True democracy

Submitted by Rebecca Moulds (United States), Apr 17, 2008 at 17:38

In September, 2005, Egypt experienced its first elections for leader of the country. There was great expectation that things would really change, months before the election, and also murmurings of disbelief that anything so democratic could actually happen in a country that was once ruled by kings, and at present, a dictatorial president appointed when Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981. Many Egyptians assumed the outcome would be that Hosni Mubarak would win the election, and they were right.

There were many contenders for this important role, but some had disappeared or even had been arrested before polling began. As a resident of Cairo at the time, I can attest to the general dismay and "I told you so" attitude of the results of this election by the Egyptians. True democracy is when true and honest elections take place, where the winner, whether liked or not, wins fairly, people have religious freedom, freedom of the press, freedom of dress, freedom of thought, gender equality, protection of children----the list is endless.

Freedom within a lawful society in a democratic system can be achieved without crushing the people. Democracy and Islam are diametrically opposed, because there really is no freedom in Islam, and democracy is equal with true freedom. A religion that suffocates its followers can't possibly hope to be considered democratic.

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