The Bush administration is searching for an Arab model
for an Islamic democracy.
The debate concerns how to outline a roadmap for Arab democracy and who
should be its models.
U.S. officials said the some senior members in the Bush administration
have suggested to some Arab allies of Washington that they should emulate
Indonesia, Middle East Newsline reported. But they said neither proposal was welcomed by the Arabs.
"The great majority of the world's Muslims would like to be part of
successful, free, democratic, prosperous societies, those that embody what
might be called Western values but that are, in fact, universal values,"
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said. "I think success in moderate
countries like Turkey or Indonesia can contribute to a larger dynamic. But
we need to work on the positive side of this as well as the more negative
side of fighting terrorists."
The debate comes amid an attempt to translate President George Bush's
call for Palestinian democracy into U.S. policy. Some officials are urging
the White House to formulate a policy that links closer Arab economic and
military ties into progress toward Arab democracy.
"I think what we can decide for ourselves is that those countries that
choose to be on the path of democracy, that chose to be on the path of
freedom, that choose to be on the path of economic growth fueled by private
enterprise, those are countries that I think represent the future and a
future we want to support," Wolfowitz said.
Wolfowitz's approach, outlined at a hearing by the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee last week is said to be the view of Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Richard Cheney. Officials said Secretary
of State Colin Powell does not share that vision.
At the hearing, the link between Arab democracy and U.S. relations was
greeted with skepticism. Sen. Chuck Hagel said Arab countries have rejected
Turkey as a role model.
"I've heard from others, Arabs, Muslims from around the world, that
Turkey isn't necessarily the secular country that many Muslims would
emulate," Hagel said. "I happen to be a great supporter of Turkey."
Officials said the United States is not concerned that Arab countries
have made Islam into their official religion. They said many European Union
countries have adopted Christianity as their official state religion.
"I think the way I look at it, Senator, is there's nothing necessarily
contradictory about Islam and democracy," Deputy Secretary of State Richard
Armitage said.
