Political Islam

The recent report of the International Crisis Group (ICG) is interesting. This report is about the political Islam in central Asia.

To avoid future instability, Central Asian states need to re-examine their policies towards Islam and step back from reliance on repression. Seventy years of Soviet rule in Central Asia did not crush Islam but it had a profound effect in secularising society and political elites. Nevertheless, after independence there was a surge of interest in Islam, including the emergence of political Islamist groups seeking to challenge the secular nature of these new states. The heavy-handed repression of early manifestations of political Islam led to confrontation, violence, and the appearance of extremist and terrorist groups.

For a secular state, people should reach to this point that Islamic democracy is not possible( this is a paradoxical combination). In fact, they are one step behaind!.Many Islamic nations think that an Islamic government is better than any kind of democracy. So is it possible to force people who fundamentally believe a religious system to accept a secular state? Democracy comes next! Turkey is a good example. Though it has a secular government, the society is religious and you can find the radical and extremist people everywhere.

(posted by Iman)

Posted:Tuesday, July 15, 2003 |