Studying the Relationship between Democracy and "Monotheism in Governing" from Perspective of Contemporary Islamists

All Islamists recognize the principle of monotheism; but in comparing the relationship between democracy and the Islamic teachings, important conflicts and challenges have arisen between Islamists. Some Islamists maintain that democracy in all its forms is a violation of monotheism, while others have rejected Western democracy but have spoken of the possibility of combining the democracy as a method with monotheism. The analysis of this conflict leads us to the conclusion that the problem lies in the ambiguity in the concept of democracy. The Wahhabis, al-Qaeda, and ISIS groups believe that the elements such as secularism, humanism, and unconditional acceptance of the will of majority, are inherent parts of democracy. So, that is impossible to separate them from democracy. Therefore, the democracy is determined in western version and we cannot have Islamic democracy. But, On the other hand, some Islamists have said: "People's participation and role-playing in government is the essence of democracy, and none of the three elements mentioned above are essential parts of democracy. Thus, Western democracy is merely an example of democracy. As a result, ambiguity in the concept of democracy has become the source of Islamists' verbal and unrealistic differences.