Muslims today seem divided in their attitudes towards Democracy. The different meanings and ways by which both Muslims and non-Muslims perceive Democracy and Islam, exacerbate this division. In recent years, greater consensus has increasingly emerged among Muslim scholars that, if approached appropriately, some of the fundamental Islamic ideas about statecraft and politics, bear semblance to the basic tenets and philosophical underpinnings of Western democracy.

The imperatives inherent in this belief are captured in Islam and Democracy. This compendium of articles by Muslim scholars encompass the general discussion about the Islam-Democracy nexus, and some specific country studies examining how Muslims pursue their Islamic aspirations, as both Muslims and citizens of 'secular' States. Through these discussions, the recent trends in Political Islam in Southeast Asia are assessed.