Project on Middle East Democracy

Project on Middle East Democracy
The POMED Wire Archives


Category: Secularism

POMED Notes: CSID Conference on Egypt and Tunisia

April 18th, 2011 by Ali

On Friday, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) held their 12th Annual Conference under the theme “Tunisia’s and Egypt’s Revolutions and Transitions to Democracy.” CSID President Radwan Masmoudi opened the conference by giving special attention to discerning real and fake stability and development in Egypt and Tunisia.

The first panel, chaired by George Washington University Visiting Scholar and Program Committee Chair for the event, Radwan Ziadeh, was entitled “The Jasmine Revolution’ and Transition to Democracy in Tunisia: Why and How?”  Jaloul Ayed, the Tunisian Minister of Finance, opened the panel following a brief introduction by Tunisian Ambassador Mohamed Saleh Tekaya.

Continue reading below, or click here for the pdf.

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Posted in Civil Society, DC Event Notes, Diplomacy, Elections, Foreign Aid, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Judiciary, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform, Sectarianism, Secularism, US foreign policy, US politics, Youth | Comment »

Egyptian Analyst Discusses Need to Bridge Egypt’s Religious and Secular Public Spheres

April 12th, 2011 by Naureen

In an op-ed in Al-Ahram, Ibrahim El-Houdaiby discusses the emergence and role of the  two public spheres fostered by the Mubarak’s regime: the religious and secular-liberal spheres.  He notes that these spheres, which had minimal diversity and relatively exclusive, had little influence on the regime’s policies.  Rather, Mubarak chose which sphere’s rhetoric to employ to justify his policies.  El-Houdaiby also discusses how these regimes changed over time and calls on members of both spheres to reconcile.  ”Ousting Mubarak’s regime means the emergence of an all-inclusive polity that reflects societal diversities. That in turn requires the emergence of an inclusive public sphere — one that transforms reconciliatory efforts into a mainstream movement,” he says.  He closes by stating that failure to reconcile will “jeopardise long-term national stability for the sake of short-term electoral success.”


Posted in Civil Society, Egypt, Elections, Freedom, Islam and Democracy, Muslim Brotherhood, Political Islam, Protests, Reform, Secularism | Comment »

Jadaliyya Roundtable on Syria: Part Two

April 1st, 2011 by Naureen

As part of a Jadaliyya Roundtable, editors of the blog asked analysts Steven Heydemann, Fred Lawson, David Lesch and Patrick Seale to respond to a series of questions on the current situation in Syria.  In part two of the roundtable, contributors were asked to respond to the following question:  ”What do you consider to be missing or exaggerated in the discussion/writings/policy on the Syrian uprisings?”

In response, Heydemann states that the current debate in Washington seems to reflect revived dreams of “‘flipping’ Syria through regime change, and re-defining the regional balance of power in ways that would work decisively to America’s advantage.” They ignore, however, the realities of what democratic transition in Syria would look like.  He calls  for a long-term approach in which the U.S. helps develop the capacity of the Syrian opposition and also noted Syria’s history of republican government in the 1940s and 1950s.  Lawson notes that many have seemed to ignore reports that protests began in these small towns not due to local grievances and not grievances against the regime.  He also questions the role of economic strain of the drought and industrial, commercial and agricultural circumstances as drivers of protests.  Lesch notes the exclusive coverage of the extreme anti-government groups and pro-government groups, and states that in reality it will be the silent majority — including different elite groups — that will determine the course.  Seale argues that analysts have ignored the mind-set of Bashar Al Assad who feels a sense of pride for enduring “the many crises he has had to deal with in his decade of power” and the legitimacy he has gained for his anti-Israel and anti-West sentiments.  He stated in his speech that he had other priorities to be concerned with such as stability and protection of citizens and apologized for failing to enact reform.


Posted in Israel, Lebanon, Protests, Reform, Sectarianism, Secularism, Syria, US foreign policy | Comment »

POMED’s Daphne McCurdy Interviewed on Syria

March 31st, 2011 by Alec

POMED’s Senior Research Associate Daphne McCurdy was interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Bashar al-Assad’s recent speech addressing protests in Syria.  McCurdy said the Assad’s speech was an attempt to pacify the unrest by stoking fear of Iraq or Lebanon-style sectarian strife in the ethnically and religiously diverse nation.  She explained that there may be internal divisions within the regime on how to respond to the protests as security forces may have ignored a possible Assad directive to not open fire on protesters.  The regime does not want to be seen as “giving in” to the protesters demands and is not ready to pursue reforms which might explain the lack of real substance in Assad’s speech.  McCurdy also mentioned that the Syrian people view the recent cabinet resignations as superficial concessions and that while people in general were willing to at least listen to Assad’s promised plans for reforms, his speech fell far short of what was desired.

