other hand, some truths are universally accepted by the majority, such as the fact that the sun rises in the east.

Thus, truth is not determined by majority or minority but by its alignment with logic, reason, and reality.

The History of Democracy: From Athens to the Modern Era

🔹 In ancient Athens, democracy was limited to free men, excluding women, slaves, and foreigners.
🔹 The evolution of democracy took centuries; it was not a sudden political decision but the result of long social experimentation.
🔹 Today, there are multiple forms of democracy, including:

• Direct democracy: where people decide laws themselves.
• Representative democracy: where elected officials make decisions.
• Liberal democracy: which ensures individual rights alongside elections.
• Constitutional monarchy democracy: such as in the UK.
• People’s democracy: which follows ideological state direction.
• “Just” dictatorial democracy: where elections are held, but the ruling system pre-determines the outcome.

But is democracy alone enough for a nation’s success? Clearly not.

Why Has Democracy Failed in Some Countries?

Democracy does not guarantee economic or social success. Some countries hold elections and adopt democratic constitutions yet continue to suffer from poverty, chaos, and political repression.

🔹 Take Tunisia, for example: after ten years of revolution, democracy has not brought stability; instead, political and economic crises have worsened. Why? Because democracy requires:

• Strong institutions to uphold laws.
• A mature society that understands freedom and responsibility.
• A stable economy that doesn’t rely solely on political promises.

📌 Democracy cannot be imposed by force; it needs a proper foundation. Otherwise, it leads to disastrous results, as seen in the Arab Spring.

How Did the West Succeed in Implementing Democracy?

Democracy in the West did not succeed overnight. It came after centuries of social and political evolution. Its success was due to:

✅ Building strong institutions before granting voting rights.
✅ Separating powers to prevent monopolization of governance.
✅ Ensuring judicial independence to hold politicians accountable.
✅ Establishing a free press to expose corruption.
✅ Strictly monitoring elections to prevent fraud.

But does this mean Western democracy is perfect? Certainly not. Even in Europe, strict limits on freedoms exist to prevent disorder and extremism.

Is Democracy Suitable for Everyone?

Democracy is not a magical system that fits all societies. A successful Western model cannot simply be transplanted into an unprepared political and social environment.

📌 Consider Arab countries that tried to imitate Western democracy without proper preparation. The result? Coups, civil wars, and political chaos.

🔴 Tunisia as an example: After the revolution, democracy was implemented in a distorted manner:

• A contradictory constitution that does not guarantee individual freedoms.
• Religious parties exploiting democracy to gain power, only to fight against it later.
• Political and financial corruption hindering development.
• A fragile electoral system allowing unqualified individuals to rise to power.

📌 The result? An unstable nation, a deteriorating economy, and a public that has lost trust in politicians.

The Solution: Build the Foundations Before Implementing Democracy

For democracy to succeed in any country, the following must first be established:

✅ Strong institutions that protect individual rights before granting voting rights.
✅ An improved education system to spread political awareness.
✅ Strict oversight on party funding to prevent political corruption.
✅ The exclusion of extremist religious and nationalist parties from governance.
✅ Legal reforms to ensure individual freedoms are protected from political exploitation.

Democracy Is Not for the Naïve

If democracy were reduced to mere numerical voting without safeguards, we might find ourselves in a system where popularity outweighs competence, and governance is dictated by those who lack the necessary knowledge and skills.

📌 Tunisia and other nations that adopted democracy without proper groundwork fell into political chaos. The solution is not holding more elections but implementing a fundamental governance reform and eliminating extremist ideologies from politics.

In conclusion, I apologize to animals for comparing them to some politicians—many of them are far more loyal and less deceitful than those who pretend to defend democracy.

Democracy Is Not for the Naïve.