However, islam has, in fact, been a foundational part of turkish identity since the establishment of the turkish republic. Duality and the development of turkish foreign policy toward the arabisraeli conflict, arab studies quarterly. Since then it has shied away from a hardline ideological stance in favor of a more conservative and democratic approach. Alongside his immensely informative account of modern developments, he makes a sustained argument against state enforcement of islam along two major lines. Some critics argue that turkish public institutions, once staunchly secular, are shifting in favour of islamists. Republican turkey is often described as the only muslim secular state, a model for.
It should be noted that the notion of an islamic state is a modern one. The gulen movement, edited by hakan yavuz and john esposito, appeared on time when there is an increasing interest in. The secular elites, who tended to distrust traditional religious leaders, believed that islam could be reformed if future leaders were trained in statecontrolled seminaries. Mustafa kemal ataturk, turkey became the only predominantly muslim and yet secular state in the world, with the establishment of the republic in. The literature produced in turkey about this islamicliberal synthesis is worth exploring and expanding.
Turkish pianist fazil say received a suspended 10month jail term on monday for mocking islam on twitter. The book traces the origin of this perception through the examination of the menemen incident 1930, the state imposition of the turkish ezan call to prayer 193233 and the lifting of the ban on the arabic ezan 1950, the malatya incident. This chapter discusses the development of turkeys secular state and the reemergence of islam in turkish politics. Secularism and muslim democracy in turkey in 2002 the islamist justice and development party akp swept to power in turkey. Turkey divided between secular and islamist rule abc news. The concept of religion and the foundation of ethics and morality. Turkey fears of islamic challenge to secular state 15 apr, 20 10. He solved this by making the military the constitutional guardian of the secular state, protecting it against the power of the religious. Bold, pragmatic, and deeply rooted in islamic history and theology, islam and the secular state offers a workable future for the place of shari. For years, turkey provided the only modern secular though not completely democratic state in the muslim world, believed to be immune from any serious impact of political islam. State islam the directorate of religious affairs known as the diyanet is the government body that represents and directs all of sunni islam in turkey.
Islamic states and muslim secularism geopolitical futures. Secularism in turkey defines the relationship between religion and state in the country of turkey. Secular turks have become increasingly concerned over what they see as the creeping islamization of society. Consequently, turkey is not an islamic state, but a secular state with an islamic society. The birth of the state of saudi arabia coincided with the destruction of the dar alislam that had been established by the prophet muhammad peace and blessings of allah be upon him.
Islam, democracy, and turkeys secular state oxford. It details the various strategies employed by gulens followers to put his ideas into practice, both in turkey and around the world. The topic of nonreligiosity among migrants of turkish origin is often overshadowed by debates of islam and integration, although turkey has a long history of nonreligious, secular positions. In fact, he suggests, the very idea of an islamic state is based on european ideas of state and law, and not sharia or the islamic tradition. Thus, western culture and lifestyle were to become the way of life in turkey. Turkish secularism and islam under the reign of erdogan. The project of kemalist nationbuilding is seen as antithetical to islam, and the fortunes of both are tied up in a zerosum game, whereby the success of kemalist nationalism entails the diminution of islam, and vice versa. Islam, secularism and nationalism in modern turkey, a book based on research in turkish archives, as well as german, british, and american government depositories, is relevant not only to those interested in turkish politics, turkish nationalism, the balkans, and middle eastern history, but also to scholars, students, and policymakers. A bargain between the secular state and turkish islam. The politics of engagement between islam and the secular state. Nationalism and islam have widely tended to be viewed as separate elements in the turkish context. Islam, secularism, and nationalism in modern turkey.
Turkey 2018 international religious freedom report executive summary the constitution defines the country as a secular state. Theirpurpose was rather to purify islam and to open the gate for a reformist islamic thought and a modern state. That meant turkey needed a secular political order. The dewesternization of knowledge introduction 3 the nature of man 9 the nature of knowledge 143 definition and aims of education 149 islamic system of order and discipline 152. Turkish politics, especially the issue of religion and the secular state, along with research into political participation and legal pluralism in muslim minority communities, particularly in the. Turkish states model of laicism is aimed at coopting sunni islam, the religion of more than three quarters. When the reformers of the early 1920s opted for a secular state, they. This essay outlines the changes turkey underwent in its transition from empire to nationstate in terms of its experiment with secular ism and. It instituted a series of rapid reforms aimed at thoroughly transforming turkish political and. Pdf a bargain between the secular state and turkish. Islam and secularism in turkey is an insightful historical analysis of the turkish secularists fear and perception of irtica islamic reactionism. Lessons from the turkish experience in subsaharan africa and central asia, the european journal of development research, 24, 2, 261.
