Secularism
Secularism and Nationalism
Pro-Family Forum: “secularist”
Denies the deity of God, the inspiration of the Bible
and the divinity of Jesus Christ
Denies existence of the soul, life after death, salvation
and heaven, damnation and hell.
Denies the Biblical account of Creation
Believes there are no absolutes, no right, no wrong
– that moral values are self-determined and situational. Do your
own thing, “as long as it does not harm anyone else.”
Believes in the removal of distinctive role of male
and female.
Believes in sexual freedom between consenting individuals,
regardless of age, including premarital sex, homosexuality, lesbianism.
Believes in the right to abortion, euthanasia, and
suicide.
Believes in the equal distribution of wealth to reduce
poverty and bring about equality.
Believes in control of the environment, control of
energy, and its limitation.
Believes in the removal of American patriotism, and
the free enterprise system, disarmament, and the creation of a one-world
non-Christian government.
What is it?
Modernization? Westernization? Reformism?
Ulama - intelligentsia
Education
Law
Political Institutions
Identification of community: umma vs. nation
Din wa dawla
Abbasids, Seljuks, Mamluks, Ottomans, Safavids, Mughals
separation on institutional level
states - instruments of worldly secular power
legitimized in terms of patrimony-
"superior ancestry"
culture - often connected with
pre-Islamic societies
but also defenders, patrons, supporters
of Muslim worship
education, law,
jihad
19th century
Young Ottomans
Young Turks
Arab Nationalists
Pan-Turkish or Pan-Islamic intellectuals
Ataturk - "Kemalism"
"Six arrows":
Republicanism
Secularism
Populism
Nationalism
Statism
Revolutionism
Some Middle East Constitutions:
Iran
Turkey
Pakistan
Iraq
Lebanon
Libya
Saudi
Arabia
Israel
Afghanistan