Democracy and Islam, an article written by Irfan Ahmad1 strives to demonstrate that there is a possibility that Islam could move towards democracy. On the other hand, Islam and Liberal Democracy: A Historical Overview, an article written by Bernard Lewis2 discusses how a democracy is unable to function in Islamic states. In this essay I will compare and contrast the two articles. Both Bernard and Irfan have weight in their arguments and have some strengths, as well as weaknesses. The main difference between the two articles is the variation in the authors' fundamental definition of democracy and their distinct perspectives on the functioning of a democracy. Furthermore, the articles also differ in the format chosen and in the authors' thoughts on Catholic and Western influence. The fundamental dispute between democracy and Islam is strong in both articles and is resolved respectively. Irfan was able to make a more convincing case and was able to maintain a better structure; However, I firmly believe that Islam is a theocratic system and is not compatible with democracy as a system of government. The debate between Islam and democracy is endless and, for this reason, the grounds on which they debate tend to have cracks. It is important to define democracy before exploring this topic. Merriam-Webster defines democracy as “a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting”; this is a well-balanced description of the word eloquent. Both Bernard and Irfan present their definition of the word democracy, describing what they consider democracy, and then begin to express their opinions. Bernard Lewis approaches it on a limited scale as he shows the democratic system as... middle of paper... er, I also believe this would result in an unjust Islamic state. Personally I believe that you cannot measure how religious a person is. It is a matter between them and their God, and whether it is politicians or leaders, we are unable to do justice to what the Quran states is right and wrong. We are imperfect, so any system we create will have these flaws within it. It would simply be a secular political system where all people are treated as equals, which is unfair since each individual has their own relationship with Allah. As much as my generation would like to believe that Islam and democracy are compatible, it is simply not possible. Indeed, both can coexist globally, but merging them would be like trying to fix something that isn't broken. The root of Islamic law is incompatible with democracy; Islam is a theocratic system where only Allah can judge you.