Introduction:
Consultation (Shura) constitutes a fundamental pillar of the Islamic political structure and a supreme reference point for the relationship between the ruler and the ruled.
Consultation has accompanied the Islamic nation since its inception and was the golden rule that governed during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. However, historical transformations have led to a diminished role and a marginalization of its status, to the point that consultation has often become the last consideration in managing affairs.
Today, with the features of the new Syria emerging from the crucible of sacrifices, and after God has blessed our people with the era of liberation, we find ourselves before a historic opportunity to reconsider the system of governance and search for an authentic model that reflects our history and present.
This is where the role of “consultation” comes in—a concept adopted by the Syrian Future Movement as a philosophical and legal vision for a state of law and institutions.
The Concept of Shura-Crater:
The Syrian Future Movement documents define “Shura-Crater” as:
“A system of governance based on integrating the principle of Shura (consultation) as a value-based framework derived from the guidance of Islam with democracy as a procedural mechanism for electing institutions and making decisions, within an institutional framework that achieves a balance between the state and society, and establishes a dual legitimacy: constitutional legal legitimacy, and societal legitimacy stemming from genuine representation and interaction.”
Our intention in adopting this concept and presenting it for Syrian discussion is a serious attempt to answer a pressing question: How do we build a modern and effective system without compromising our authentic identity?
The Position on Religion and Democracy:
The Syrian Future Movement believes that Islam is “a primary source and reference for legislation and lawmaking,” while guaranteeing the freedom of followers of other religions to refer to their own religious laws in matters of belief, worship, and personal status.
This is not isolationism or guardianship, but rather an expression of the identity of Syrian society and its consideration of its particularities, while respecting the principle of full citizenship.
Democracy, in its general sense, is “a means to achieve the people’s aspirations for freedom, justice, progress, and stability.” With this understanding, democracy can be employed as a procedural mechanism to activate the principle of consultation (shura) in our complex reality, moving beyond blind imitation or outright rejection.
Why Shura-cracy? A diagnosis of the crisis in the relationship between the state and society:
The Syrian people have long suffered under an authoritarian system based on “containment,” where the state was dominant and society was marginalized.
Other experiences around the world have suffered from a clear “antagonism” between the state and society.
As for us, we aspire to a third model: “partnership and integration” based on mutual recognition, intermediary institutions, and active citizenship.
Shura-cracy is the political expression of this model. It rejects the model of absolute power under any name, and it also rejects the chaos that negates the role of the state.
It seeks the just middle ground established by Islam, which consists of: a responsible authority, a participating people, and balanced rights and duties.
What does Shura-cracy look like in everyday life?
Let’s consider a municipal council in one of Syria’s new cities. Under Shura-cracy, the council wouldn’t be an executive body elected only once every few years, but rather a permanent consultative institution. This means that the council’s sessions would be open to all citizens, specialized committees would be formed comprising experts from outside the council, and the opinions of local religious figures would be sought on matters of moral significance (without granting them veto power).
The final decision would be made by consensus or a majority vote, and would be subject to appeal before an independent judiciary.
We believe this model reflects the spirit of Shura-cracy, with its distribution of power, community participation, and multiple oversight mechanisms.
Citizenship as the foundation of Shura-cracy:
Shura-cracy is not based on discrimination between citizens based on their religion, sect, or ethnicity. Syrian citizenship is the unifying framework, and Shura encompasses everyone.
Every Syrian citizen, whether Muslim, Christian, Druze, or of any other faith, has the right to participate in Shura on an equal footing. The Islamic framework of the state does not imply religious guardianship over others, but rather the inspiration drawn from higher values such as justice, equality, and consultation (shura).
This is what we emphasize in our documents: that the Syrian Future Movement seeks a “modern, democratic, civil state that does not deny or exclude the guidance of religions, nor does it transgress the values of the Syrian citizen.”
The Role of the Religious Office in a Consultative System:
In this context, the role of the Religious Office of the Syrian Future Movement is more than just an advisory body; it is responsible for formulating religious visions and positions.
However, its most important role is as a consultative authority and a moral deterrent, exercising public counsel and accountability through clear institutional mechanisms.
The Religious Office does not have executive power or the right to veto decisions of the government, but it has the right to express opinions, offer criticism, remind people of the principles of justice and consultation, and mobilize public opinion when necessary.
This duality between political authority and an independent religious institution is what guarantees the protection of religion from being politicized by rulers and protects society from their tyranny.
Towards a Constitution that Establishes the Rule of Law:
To move from theory to practice, the Syrian Future Movement proposes:
- Drafting a constitution that establishes a rational legal authority and guarantees the independence of the judiciary, making it the supreme reference point for all.
- Building genuine, not merely symbolic, consultative and representative institutions that accommodate the diversity and complexities of Syrian society.
- Restructuring the administrative apparatus and rejecting the culture of centralism and authoritarian bureaucracy that was one of the tools of the previous regime.
- Activating the principle of administrative decentralization to empower governorates and cities to manage their affairs through local consultative councils.
Conclusion:
Consultative democracy is not a ready-made solution; we see it as an open horizon for renewal and interpretation.
We in the Syrian Future Movement believe it is the appropriate path to building a modern, democratic, civil state that does not deny or exclude the guidance of religions, nor does it disregard the values of the Syrian citizen in building the nation. It is a state of law and institutions, where no one is above the law, where the people exercise full sovereignty through genuine consultation that combines tradition and modernity, and where the nation and its citizens are parallel lines, neither overshadowing the other.
We ask God to…
