Traditions of power legitimacy vs democracy: problems and opportunities (within the context of modern Afghanistan)

Abstract

The article aims to analyze and find answers to the question of whether Afghanistan’s political crisis can be resolved. The author looks at the dominant political ideology in the West and tries to relate it to the Taliban’s current political dominance. Although it is challenging to define this power as democratic, it has historical roots. After examining the advantages and disadvantages of the Western and Eastern approaches, the author concludes that Afghanistan lacks democratic institutions based on the indicators of power legitimacy. Sharia serves as the foundation for the Taliban government’s legitimacy, but it adheres to al-shura or jirga principles in its traditional interpretation of Islam. At the same time, parliamentary republics and democracies can be perfectly acceptable forms of government in an Islamic state, and citizens may consider the government legitimate.