Religion and Politics in Comparative Perspective: The Cases of Türkiye and Malaysia
Journal Title: Journal of Middle East Perspectives - Year 2022, Vol 1, Issue 2
Abstract
This article makes a comparative analysis of the place of religion in political life in the cases of Türkiye and Malaysia. Türkiye has long maintained a tradition of secularism similar to the French model reputed for its opposition towards the extension of religion in the aspects of political, legal and administrative life. Secularism as such has been a major character of Turkish political and legal life, and it has long been backed by an influential class of statesmen, and legal and administrative mechanisms. Secularism in Türkiye has been undergoing a major change, however, for the last two decades of AK Party rule towards a more people-friendly model. Malaysian Constitution, on the other hand, for long identifies Islam as the religion of the state and recognizes it as a major source of reference in various arenas of political life. While the religion has a greater structural influence in some states like Kelantan and Terengganu, it has notable influence in all the Malaysian states within the context of a pluralist legal system. This article examines how two countries differ on the subject particularly, and seeks an answer to the differences partially, and locates them in such factors as British political traditions on Malaysia compared to the French influence on Türkiye; predominance of religious civil society organizations and activists in Malaysia compared to the secularist modernists in Türkiye; and Malaysian religious awakening and mobilization compared to the Turkish disillusionment with the religion at the elite level from the past until the mid-2000s.
Authors and Affiliations
Hakan Köni
Keywords
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