A new initiative in the search for justice and democracy in Islamic countries

Last weekend Istanbul hosted a highly meaningful meeting. It was the general assembly meeting of the forum formed by the conservative-democrat-leaning political parties and movements of Islamic countries that emphasize concepts and values such as democracy, justice, equal citizenship, good governance and governance, and human rights and freedoms. In a way, the forum resembles the Unions of Conservative Democrats, Christian Democrats or Social Democrats in Europe.

Of course with many differences; above all, this forum constitutes the preliminary work of a union that is being sought to be formed among the political parties and movements of the Islamic world. In many parts of the Islamic world, there is no democratic maturity that allows political parties to compete freely and honestly. In many places political parties operate under the suspicions and pressures of regimes that look upon opposition and the opposition not as a legitimate formation but only with hostility. Therefore it is very difficult for all countries to see a benefit for themselves from a union of the political parties of different countries.

Yet the forum, aware of this difficulty, envisages above all the sharing of experience and horizons for developing the countries where its member parties are located in terms of justice, democracy and human rights and freedoms, good governance and governance, and human rights, while also refraining from keeping this within a framework that would amount to interference in any country's internal affairs.

The internationalization of certain universal values and the support of struggles by broader coalitions beyond the local are an important and inevitable stage of democratization. There is no doubt about its functionality. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation is a union directly among states, but this formation has no concern whatsoever with the democratization of Islamic countries, the development of human rights, or even the development of Muslim societies. A solidarity and union organization among the political and civil parties of Islamic countries is intensely felt as a need, precisely to fulfill this neglected function.

There is no doubt that justice and democracy are among the issues from which the Islamic world suffers most today. Islamic countries are places where the most respected people of society are arrested, with no reason given, solely because of their views, and held in prisons for indefinite periods. Of course not all countries have this problem at the same level, but these problems are experienced in nearly all of them.

At the same time, the lack of democracy in each country is far from being sufficiently open to competition, with ideas freely discussed and assessed in the direction of the country's development. In many of them coup regimes still rule against democratic wills. Many countries are in states of civil war because of internal conflicts, many are far from an atmosphere of social peace, and many live in open-air prison conditions. That each country experiences these violations occurring in its own land alone all the more ensures the continuation of these situations. Yet the problems are very much shared, and for those who experience these problems to develop with one another a partnership of experience, horizons and solutions, and to form an institutional meeting ground for it, could put the problems on the way to resolution.

Proceeding from these assessments, 7 years ago a group of politicians-intellectuals representing the political parties and movements of Islamic countries made an initiative to create such a meeting ground. At the first stage, representatives of 24 political parties and political movements from some 18 countries came together and established such a forum. Since then, with periodic meetings, assessments have been made on the problems the Islamic world in general, and each country, experience in terms of justice, democracy and human rights. Because of the intervening COVID-19 pandemic, the meetings were held for a time with online participation.

Now the Forum has gathered to announce that it has moved to a new stage in response to a need that is growing and making itself felt more and more each day.

At the Forum's two-day meeting, in which the former Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Şentop, also gave the opening speech as guest of honor, the goals underlined were: 1. strengthening the foundations of the Forum's structure and broadening the membership base, 2. raising the level of coordination and cooperation among components, 3. building citizenship-based societies by establishing partnerships with various parties compatible with the Forum's goals and values, 4. consolidating an understanding of equal justice for every individual without distinction, 5. undertaking political initiatives that support the issues of justice and democracy, 6. observing and supporting issues relating to justice wherever they occur, and standing against injustice whatever its source.

On the second day of the meeting, chaired by the term president, the Lebanese politician Azam Al-Ayoubi, sessions were held addressing the problems currently being experienced in Tunisia, Iraq and Sudan. In the final declaration read by Ayoubi, the common views reached through the discussions here were read out as recommendations: Arab countries were called on to come together to preserve the unity of the Sudanese state and to stand against the rebels who attempted a coup with regional support and an international shield. Considering that this rebellion constitutes a threat to all countries neighboring Sudan, the components of the Justice and Democracy Forum were called on to make every effort to explain to wide segments of the public what is happening in Sudan. It was stated that efforts to explain the facts to a wide public, in order to counter the distorted stories that the rebels and the forces behind them are trying to spread in world public opinion, were supported

The declaration condemned, in general, coups against democratic choices and, in particular, the silence and deliberately weak stance of the international community in the face of the events in Tunisia. A call was made for the Tunisian President to end his coup-like actions, for the release of all political prisoners, especially the Speaker of Parliament Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, and for the support of democratic paths to begin a dialogue process that excludes none of the national components.

A noteworthy heading of the declaration concerned Syria. Countries that have re-established relations with the Syrian regime were called on to reconsider this step and, at the very least, to make it conditional on the regime's responding beforehand to the dialogues taking place in various countries. These are calls made to end the catastrophe of the century that the Syrian people have suffered for more than ten years. In the end it was said, "serious steps must be taken in the implementation of agreements and adequate guarantees must be offered within this framework, so that these conditions are fulfilled before relations are established."

Thus the forum has set out to fulfill an important duty it has taken upon itself, the duty of being the expression of the common reason and feelings of the Muslim peoples who feel the problems. May it be auspicious.