Democracy, Elections are Forbidden in Islam: Salafist Leader
06-01-2013 12:00 AM
Ammon News - By Alaa Elayyan
AMMONNEWS - The Jordanian leader of the hardliner Salafi Jihadi current said that democracy in its concept as "ruling of the people by the people" is in contradiction with Islam's concept of the sovereignty of God's law.
Abd Shahadeh, known as Abu Muhammad al-Tahawi said in statements to Ammon News that democracy in its common conception is forbidden in Islam, where sovereignty and ruling belongs to God's law and not people's authority.
Al-Tahawi considered the upcoming Jordanian parliamentary elections, slated to be held on January 23rd, as forbidden and contradictory to Islamic Shariah, because "the parliament legislates laws and regulations that contradict God's law," according to his expression.
The overall leader of the Salafi Jihadi current in Jordan criticized the electoral platforms presented by candidates and national lists, considering that the election slogans used by candidates are "impossible to implement in reality."
Al-Tahawi called for boycotting the upcoming elections, stressing that participation in the elections is forbidden by religion and in contradiction for Islam because "choosing legislators other than God is forbidden," he told Ammon News.
"The results of the parliamentary elections are known ahead of time regardless of what the government claims of integrity and transparency of the electoral process," he said, adding that "the upcoming members of parliament are from within the state's composition and do not have any relations with the people or people's rights."