Post-Islamist‘Religious Secularism’in the Muslim World

Lily Zubaidah Rahim

Department of Government and International RelationsUniversity of Sydney

The Muslim World

http://www.islam101.com/dawah/muslim_world_map.html

Muslim Majority Countries

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim-majority_countries

Muslim Majority Countries (continued)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Muslim-majority_countries

Freedom in the World 2011Table of Muslim-Majority Countries

Freedom House 2011

PR and CL stand for political rights and civil liberties, respectively; 1 represents the most freeand 7 the least free rating.

▲ ▼ up or down indicates an improvement or decline in ratings or status since the last survey.

↑ ↓ up or down indicates a trend of positive or negative changes that took place but were not sufficient to result in a change in political rights or civil liberties ratings.

•indicates a country’s status as an electoral democracy.

NOTE: The ratings reflect global events from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010.

Country Freedom PR CL Trend ArrowAfghanistan Not Free 6 6 ↓Azerbaijan Not Free 6 5Bahrain Not Free 6 5 ↓Bangladesh* Partly Free 3 4Brunei Not Free 6 5Egypt Not Free 6 5 ↓Indonesia* Free 2 3Iran Not Free 6 6 ↓Iraq Not Free 5 6Jordan Not Free 6 5Kazakhstan Not Free 6 5Kyrgyzstan Partly Free ▲ 5 ▲ 5Lebanon Partly Free 5 3Libya Not Free 7 7Malaysia Partly Free 4 4Mali* Free 2 3Morocco Partly Free 5 4Oman Not Free 6 5Pakistan Partly Free 4 5Qatar Not Free 6 5Saudi Arabia Not Free 7 6Senegal* Partly Free 3 3Somalia Not Free 7 7Sudan Not Free 7 7Syria Not Free 7 6Tajikistan Not Free 6 5Tunisia Not Free 7 5Turkey* Partly Free 3 3Turkmenistan Not Free 7 7United Arab Emirates Not Free 6 5Uzbekistan Not Free 7 7Yemen Not Free 6 5

Freedom in the World 2011Regional Data

Freedom House 2011

Egypt, Democracy and Islam 2011

Egypt, Democracy and Islam (Pew Research Centre Publication, 2011)

Muslim Perceptions of Islam’s Influence in Politics 2011

Egypt, Democracy and Islam (Pew Research Centre Publication, 2011)

Islam was seen as a positive rather than negative influence in politics by equally impressive margins in Indonesia (91% to 6%), Nigeria (82% to 10%), Jordan (76% to 14%) and Pakistan (69% to 6%).

In Lebanon and Turkey, close to a third said that Islam had a negative influence in politics, but in both nations more believed Islam's influence was positive than said it was negative.

Respondents who had a positive view of Islam's influence included both those who said Islam was playing a large role in their country's political life and saw this as a good thing and those who said Islam was playing a small role and saw this as a bad thing. The reverse was true for those respondents who had a negative view of Islam's influence.

Egyptian Priorities 2011

‘Egyptians Embrace Revolt Leaders, Religious Parties and Military’ (Pew Research Centre Publication, 2011)

State-Religion Regimes

Ahmet T. Kuru, Secularism and State Policies Towards Religion (2009:18)

Islamic States States with an Established Religion (Islam)

Secular States Antireligious States

11 15 20 0

State-Religion Regimes in 46 Muslim Countries

State-Religion Regimes

Ahmet T. Kuru, Secularism and State Policies Towards Religion (2009:31)

Passive secularism

Assertive secularism

Islamic stateState with established religion

Secular stateAntireligious state

Continuum of State-Religion Regimes and Secularism

An overwhelming number of Muslims support democracy believing that it is the key to a more just society and to progress.

Muslims indicate that the lack of political freedom is what they least admire about the Islamic and Arab world.

The majority of Muslims would like to see a religious form of democracy with the sharia as one source of legislation, albeit a restricted source.

Most Muslims desire a system of government in which religious principles and democratic values co-exist.

A significant majority in many Muslim countries say religious leaders should play no direct role in drafting a country’s constitution, writing national legislation, determining foreign policy, deciding how women dress in public or what is published in newspapers.

Most Muslims do not want a rigidly secular or Islamic state.

Refer to John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, Who Speaks for Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, (NY: Gallup Press, 2007), p.29-63.

Key findings of the Gallop World Poll 2001-2007:Muslim perceptions of democracy and secularism

Political moderation thesis – J. Schwedler (2006); Vali Nasr (2005)

- inclusion of Islamist parties/movements leads to moderation

Schwedler on political inclusion - radicals become reformers

- fence-sitters become moderates- moderates become even more moderate- moderates have opportunities to increase their

visibility and efficacy