This book has been translated into most of the major islamic languages of the world turkish, arabic, urdu. Created in 1924, a year after the republic of turkey was formed, the diyanet is enshrined in article 6 of the turkish constitution. The constitution recognizes the freedom of religion for individuals, whereas the. Contradictions of authoritarian secularism 182 6 indonesia. Contributors describe its intellectual and religious formation, its spread across turkey and central asia, and its influence on. In order to be a muslim by conviction and free choice, which is the only way one can be a muslim, i need a secular state. Islam and the secular state abdullahi ahmed annaim. The common denominator is the idea that there should be an islamic state, but everyone disagrees on what this state should look like.
The literature produced in turkey about this islamic liberal synthesis is worth exploring and expanding. Many saw turkey as the model for muslimmajority nationstates, adopting in 1928 the secular path. The turkish conservatives longtime preference for an americantype liberal secularism provides a promising lesson, showing how islam can be compatible with a secular order. Why muslims need a secular state 1 2 islam, the state, and politics in historical perspective 45 3 constitutionalism, human rights, and citizenship 84 4 india. The moderation of turkish islam in the example of the akp did not result from simple, unrestrained participation in democracy, but from a complex mixture of incentives to participate and disincentives to accentuate islam, in a guided democracy. Paradoxically, despite the early turkish republics attempts to become a secular state, and the animosity displayed toward religion and religious practices, over time the turkish republic endorsed. Sufism is a form of islamic mysticism that emphasises introspection and spiritual closeness with god. The victory in the november 2002 elections of the religiously rooted justice and development party akp has been a challenge for turkish democracy with its strong secular state tradition. Moderate islam and secularist opposition in turkey. And so arabia, the heartland of islam, also embraced of the secular model of a state.
The concept of religion and the foundation of ethics and morality 51 iv. Throughout the middle east, the clash between islamic forces and authoritarian states has undermined many democratization efforts. Although the new system of westernstyle secular, particularly on the basis. Islam and the secular state based on materials from the international symposium islam and the secular state, 56 june 2002, in the memorial complex of alimam albukhari, republic of uzbekistan translators and editors.
Turkish islamist thinkers have long maintained that by representing a secular, antireligious nationalism based on ethnicity, official turkish nationalism contributed to the rise of its twin sister, kurdish nationalism. In fact, he suggests, the very idea of an islamic state is based on european ideas of state and law, and not shari. The gulen movement, a nonpolitical turkish islamic group, has attracted. To further this goal, the government in 1949 established a faculty of divinity at ankara university to. Although the military condemns the use of religion for political purposes, it has, in the past, used religion as a political tool to serve national interests. Turkey, secularism and religion geopolitical futures. Turkish general cevik bir once said, in turkey, we have a marriage of islam and democracy the child of this marriage is secularism. Secularwesternizing state elite military and bureaucracy vs. All this is then contrasted in chapter iv of the book entitled islam. He established the former ottomanturkish state as a republic under the western ideology. Creating one in a predominantly muslim country was not an easy matter. Democracy, reform and the justice and development party foreword by james p. It emerged in response to the rise of the current international architecture based on the secular nationstate.
Islam and the secular state, 56 june 2002, in the memorial complex of al imam al. This book explores the sociopolitical conditions and cultural venues in which islamic. Although the new system of westernstyle secular, particularly on the basis of culture, negatively affected the islamic life in turkey, turkish. Of course, the turkish experiment with the rule of a party with islamic roots, the justice and development party akp, within a framework of strict secularism has generated controversies over the boundaries between secularity and religion in the public sphereten.
What should be the place of sharia islamic religious law in predominantly muslim societies of the world. Turkey has a secular constitution, with no official state religion. It provides for freedom of conscience, religious belief, conviction, expression, and worship and prohibits discrimination based on religious grounds. Turkish politics and of moderate islamism to make a more accurate prediction. In bringing the nomadic tribes to heel, reza shah was simply. State secularism and communal violence 140 5 turkey.
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