In the wake of the Arab Spring, Tunisia and Egypt are in the very early stages of constructing theocratic democracies – that is, governments that balance official religions with democratic institutions and pluralist practices. In Egypt, a new draft constitution enshrines Islam as the source of law, but also provides for elections of a president and of parliament, free assembly, and freedom of the press as core democratic practices. Building this kind of democracy is no easy task. It is a delicate balancing act between the “truths” of religion and the free expression of dissent and the clash of ideas. Egypt’s attempt to establish this delicate balance is still very much an early work in progress.
Read Full Article »
