(Conference examines links between Islam and democracy) (830) By Nino Kader Washington File Special Correspondent Washington -- How will democracy be integrated into Muslim societies? According to Professor Kamran Bokhari of the University of Texas at Austin, religious leaders must "open the door" and re-interpret Islamic teachings to incorporate democracy into their political systems. This interpretation of Islamic traditions performed by religious leaders is known as ijtihad. Bokhari believes that in order to "capture the minds of average Muslims about democracy," the religious leaders in Muslim countries need to advocate an ijtihad, which supports democracy. "Only through a sustained effort on the part of the Muslim intelligentsia will the attitudes of Muslim masses as well as those who are unfortunately still advocating medieval models be changed," said Bokhari. These were the topics of discussion at the fourth annual conference of The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) on May 16-17 in Washington. The conference, entitled Why Democracy and Why Now, organized a series of panels aimed at understanding how democracy intersects with the Muslim world. "Muslims should not feel that they have to choose between Islam and democracy because that is a false premise. I believe that democracy is fully compatible with Islam," said CSID president and founder Radwan Masmoudi. Panelists from a wide range of disciplines discussed their views on why democracy is a viable form of government for the Muslim world. While all of the panelists agreed that Islam is fully compatible with democracy, they also concurred that there are many challenges to overcome. One such challenge is the perception that democracy is a "western ideal" new and foreign to Islamic societies. Muqtedar Khan of Adrian College argued that democracy was first discussed in the ninth century by Islamic philosopher Al-Farabi, who said that in a democratic society, "we are free to choose." Khan also noted, "there are a few Muslims who reject democracy, but only do so because they falsely allow the modern West the ownership of a universal value." According to a survey published in November 2002 by the World Values Survey, support for democracy is very high in Islamic societies. People from the following countries were asked if they agreed with the statement: "democracy may have some problems but it's better than any other form of government." The responses were overwhelmingly favorable: Bangladesh 98 percent, Jordan 89 percent, Turkey 88 percent. In contrast, the figure for Britain was 78 percent, for the United States 87 percent, and for Canada 87 percent. In a panel discussion about obedience to political authority in Muslim countries, the participants said submissive attitudes toward existing political leadership are difficult to change. Asma Afsaruddin from the University of Notre Dame said notions of political obedience "originated from a Quranic verse which said obey ‘those possessing critical insight to religion and knowledge.'" Afsaruddin argues that this was later interpreted to mean that people should obey political leaders. In addition, a well known hadith, a saying of the Prophet Muhammad, states, "Muslims should obey their leader whether that leader is good or bad" -- another possible reason poor leadership persists over time, said Afsaruddin. "The emancipation of the Muslim world from the yoke of authoritarianism will only be achieved if the common Muslim is enlightened about the relationship between Islam and democracy," noted Bokhari. Demonstrating that Islam is compatible with democracy requires extensive work on the theoretical level, said Bokhari. However, thus far the religious leaders have "not been willing to exercise their power," said Zainah Anwar from the Sisters in Islam organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Bokhari also stated that among the general population in the Muslim world, there is a growing trend to "focus on the past" when times were better. These "traditionalists" are in contrast with advocates of modernization as the path to improve the current situation. The challenge is trying to sway the traditionalists, because as Professor Bokhari states, "they are between 65-85 percent of the population" of the Muslim world. The conference was brought to a conclusion by Professor Akbar Ahmed of American University, who spoke of the current state of "euphoria in the air" and a "sense of optimism" as well as the possibility of a coming "renaissance" in the Muslim world. He said there is an urgent need to "place the discussion of democracy" at the center of the public discourse. "There is a general consensus in the region that we need democracy. The question is how to implement it and what is the best way to move forward," said CSID's Masmoudi. CSID was founded in March 1999 by a diverse group of academicians, professionals, and activists -- both Muslim and non-Muslim -- from around the United States. CSID's mission to help the mainstream American community and U.S. policymakers better understand Islam's approach towards individual freedom, civil rights, and political pluralism, according to the CSID website (www.islam-democracy.org).