Bernard Lewis still argued in the 2000s that Arabs were unfit for democracy

Evidence

Despite the wave of movements against dictatorship, the doddering old Orientalist Bernard Lewis continued to maintain that democracy will not work for Arabs; a consultative system that comes out of traditional Islamic culture would be better. As he put it, “We, in the Western world particularly, tend to think of democracy in our own terms—that’s natural and normal—to mean periodic elections in our style. But I think it’s a great mistake to try and think of the Middle East in those terms and that can only lead to disastrous results, as you’ve already seen in various places.” — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 211 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Bernard Lewis maintained Arabs were unsuited to Western-style democracy even after the Arab Spring.; Bernard Lewis argued Arabs are unready for Western-style elections — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 211; British officials argued Egyptians were unfit to govern Sudan due to despotism

Broader Connections

• Bernard Lewis argued Arabs are unready for Western-style elections #corroborates (0.97) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 211