I think what you present needs qualification

Submitted by Ebtisam Hussein (Germany), Sep 11, 2009 at 08:32

Dear Mr. Pipes,

I am Ebtisam Hussein, a scholar of Political Science, who commented on your article a couple of months ago. I would like to re-comment on it now that i have more emphasis on political Islam in my studies. Many of the ideas you present would have held water twenty years ago, but not today. Calling democracy unIslamic is rarely, if ever, provoked. PEOPLE IN Muslim COUNTRIES ARE thriving for democracy and many Islamic movements overther are renewing their tenets.

I hope my words are not taken as propaganda for Islamic movments as an amalgamation....At many instances, these movemnts are not even allowed to touch power seats and thus their 'reformist' ideas, which in many amnners outway what is offered by the ruling elites in these countries with regard to democracy, does not see much light.

My Best,
Ebtisam

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Daniel Pipes replies:

I have not called democracy un-Islamic.