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Author:

Hashemi, Nader, 1966-

Title:

Islam, secularism, and liberal democracy : toward a democratic theory for Muslim societies / Nader Hashemi.

Publisher:

Oxford University Press,

Copyright Date:

2009

Description:

xix, 280 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.

Subject:

Islam and secularism.
Democracy--Islam.--Islam.
Secularism--Islamic countries.
Democracy--Islamic countries.
Islam and politics--Islamic countries.
Islamic countries--Politics and government--20th century.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (p. [237]-270) and index.

Contents:

Toward a democratic theory for Muslim societies : the historical background -- Duelling scriptures : the political theology of John Locke and the democratization of Muslim societies -- A concise anatomy of secularism : examining its linkages to liberal democracy -- Secularism and its discontents in Muslim societies : indigenizing the separation between religion and state.

Summary:

Islam's relationship to liberal democratic politics has emerged as one of the most pressing and contentious issues in international affairs. The author challenges the widely held belief among social scientists that religious politics and liberal democratic development are structurally incompatible. While there are certainly tensions between religion and democracy, the two are not irreconcilable. Liberal democracy requires a form of secularism to sustain itself, yet the main, political, cultural and intellectual resources that Muslim democrats can draw upon are religious. How can this paradox be reconciled? The author makes three principal arguments. First, in societies where religion is a key marker of identity, the road to liberal democracy must pass through the gates of religious politics. The process of democratization, therefore, cannot be artificially de-linked from debates about the normative role of religion in government. Secondly, while liberal democracy requires secularism, religious traditions are not born with an inherent secular and democratic conception of politics. These ideas must be developed, and in an emerging democracy, how they are developed is critical. Finally, he argues that there is an intimate relationship between religious reformation and political development. While the first often precedes the second, these processes are deeply interlinked. Democratization does not require a privatization of religion, but it does require a reinterpretation of religious ideas that are conducive to liberal democracy. By engaging in this reinterpretation, religious groups can play a central role in the development and consolidation of democracy. This book argues for a rethinking of democratic theory so that it incorporates the variable of religion in the development of liberal democracy. In the process, it proves that an indigenous theory of Muslim secularism is not only possible, but is a necessary requirement for the advancement of liberal democracy in Muslim societies.

ISBN:

0195321243
9780195321241

OCLC:

(OCoLC)232536718

LCCN:

2008026682

Locations:

USUX851 -- Iowa State University - Parks Library (Ames)

UQAX771 -- Des Moines Area Community College Library - Ankeny (Ankeny)

PTAX572 -- Stewart Memorial Library (Cedar Rapids)

OIAX792 -- Grinnell College (Grinnell)

OVUX522 -- University of Iowa Libraries (Iowa City)

UTAX115 -- Buena Vista University Library (Storm Lake)