Azzam S. Tamimi. Rachid Ghannouchi: A Democrat within Islamism. USA: Oxford University Press, 2001. 280 pp. Illustrations, appendices, notes, bibliography, index. $55.00 (Hardcover), ISBN 0195140001.

Reviewed by: Steffen Merten
Published by: SIME journal (February, 2006).

     Can Islam form an effective foundation for the development of democracy in the Muslim world?  In his narrative of the life and ideas of Tunisian Islamic thinker Rachid Ghannouchi Tamimi illuminates a moderate side of Islamic political thought which proposes the compatibility of Islam and democracy.  Tracing the major events in the life of Ghannouchi, the author shows the dramatic effects of western expansion, Nasserism, and what Esposito refers to as the “Islamic Reawakening” in the Middle East while also revealing the contrast in modern Islamic thought between the Maghreb and the Mashriq.  Through this narrative the author gives the reader a context for Ghannouchi’s later ideas which helps us to understand the multitude of influences that served to shape his philosophy.

     The core of Tamimi’s book lies in the discussion of what Ghannouchi calls the “organic link” between democracy and Islam based on the concept of individual integrity within the Ummah, recognition of the idea of farāghāt, and the dynamic use of Ijtihād in the application of Sharī`ah to contemporary society.  By presenting Sharī`ah as a form of civic society and suggesting that the Islamic idea of the Ummah is founded upon the sovereignty of the people rather than the state, Ghannouchi argues that Islam contains a fundamentally democratic component lying in the idea of an indivisible Muslim society.  However, despite the convincing links noted between Islam and individual liberty, Ghannouchi’s ideas also seem to contain many contradictions some of which likely stem from the duality of his roles as philosopher and political leader.  These contradictions become increasingly apparent in the discussion of secularism where Ghannouchi sporadically abandons his philosophical argument in favor of one based in personal faith and political standing.  In addressing the specific applicability of his theory Ghannouchi begins to rely more heavily on the assumption of faith within society and fails to discuss fundamental gaps in the feasibility of application to the modern world.  Additionally, although the author makes an extremely strong case for the necessity of civil society in the formation of democracy, his argument again seems overextended as he asserts that Islam is most appropriate model for societal function.  Despite the contradictions in political application, through his illumination of the democratic nature of Islam, the importance of Ijtihād and religious flexibility, and the role of Islam as a vital component of Middle Eastern civil society Ghannouchi reveals a detailed look at the moderate side of political Islam.

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