Sherry Rehman briefing media representatives at parliament in Islamabad. – File Photo by AFP

WASHINGTON: Islam and democracy are not only compatible but also complementary with each other, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States Sherry Rehman said.

Speaking at a forum during the 49th annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, Ambassador Rehman said that Pakistan would be completing a landmark democratic transition with the completion of the constitutionally mandated term of the democratically elected government.

She highlighted Islamabad’s commitment to ensure rights for women and minorities, saying the country has a long tradition of assigning high position to women in government and non-governmental offices.

“The pervasive misconception that we must all battle to debunk is the belief that Islam and a modern democratic society cannot co-exist,” she told a gathering of diplomats and writers in a speech at a Strategic Dialogue between American Muslims and the Muslim World.

The dialogue touched on the theme that the North American Muslim Community offered a Role Model in the Muslim World and was addressed by ambassadors of Islamic countries.

Sherry noted that the association of Muslims with hatred and extremism stems from a fear that Islam is fundamentally incompatible with a democratic and modern way of life.

“The political and economic vitality of the North American Muslim Community demonstrates what we have always known, that democracy is not only compatible with Islam but is its central tenet.”

Islam, she said, stands for equality, unity, tolerance, and rights of people and the global religion allows peaceful co-existence of different faiths in the society.

“I come here not to defend Islam from the charge that it is incompatible with democracy.

Rather, I come here to prove that Islam and democracy are intertwined, always have been and always will be.”

“Islam is not the caricature that has been hijacked by extremists, but rather a peace-loving religion of equality, opportunity and tolerance,” she said while canceling out some misperceptions about the religion.

She noted that the active Muslim Community of North America is living proof that misconceptions are easily shattered; that Islam and a modern democratic society are not mutually exclusive.

Islam includes members of every race, ethnicity, and nation on every inhabited continent on earth, she said.

North America is a living example of Islam’s international reach, as well as its complexity and diversity.

“The ethnic makeup of the community mirrors the plural nature of American society, with believers from across the racial, cultural, and economic spectrum.”

“Despite our diverse backgrounds, both here and abroad, the differences are not nearly as strong as the principles that unite us. The values at the core of Islam transcend the superficial differences in skin color, gender, sect, geography, and nationality.”

“Islam is not limited by the artificial boundaries established by wealth, nations, or society. That is why I sincerely believe that the Muslims of North America have a unique perspective to share with the global Islamic community. You exist as living proof that Islam is not only compatible, but complementary with modern democratic society. And just as you demonstrate the universality of Islam, you also manifest the fact that the American dream is alive and well.”

The ambassador noted that the United States has been a welcoming home to Muslims, and it is a country where Muslims have prospered, flourished and become fully integrated at every level of society.

At the same time, she noted that the North American Muslim community has and continues to face some clear challenges in the post-9/11 world.

The negative impacts stemming from September 11th, negative media coverage and lack of understanding, continue to resonate and reverberate, she said referring to instances of suspicion and discrimination.

“And yet, in the face of these setbacks, the North American Muslim community is thriving, probably more so than any other place in the world.

You all are turning negative stereotypes on their heads through your eagerness to participate; to become engaged citizens in North American society, economically, socially and politically.

In the United States, the majority of Muslims report that they are US citizens and overwhelmingly express faith in the American dream, believing that hard work will lead to progress.”

The ambassador sought to diffuse common misperceptions about Islam, saying the religion advocates for basic human rights, the most fundamental of which is freedom.

North American Muslims exercise these rights every day and practice their religion openly.

According to a recent survey conducted by the University of Kentucky, the number of Islamic places of worship in the United States rose 74 per cent in the past decade. Muslims exercise their right to vote.

She said in Islam equality is a fundamental value and all believers are equal in the eyes of Allah.