“Theocracy” is a word that isn’t often used anymore. But it is a word that aptly describes Political Islam. Here is the Encyclopedia Brittanica definition of a theocracy:

“government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. In many theocracies, government leaders are members of the clergy, and the state’s legal system is based on religious law.”

Islam is a complete civilization. It has a religion, a culture, and a political system with the Sharia, jurists and courts. Its laws and governance (codified in The Reliance of the Traveller) are based on Islamic doctrine found in the words of Allah (in the Koran 5:48), the examples of Mohammed (in the Hadith) and the biography of his life (in the Sira).

"'Shari'a' is the term used to refer to Islamic law. It is the body of rules that God revealed to humankind in the sacred texts of the Qur'an. Unlike man-made law, the Shari'a is eternal and is not supposed to be altered by man. . . The Shari'a covers every aspect of law (that is, public and private, criminal and civil, national and international) together with what would not formally be regarded as law in contemporary Western thought (for example, religious and social duties as well as rules of conduct).”

Sharia laws are also considered universal as well as eternal. They are for all time and for all people. Therefore, the public and civic portions of the Sharia apply to non-believers (Kafirs). This is how Islamic law differs from the Jewish Halacha, which only applies to Jews. So, it is extremely important for us to understand the doctrine that supports the Sharia and the Islamic “legal system.” 

There are seven theocracies in the world. Six of the seven are Islamic. They are Afghanistan, Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Yemen. Other Islamic countries follow the Sharia in their governance but do not adhere to all of the laws, such as chopping off a hand as punishment for theft.

Can a 1,400-year-old theocracy take over countries that have long histories of representative government based on freedom of speech, equality before the law and equal rights? It has happened before and can happen again.