John Esposito, author of "Islam: The Straight Path," spoke on the challenges of democracy in the Muslim world at the "Islam, Democracy and the Post-9/11 World" lecture Tuesday.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, Islam and democracy can be compatible, Esposito said.

Even Christianity and Judaism, which are thought to be highly compatible with democracy, were not always seen this way, Esposito said. They too had to make the transition to democracy through "reinterpretation and reform."

He described democracy as a process similar to cracking open a door, something that happens slowly over time.

Esposito first announced his plans to study Islam in the 1960s when he was told he would never find a job.

"There was no interest in the Arab culture then," he said. "With the Iranian revolution, this has changed dramatically."

However, this change has not always been good.

"The reality of it is that it's engaging the vast majority of Muslims in a minority" that includes terrorists, he said.

Post 9/11, Muslims have been called "moderates" or "extremists," he said. Other groups of people are investigated, but when Muslims are investigated, people start talking about monitoring mosques.

Muslims are "guilty until proven innocent in every sphere," even when virtually none have been found directly guilty of terrorism, Esposito said.

This can best be seen in how the media portrays Muslims, in which allegations against Muslims are viewed as more factual than the same allegations against members of other faiths, he said.

Later, Esposito talked about the challenges of bringing democracy into the Muslim world.

"We've promoted democracy in every part of the world except the Middle East," he said. "The whole issue of democratization remains alive today."

In the post-9/11 world, America is fighting a war against global terrorism, often viewed as a war against the Muslim world, Esposito said. The issues have to do with our principles and values concerning democracy and whether we stand for "real democracy" in other parts of the world.

"What do we mean by democracy?" Esposito asked. "Separation of church and state doesn't exist in many of these countries."

Democracy is a process that is on the horizon, he said. However, it will take time.

In addition, America wants to spread its own form of democracy to Iraq and other countries, he said. The second Bush administration has "totally embraced democratization in policy."

"Do we really believe in democratization, or does it mean we'll support self-determination as long as it's what we want?" Esposito asked.

The challenge to Muslim governments will be a "challenge to think long-term," he said. "How do we get them to begin to talk about regime changes?"

Cindy Borch, senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, thought the lecture was "awesome."

"It was really neat to hear him embellish some of the things he said in his book and address other issues that weren't," she said.

Melissa Tudron, a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said the lecture was "very informative."

"It was interesting to see his values and to learn more than I already knew about the Middle East," she said.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on April 14 2005.