Ms. McCurdy’s interview beings at the 3:48 mark and ends at the 9:15 mark.


Posted in Protests, Reform, Secularism, Syria | Comment »

Turkey: Seven Journalists Arrested, Charged With Coup Plot

March 7th, 2011 by Alec

On Monday, a Turkish court charged five journalists of being involved in an alleged plot to overthrow Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government.  The journalists were remanded into custody and joined two additional journalists who were also charged with involvement in the same plot on Sunday.  The seven journalists’ houses were raided by police a week ago. The arrests come amidst a protracted investigation by the Turkish government of the ultra-nationalist group Ergenekon, which the government accuses of plotting to overthrow the Islamist-rooted ruling AKP party.  The European Union and prominent human rights groups have expressed concern over the arrests as government suppression of free speech.  Interior Minister Besir Atalay responded to such charges saying: “It is an injustice that the government should be exposed to allegations of silencing the voice of the press or limiting press freedom.”


Posted in Islamist movements, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »

Lebanon: Protesting Against Confessionalism

February 28th, 2011 by Alec

On Sunday, hundreds of people rallied in Beirut to protest the country’s complicated power-sharing confessional system which divides political power amongst the country’s 18 different religious sects.  The protesters called for a civil-secular state that guarantees religious diversity and social justice.  Many, including some of the protesters at the rally, blame the current political system as the root cause of corruption and violence in Lebanon.  One counter demonstrator however questioned the abandonment of the confessional system asking: “How can I be sure that my group enjoys full rights if the system is removed?”


Posted in Lebanon, Protests, Reform, Sectarianism, Secularism | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Egypt and the Middle East: A Turkish Model of Democracy”

February 26th, 2011 by Naureen

On Friday, the Wilson Center hosted an event, entitled, “Egypt and the Middle: A Turkish Model of Democracy,” discussing the growth of democracy in Egypt and the role other democratic models could play in the process. John Sitilides, Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the Wilson Center Southeast Europe Project moderated and introduced the speakers: Steven A. Cook, the Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations; Henry J. Barkey, a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Program and the Bernar L. and Bertha F. Cohen Professor at Lehigh University; and Robert Toscano a former Italian diplomat who was ambassador to Iran from 2003-2008 and India from 2008-2010.

For full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.

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Posted in Egypt, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Military, Muslim Brotherhood, Reform, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »

Can Islamism Be Democratic?

September 15th, 2010 by Jason

In an Atlantic article titled “When Islamism is Liberal-Democratic”, Max Fisher notes that the recent passing of a constitutional referendum in Turkey is being described in some quarters as a turn away from the country’s secular past. He asserts that it is actually a move towards liberal democracy: “Islamic rule and liberal democracy, far from mutually exclusive in the Middle East, can go hand-in-hand.” He goes on to describe Middle Eastern Islamic movements as essentially “populist” and not all that different from populist movements in the U.S. or elsewhere. As Fisher points out, Islamic governments are often more representative of the populace than secular dictatorships, promoting cooperation and trust between the government and the people. The dictatorships, which have often been supported by the U.S. in the past, often cause “…more harm than good.” He concludes by saying,” We might prefer that all governments be secular liberal democracies like our own. But if we must choose between an Islamic democracy or a secular autocracy, regional history suggests we should prefer the former every time.”


Posted in Civil Society, Democracy Promotion, Freedom, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Public Opinion, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »

POMED Notes: “Is Turkey Becoming Less Democratic?”

September 13th, 2010 by Anna

On Monday, September 13th, POMED hosted an event entitled “Is Turkey Becoming Less Democratic?” The event was moderated by Bill Schneider, Distinguished Senior Fellow and Resident Scholar at Third Way and the Omer L. and Nancy Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University. The discussion featured three panelists: Gonul Tol, Executive Director of the Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute; Daniel Brumberg, Director of the Muslim World Initiative at the U.S. Institute of Peace; and W. Robert Pearson, former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and President of the International Research and Exchanges Board.

POMED’s full notes continue below or read them as a pdf.

