The Flaw of Democracies

 

Summary of Important Passages of the Afghan Constitution: (Note: Articles 22, 30, 34, and 40 weakly uphold the only values of American individualistic ideology. However, these principles become meaningless with the implementation of the first 3 articles): 


This Constitution accepted on the merit of democracy: 

Article 1: Afghan constitution defines the regime as an Islamic Republic

Article 2: Islam is enshrined as the state religion

Article 3: The supreme source of law: “In Afghanistan, no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam”

Article 20: The national anthem is required by law to mention Allahu Akbar –meaning “God is greatest”

Articles 22, 30, 40: Suggestions that proclaim support to the idea of rights and legal equality before the law.

Article 34: Promise that “freedom of expression is inviolable”

Outcome:

A.)  -Schools “daring to allow girls to attend class” have been bombarded with rocket fire.

B.)  -Five teachers were murdered and dozens of schools shut down because of the suspected teaching of women.

C.)  -2005 Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, editor of Women’s Rights, convicted of blasphemy.

a.     Prosecutor demanded that Nasab receive the death penalty.

b.     Editor spared and sentenced to jail for two years.

D.)  -2006: Afghan convert to Christianity, Abdul Rahman, denounced as an apostate (a person who forsakes his religion).

a.     Threatened with execution. Again, his life spared, and he was excommunicated to Europe.

E.)  -2008: Persecution of Parwiz Kambakhsh (24 year old Afghan student), who was accused of circulating an article with regard to the rights of women in Islam and for starting un-Islamic discussions in class.

a.     Council of clerics decreed capital punishment

b.     Afghanistan’s upper house of parliament endorsed the sentence.

c.      Crowds took to street to support the sentence, with one cleric declaring “He should be punished so that others learn from him.”

d.     It was from heavy pressure from the West that the sentence was reduced on appeal-to twenty years in prison.

F.)   -Hamid Karzai, the allegedly pro-freedom, pro-Western president of Afghanistan, downplayed the Danish cartoons of Muhammad, proclaiming them to be “an insult to more than a billion Muslims.” (So much for the 34th Article). [Details from Winning the Unwinnable War by Elan Journo.]   
           

       This democratic establishment is to procure a safer environment for America? Let us be reminded that Socrates was sacrificed in the name of a democracy, in civilized Athens, because he raised objections against the will of the majority. A democracy subjects an individual's rights to the discretion of the majority. To me, doesn't appear like the correct form of government to establish in a country that has based its public philosophy on submission of the individual to authority for the last 1000 years.