Usuli Institute Khutbah: On Democracy, Voting and Defending Dictators, 4 September 2020

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl delivers the Friday khutbah and jumu'a prayer at The Usuli Institute. Addressing the persistent misperception that voting is not allowed in Islam, Dr. Abou El Fadl walks the audience through the rise of this misperception, which intensified after the Arab Spring. He explains why autocrats and dictatorial Muslim governments pushed for this conception, how it is counter to Islamic principles, and how scholars who gain benefit are complicit in this narrative. He walks through the convoluted arguments put forward to undermine notions of democracy or other means for holding Muslim leadership accountable for their injustices. For more, visit www.usuli.org.