Religious politics, Islam, and the sustainability of secular democracy theory and evidence from Turkey : paper to be presented at the Annual Convention of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA), November 16-20, 2007, Montreal, Canada

Date

2007

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Koç University, Istanbul, TR

Abstract

The paper develops a series of theses regarding the relationship between Political Islam (PI) and secular democracy. Turkey is a crucial case because it could achieve liberal-democratic consolidation, even while under a government rooted in political Islamism, which would be unprecedented in societies where Islam is the culture of the majority. Political participation, economic participation, or secularist sanctions cannot by themselves lead to sustainable moderation of PI. The author makes a detailed examination of current causes and conditions, including those necessary for democratization.

Description

This is an extended and updated version of the papers presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, August 30-September 2, 2007, and at the Annual Convention of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture (ASREC), November 2-4, 2007, Tampa, FL

Keywords

MIDDLE EAST, TURKEY, ISLAM, SECULARISM, DEMOCRATIZATION, RELIGIOUS BEHAVIOUR, POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, POLITICAL PARTIES, RELIGIOUS GROUPS, ELECTORAL SYSTEMS, MASS MEDIA, PUBLIC OPINION

Citation

DOI