The Umma of Democracy

Abstract

This article challenges the democratic-peace literature to extend its scope by considering some of the underlying characteristics that might otherwise explain the absence of war between states. In particular, the article proposes that residents of democratic states share a common sense of community, and that people who share a sense of community do not wage war with one another. This proposal is illustrated by comparing two very unlikely cases: the peace dividends generated by the Islamic community of believers, or umma, in the seventh century and the modern umma of democratic states. In both cases, shared perceptions, rituals and political attributes are shown to bind warring tribes or states together in a community of informal and peaceful allies. The consequences of this argument for policymakers and social scientists are discussed in the concluding section.