The Daily Star - Opinion Articles - Democracy also means that Islamists are allowed to vote

The Daily Star - Opinion Articles - Democracy also means that Islamists are allowed to vote: "Islamists, for their part, have proven their commitment to peaceful democratic participation in Morocco, Yemen, Kuwait and Jordan, where they are powerful forces in Parliament. Islamists in Turkey, for example, have demonstrated their impressive ability to adapt to social and political realities - in the process becoming poster-boys for Islamic moderation. Turkey's Islamist politicians were once fiery advocates of disengagement with the West. Today, the ruling Islamic-leaning Justice and Development party, in an ironic twist, has sought active engagement with the West, particularly the European Union.
Jordan's experience is also worth noting - a rare of example of more than five decades of peaceful coexistence and often close cooperation between Islamists and the ostensibly secular Hashemite monarchy. The lesson here is clear: Free elections, the expansion of political space, and other institutional mechanisms that encourage conflict resolution through peaceful means push Islamic parties to become more moderate in their goals and aims.
To be sure, Ayman Nour is a courageous politician deserving of America's attention and support. His arrest has provided the Bush administration with an opportunity to prove its commitment to democracy in the Arab world. Nour and his promising party of young liberals, however, are but one piece of a complex puzzle. If the U.S. plans to tread a bold new path in the region, it will have to pressure recalcitrant regimes, such as Mubarak's, to include in the democratic process not only liberals like Nour, but also moderate Islamists. "