Muslim Reformers in Iran and Turkey: The Paradox of Moderation

CHAPTER 4: Muslim Reformism: Engagement with Secularism and Liberal Democracy

  Muslim reformism has its origins in the nineteenth century when superior Western firepower and technological advances began to achieve dominance over Muslim societies. The reformist response involved a comprehensive attempt to identify the causes of Western dominance and Muslim weakness. It sought to reestablish the relevance of Islamic identity in a rapidly transforming and modernizing world. The current trend of Muslim democracy may be conceptualized as representing a high point in this reformist lineage that encourages a self-critical yet confident perspective and a systematic engagement with Western achievements such as political pluralism and human rights. The appeal of Muslim reformism in countries such as Indonesia, Iran, and Turkey indicates that the lasting importance of Islam does not necessarily signify a negation of secularism understood as neutrality of religion. Besides, many Muslim politicians and intellectuals refuse to endorse authoritarian versions of Islamic political identities on the basis of their Islamic identity and readings. This chapter starts with a conceptual and historical discussion of secularism and a comparative narrative of Western and Muslim experiences of secularism. A central contention is that Islamic political movements of the twentieth century were defensive efforts in an increasingly secularized sociopolitical environment. The Islamic revival of the twentieth century was not necessarily a stubborn resistance to modernity and secular trends. Rather, it represented Muslim believers’ attempts to reinvent their religion as a force capable of guiding action and defining political vision in the age of secularism . These endeavors were heterogeneous and gave rise to thinkers and organizations that competed with each other to be the authentic representative of Muslim belief. They had various forms, ranging from clandestine cells with C H A P T E R 4 Muslim Reformism Engagement with Secularism and Liberal Democracy M U S L I M R E F O R M I S M 6 5 violent goals to intellectual outlets preaching the message of religious and political pluralism. The chapter then provides an analytical discussion of Muslim reformism in Iran and Turkey with regard to their democratic commitments. An uncritical acceptance of the term “Muslim democrats” is misleading and obscures the fluid and constantly evolving nature of the Muslim political identity. While Muslim reformism clearly represents a rupture with the premises of the Islamist ideology, it is not yet at ease with all the premises of liberal democracy. In particular, Muslim reformism, like Christian political groups in the United States, seems to have a dismissive sense of the threats of religious conformism to social pluralism and individual liberties. Despite its decisive turn toward popular rule, political pluralism, and human rights, Muslim reformism in Iran and Turkey is still characterized by ambiguity and confusion on issues that are crucial for protection of basic rights. Important indicators show that Muslim reformists may discriminate against, or at least fail to offer full protection to, groups such as non-Muslims or nonpious Muslims, and that they have a shallow sense of democratic participation and the linkage between transparency and good governance. This does not necessarily mean that Muslim reformers are singularly defective in this regard, since many political groups in Western democracies have similar issues. Additionally, Iranian and Turkish Muslim reformers are products of specific historical and cultural conditions and constantly evolve as prevailing political conditions change and new leadership cadres emerge. Their evolution is not a deterministic process. Muslim Political Experience in the Age of Secularism The meaning of secularism continues to be highly contested and is subject to a variety of competing interpretations. Regardless of which definition of secularism is employed, many informed observers would argue that Muslim societies are far from being secularized. The available survey data show that Islam continues to be essential to the self-identification and moral imagination of hundreds of millions of people. Social and political movements with Islamic orientation and goals have been very active and often enjoy mass support. Issues related to public expressions of Muslim identity are central to political debates in societies with Muslim majorities and sizable minorities. At the same time, the intellectual trajectory of Muslim reformism cannot be fully M U S L I M R E F O R M E R S I N I R A N A N D T U R K E Y 6 6 grasped without an understanding of how global diffusion of secular practices affects Islam. In fact, Muslim reformism can be defined as an ongoing process that aims to...