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Posted in Democracy Promotion, Elections, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Judiciary, Kurds, PKK, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »

Turkey: Referendum a Test for AKP, Military

September 7th, 2010 by Evan

Days ahead of the Turkish constitutional referendum, Steven Kinzer suggests the vote will be a critical test of both AKP’s (Justice and Development Party) and the military’s power: “If the referendum passes, it will be taken as a sign that Turks are fed up with the military’s involvement in politics.” Should the referendum pass on Sunday, Kinzer writes, it will likely empower AKP to draft a new constitution in the coming year, which he believes is “essential if Turkey is to reach European levels of democracy” and may, in the long run, facilitate the resolution of Turkey’s conflict with the Kurds.


Posted in Kurds, Reform, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »

Islam and Democracy

August 24th, 2010 by Farid

Writing at Comment is Free, Brian Whitaker discusses the Quilliam Foundation’s claim that “violent and nonviolent Islamists broadly share the same ideology and disagree only on tactics.” According to the Quilliam Strategic Briefing Paper, “Preventing Terrorism: where next for Britain?, “Although some Islamist groups have accepted aspects of democracy, political pluralism and the concept of universal human rights, few — if any — Islamist groups have accepted all of these principles either fully or simultaneously.” The paper goes on to say that Islamism constitutes a threat to secular democracy and “tolerant society,” adding that Islamist ideology promotes an “anti-democratic, fascist state” comparable to racial apartheid.

Presenting a different analysis, Whitaker argues that the key issue is not Islamist violence, but the fact that Islamists “believe in the ‘sovereignty of God,’” which “conflicts with democratic ideas about the sovereignty of the people.” According to Whitaker, the underlying problem is “an anti-libertarian assumption that linking the state with religion is both legitimate and necessary. Not only that, but religion claims the right, at least in some circumstances, to override the will of the people.” Whitaker attributes the increasing popularity of Islamist groups in the world to Western support of undemocratic regimes, adding that “the lack of scope for political and religious debate means that their basic ideology often remains unchallenged in the public discourse.” However, responding to Whitaker, Inayat Bounglawala points to Turkey as model for reconciliation between Islamic values and democracy. In his assessment, he writes that “across the Islamic world, polls have repeatedly found widespread support in favour of the implementation of both democracy and Islamic values.”


Posted in Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Secularism | Comment »

Iran: Clerical Establishment Impeding Democratization

August 19th, 2010 by Farid

Ray Takeyh, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, writes in the The Washington Post that Iran’s mullah’s owe the Iranian people an apology for squashing “another democratic movement in the summer of 2009,” as they did in 1953 with the fall of Premier Mohammad Mossadegh. In Takeyh’s view, it was not the instigation of the CIA plot against Mossadegh that played a decisive role in rejecting democratization in Iran, but rather the mullah’s influential voice that refused to accept secular democratization of the country.


Posted in Iran, Islam and Democracy, Secularism, US foreign policy | Comment »

Iranian Journalist Receives World Press Freedom Hero Award

August 10th, 2010 by Farid

The International Press Institute (IPI) has declared Akbar Ganji– Iranian journalist and dissident –a World Press Freedom Hero, in “recognition of his decades of work defending freedom of speech and equal rights for all, in the face of continued harassment and imprisonment.” Ganji spent six years in the infamous Evin prison in Tehran, much of that time in solitary confinement, while continuing to write. Addressing prospects for democracy in Iran, Ganji wrote a “Republican Manifesto” in which he “outlined the steps by which Iran could achieve a secular democracy, and emphasized respect for human rights, an independent press and an independent judiciary.”


Posted in Freedom, Human Rights, Iran, Journalism, Reform, Secularism | Comment »

Turkey: Is Reform Truly a Debate Between Secularists and Islamists?

August 3rd, 2010 by Farid

Turkey will hold a national referendum on September 12 “on a wide-ranging set of changes to the constitution.” Advocating for the amendments, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) argues that the “reforms will enhance democracy in Turkey and boost its case for accession to the European Union.” The Republican People’s Party (CHP) however, opposes the reforms, saying that “they violate the independent nature of Turkey’s military and judiciary.” The package of reforms to the 1982 constitution includes 26 amendments encompassing military, judicial, and citizen rights components.

