An African view of Islamic uprisings

Excerpt of an article by Charl van Wyk in World Net Daily:

Like any great debate, it begins with defining the language – which, while familiar to Western ears, is foreign in practice to most Africans (and nearly all Middle-Easterners). Congo calls itself a democratic republic, but don't let the words fool you; they're little more than clever marketing. In fact, words like "freedom" and "democracy" don't have the same meaning in Africa as they do in the United States. "Freedom" usually means access to resources or government jobs. "Democracy" often means supporting one man, with one vote (under severe pressure), once and never again as he retains power as permanently and ruthlessly as possible.


This firmly rooted mentality is ripe for Islam's all-encompassing level of influence. That's why I assert unflinchingly that Western-style democracy cannot develop in an Islamic society, and the evidence testifies to such. Islam – and the Shariah law that serves as its ideal of justice – is intolerant of anything resembling representative government and human rights.


Islam is incompatible with anything recognizing those self-evident truths your founders so eloquently summarized "that all men are created equal" and "endowed by their Creator" with unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

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