ABSTRACT
Human rights are one of the criteria used to measure democracy, since basic civil liberties are required if people are to be part of the political decision-making process and to hold rulers accountable. The concern for reintroducing Islam in the modern public realm has a history dating back at least to the decline of the Ottoman Caliphate. Congealing of a sense of collective identity which, according to Dankwart Rustow's model for transition to democracy, must begin to happen before people can come together as a democratic polity, is in its early stages in many Arab countries. Lebanese political life, including any prospect for further democratization, is strained by the presence of Syrian armed forces on its soil and the constant intervention of other external powers such as Israel. Islamists have been able to win ground in almost every election that had some degree of fairness and freedom.