On that note, in a very insightful piece in The Wilson Quarterly, Michael Thumann argues that recent political developments in Turkey are not based on a “clash between Islamist Turks and secularists,” but rather on a conflict between Turkey’s long-reigning political elites and a “rising class of newcomers” with roots outside of Istanbul who also happen to be “religiously observant.” According to Thumann, the veteran elites are “gradually losing their grip on [Turkey's] central institutions and its society, and they don’t like it.” Elaborating on this point, Thumann points to the issue of headscarves to suggest that “Islam in Turkey is not so much experiencing an upsurge or revival as it is coming out of the closet,” adding that women who wear headscarves have not increased in numbers but rather that they now wish to participate in public life. Correcting mainstream misconceptions about the AKP, Thumann explains that “the AKP has not pursued any Islamist objectives, such as establishing laws based on religious sources.” Turkey’s old elite however, believe that the “commitment to internal Westernization is hanging in the balance,” Thumann explains, adding that compromise is rare in Turkish politics and that “an attempt to make a minor amendment to the constitution may quickly turn into a battle about the very survival of the Turkish republic.” According to Thumann, in a trend similar to those seen in Western nations with diverse populations, “AKP partisans claim the same jobs, access to schools, and even concepts—modernity and democracy—that were once seen as the monopoly of the old elite.” But it is Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Thumann argues, who has “assumed command of Turkey’s Westernization drive” and pushed for EU membership.

Regarding the upcoming referendum, Thumann says that the reform package fails to address Turkey’s increasing centralization of government. As of now, local governments in Turkey do not have the authority to make significant decisions, and thus, “Regions that lack self-sufficient local government perforce lack strong representation in the capital to push for local interests,” he explains. In a predominantly authoritarian region, Turkey’s embrace of democracy must be demonstrated by embracing “pluralism in its national life,” Thumann says.


Posted in Political Parties, Public Opinion, Reform, Secularism, Turkey | Comment »

Iran: Islamic Repuplic or Iranian Republic?

August 2nd, 2010 by Farid

Majid Mohammadi argues at Gozaar that the Green Movement in Iran has “reshaped the Iranian political factions” inside and outside of the country. Noting two different tendencies both inside and outside of Iran, Mohammadi writes, “One section of the movement pursues its goals within the framework of the existing regime and its constitution, while the other does not believe the regime is capable of reform and aims to overthrow the regime through a series of non-violent actions.” Mohammadi says that those in favor of working within the current system– Islamists –and those against it– secularists –are debating the vision of an Iranian republic vs. an Islamic republic. Describing the secularists as “revolutionary in substance,” Mohammadi explains that they “want regime change.” On the other hand, Mohammadi points out that Islamists do not hold the Islamic Republic responsible for the “misery of the Iranian people,” but rather hold “Khamenei’s regime to be a deviation from the original idea of the Islamic republic.”


Posted in Iran, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Reform, Secularism | Comment »

Turkey: AKP a Threat to Democracy?

August 2nd, 2010 by Farid

Writing in the National Review, Barbara Lerner argues that the current ruling political party in Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan‘s AKP, is indeed Islamist and that “a ‘moderate Islamist party’ is a Western fantasy, a contradiction in terms, concocted by people who are blind to the fundamental differences between Islam and Christianity.”Assessing Turkish foreign policy under the AKP, Lerner argues that Turks “are now just part of the Middle Eastern mob,” adding that the party pretends to believe in freedom, democracy, and equality while in reality the government consists of “closed-minded, hate-spouting xenophobes and anti-Semites.” Comparing the current Turkish government to the Ottoman empire, Lerner says, “Ottoman emperors were the opposite of the narrow, hate-filled ideologues who govern the Arab and Persian states and, alas, Turkey today,” adding that the regime is “anti-western, anti-Christian, or anti-Jewish.” Lerner expresses four concerns: one, that the Turkish secular military has failed in its duties due to its fear of jeopardizing Turkish membership in the EU; two, that the AKP has infiltrated all secular institutions with its Islamist followers in order to consolidate its power; three that anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment amongst Turks is growing; and four, that the West has failed to hold the AKP accountable for its “extreme hostility to our legitimate and vital security interests.”

In another analysis of political developments in Turkey, Soner Cagapatay writes in Newsweek that “Turkey is heading toward a European model, but it is neither modern nor liberal.” Instead, he argues that Turkey is moving towards the East European model of the 1940′s, “when communist parties took power in democratic elections, only to subvert democracy and veil their nations behind the Iron Curtain.” Cagapatay equates communism with Islamism, saying, “both movements, rooted in an illiberal ideology, see democracy as a means to an end and espouse a Manichaean, us vs. them mentality.” He moves on to propose that the AKP will continue to support Islamist leaders in the region and “trample on free media, gender equality, and democratic safeguards such as an independent judiciary” in its own country. However, like Lerner, Cagapatay is hopeful that Kemal Kiliçdaroglu of the secular Republican People’s Party may gain public support, which Cagtaptay argues can only be achieved through “grassroots politics.” He adds that “the West must stand with democracy by ensuring free and fair elections and maintaining a level political playing field.”


Posted in Elections, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Political Islam, Political Parties, Reform, Secularism, Turkey, US foreign policy | Comment »

Kuwait: Secularism in Education?

