Islam and Democracy, Question Mark

The Economist has an interesting, though somewhat superficial, survey of the current relationship between Islam and Democracy in practice and theory.  It is worthy of a read.

BREAKING: Benazir Bhutto Assassinated at Opposition Rally in Pakistan

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated by a suicide bomber today shortly after leaving a rally for her People’s Party of Pakistan in Rawalpindi, a military garrison town near the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.  The Washington Post reports on the attack and its immediate aftermath:

Bhutto, 54, was shot at close range as she waved to supporters from the rooftop opening of a bulletproof car, witnesses said. Seconds later, a suicide bomber detonated explosives just behind Bhutto’s car. The explosion killed at least 20 people, and injured many others.

…

Bhutto was rushed to Rawalpindi General Hospital, where a surgeon worked in vain to save her. Thousands had gathered by the time an official emerged from the hospital to say Bhutto was dead; the announcement triggered a roar of rage and grief.

Devastated supporters smashed the glass doors of the hospital and stormed the building to try and view her lifeless body. Even as ambulances continued to arrive bearing dead and wounded from the bombing, the crowd outside the hospital tore down and burned campaign posters showing candidates from Musharraf’s party. Yelling “Musharraf is a dog,” they blamed him for Bhutto’s death.

President Bush responded to the attack in a brief statement from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, condemning the attack as a “cowardly act by murderous extremists.”

The scene in Rawalpindi has become chaotic in the wake of Bhutto’s assassination, with supporters burning vehicles and demonstrating in the streets.  Whether this unrest will spread to other cities in Pakistan remains to be seen.  So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but President Pervez Musharraf has blamed the attack on extremist Islamist forces based in the tribal region along the Afghani border.

The implications of this attack for democracy in Pakistan remain unclear.  Parliamentary elections are still scheduled for January 8th, but it remains to be seen who will take up the mantle for democracy in the remaining weeks of the campaign.  If the situation continues to destabilize, it is likely that Musharraf will reimpose martial law and postpone the elections.  We will continue to follow updates coming out of Pakistan as they unfold over the next few days.

Pakistan: Emergency Rule to End December 16th

Pakistan Update: Mere ours after being sworn in this morning to a second five-year term, President Musharraf announced that the state of emergency would be lifted on December 16th.  As reported by the New York Times:

If he goes ahead with the move, it could be an important step in Pakistan’s recent tumultuous politics, which has seen the president impose emergency rule on Nov. 3, suspending the Constitution, dismissing the Supreme Court and arresting thousands of opponents.

An important step, yes, but in which direction?  The ability of a (man formerly known as a) military dictator to suspend the rule of law, arrest the opposition (but not move against the real security threat), black out the independent media, and then end it on his own terms with no tangible consequences shouldn’t be viewed as a positive development for Pakistani politics.

As a testament to his sincerity of purpose, however, Musharraf was moved to tears by his own speech in which he pronounced: “Right now, I think the dust is settling down and everything is under control,” at the same time warning the assembled international diplomats and press:

It is indeed a historic day and an emotional day for me. This is a milestone in the transition of Pakistan to the complete essence of democracy.

Elections alone do not mean democracy… We want democracy, we want human rights, we want civil liberties but we will do it our own way.

Reject representative rule and then castigate the international community for preventing Pakistan from finding its own way to democracy?  He needs to take a look at the streets, where lawyers are still protesting, being beaten and jailed for supporting a different vision of democracy, one in which dissenting views are allowed.  

I have a feeling that Musharraf’s idea of “Pakistani democracy” looks a lot like Putin’s.