July 23rd, 2010 by Farid

Kuwaiti Minister of Education Moudhi Humoud recently decided to “tone down the incendiary religious content of the nation’s school curriculum,” an action with serious political and religious repercussions in Kuwait. The secular minister, who has been criticized for not wearing the headscarf, discussed two questions in a “controversial draft of a ninth- grade final exam”: the issue of the companions of the prophet Muhammad and “appropriate behavior at a cemetery.” As both of these issues are of great contention for both Shi’a and Sunni Muslims, it is conceivable that Humoud was attempting to ease the sectarian tension in Kuwait. However, her aspirations sparked severe criticism from the political and religious establishment, with MP Mohammed Hayef arguing that “Our Islamic religion curriculum is not open to political compromises.” MPs have called for her “grilling” in parliament, which according to many will lead to either her impeachment or her resignation.


Posted in Islam and Democracy, Kuwait, Secularism | Comment »

Iran: Islam or Secularism?

July 12th, 2010 by Farid

Hooshang Asadi provides insight on the political and historical transformations of Iran as divided along liberal and fundamentalist lines, arguing that the Constitutional Revolution in 1906 and its collapse occurred precisely because of the popular Islamic shari’a legal system. Despite efforts to integrate the two into a formal constitution, “The self-contradictory nature of this constitution would later give birth to the Islamic Revolution of 1979.” According to Asadi, since the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian government has “sought to suppress civil society by replacing civil law with sharia law,” but he argues that only in the time of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has Iran tried to become an Islamic Caliphate rather than an Islamic Republic. Today, Iran is divided into two camps, Asadi explains — the Shi’a fundamentalists and the Green Movement, or reformists. According to Asadi, “Bearing in mind that Iran has long served as a source of inspiration for many social and ideological movements in the region, it becomes clear how critical is the outcome of the battle between these two camps in Iran for the country, the region, and the world at large.”


Posted in Iran, Political Islam, Reform, Secularism | Comment »

Iran: Infiltrating Schools With Clerics

July 12th, 2010 by Farid

In order to combat Western influence and political opposition, Iranian authorities have ordered to send 1,000 clerics into Tehran schools, according to Mohammad Boniadi, deputy director of Tehran’s education department. According to a piece in The Washington Post, these same measures were taken right after the 1979 revolution, when morality police were placed in schools to “promote the government ideology.” Seeking to enhance the government’s influence on the Internet, Fars News Agency has also reported that they will increase the number of pro-government blogs. Head of the Basij militia force, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, has also declared that the Basij will “increase its Internet capability threefold” by the Persian New Year, March 21.  Ali Akbar Mousavi Khoini, former reformist member of the Iranian Parliament who is currently a visiting fellow at Stanford University, argued that despite the government’s attempts to enhance its epistemological influence over the youth, it will inherently fail. In spite of years of attempts to Islamize universities in Iran, last year’s uproar around campuses during and after the presidential elections showed that Iranian youths have already “developed their own political and cultural views,” which according to Khoini will be difficult to change.

On the same note, the Hejab and Chastity Conference that has been announced in Iran, has gained significant critique from the rest of the world, since the government’s intentions are to ensure people’s adherence to Islamic dress code and to punish public socializing between opposite sexes while outside of marriage. According to a very interesting observation at Tehran Bureau, “While free expression within the rigid legal and cultural confines of the Islamic Republic has never been easy, enforcement of these draconian guidelines becomes ever more difficult as more and more Iranians adopt Western styles.”


Posted in Freedom, Iran, Islam and Democracy, Middle Eastern Media, Secularism | Comment »

Egypt: Coptic Church Rejects Court Ruling Over Non-Muslim Law

June 23rd, 2010 by Farid

Earlier this summer, the Egyptian Supreme Court passed a law obliging the Coptic Church to allow divorced Copts to remarry in the Church. According to an article in Al-Masry al-Youm, Copts gathered outside of the parliament building to demonstrate against the newly passed law, asserting that it goes against Biblical teachings.

Coptic Pope Shenouda III issued a statement against the law, saying that marriage is not simply an administrative act and that religious doctrines must be respected. In today’s piece in Al-Masry al-Youm, the Pope’s counselor, Hani Aziz, expressed optimism as President Mubarak has promised to finalize the new law with consideration and respect towards laws of the Gospel. The pope also showed his gratitude as  he praised Mubarak “for understanding our rejection of what violates our sacred precepts.” According to Aziz, the finalized version will be finished in two months.


Posted in Egypt, Secularism | Comment »