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Afghanistan's Central Asian neighbours have generally reacted pragmatically to the Taliban's seizure of power there. For the autocratically ruled, secular states on the periphery of the former Soviet empire, economic cooperation and the stabilisation of humanitarian and political conditions in Afghanistan are at the forefront of their interests in maintaining relations with their southern neighbour. According to offi­cial discourse, Central Asia's entrenched secularism is not challenged by the Taliban's Islamism. On social media in Central Asia, however, the Islamic emirate of the Taliban is portrayed as a political counter-model; one which is more positively received in coun­tries with greater discursive freedom and under governments whose policies more openly confront the Taliban. This reveals a trend towards Islamist-inspired iden­tity formation that will be difficult to stop through censorship and repression. (author's abstract)

About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews

Islamic identity and the Turks in West Germany / Peter Antes -- Islam in Germany and the German Muslims / Klaus Kreiser

This paper examines the notion of state and leadership according to the contemporary Islamic thought. To be more precise, the paper asks whether it is possible for a non-Muslim to be the president of the majority Muslim country. To answer this, the paper will dwell into the problem of citizenship both in classical and modern Islamic thought by taking into account the political and social situation that shapes this thought. The paper maintains that many Muslims?both in the past and at the present?fail to offer a proper discourse on statehood and leadership in Islamic perspective. The mainstream discourse on this issue?the paper argues?is that which keeps in a good balance the notion of religiosity and citizenship. The rightwing Muslims will provide a textual understanding of the problem, while the left-wing will otherwise offer a secular interpretation of it. This paper will try to keep the two in a balance, and present a fair understanding of what the Qur'an and the Sunnah say about the problem at hand.

"This book examines the evolution of Muslim religious identity over the past four decades and its impact on the socio-cultural aspects of Muslim life in Israel. It focuses on the evolving role of Islam in the construction of a Muslim minority identity in Israel and on the impact of that newly developed Muslim identity as it has become integrated into religious and socio-cultural spheres since the 1970s. It investigates the means by which the Muslim minority relates to the challenges imposed by modernity within the non-Muslim context. In addition, the present research draws on a public-opinion survey, to expand our understanding of popular Islam and of howIslamisperceived by the general public. This book is also based on analyses of religio-legal texts published by local and foreign religious scholars, who interpret Islam for the Muslim minority in Israel"--

Islam is the religion of the majority of Arab citizens in Israel and since the late 1970s has become an important factor in their political and socio-cultural identity. This leads to an increasing number of Muslims in Israel who define their identity first and foremost in relation to their religious affiliation. By examining this evolving religious identity during the past four decades and its impact on the religious and socio-cultural aspects of Muslim life in Israel, Muhammad Al-Atawneh and Nohad Ali explore the local nature of Islam. They find that Muslims in Israel seem to rely heavily on the prominent Islamic authorities in the region, perhaps more so than minority Muslims elsewhere. This stems, inter alia, from the fact that Muslims in Israel are the only minority that lives in a land they consider to be holy and see themselves as a natural

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- CONTENTS -- LIST OF FIGURES -- PREFACE TO THE SECOND PAPERBACK EDITION -- PREFACE -- ONE: What Is Muslim Politics? -- Imagining Politics -- The Language of Politics -- Doctrine and Political Action -- Setting Boundaries -- TWO: The Invention of Tradition in Muslim Politics -- The "Modernization" of Muslim Societies -- The Blurring of Tradition and Modernity -- The Objectification of Muslim Consciousness -- THREE: Sacred Authority in Contemporary Muslim Societies -- The Linkage of Religion and Politics -- Authority and the Interpretation of Symbols -- Networks of Authority -- FOUR: The "Firmest Tie" and the Ties That Bind: The Politics of Family and Ethnicity -- The Politics of Family -- Women in the Muslim Political Imagination -- Ethnicity -- FIVE: Protest and Bargaining in Muslim Politics -- Membership and Organization -- The Technologies and Culture of Protest -- The Fragmentation of Authority -- SIX: Muslim Politics: A Changing Political Geography -- Transnational Linkages -- The Civic Geography of Muslim Politics -- Of Paradigms and Policies -- NOTES -- GLOSSARY -- ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY -- REFERENCES -- INDEX

Examines the situation of non-Muslims living in Muslim countries of the Middle East & North Africa during the current period of rapid Islamization. It is argued that the decrease in the proportion of non-Muslims is largely the result of intermarriage & international migration, indicating a receptive attitude within non-Muslim communities to the Muslim environment, as well as openness to the outside world within these nations. The history of religious minorities living in Muslim countries of the Middle East & North Africa is traced from pre-Islamic & colonial times to the present, noting various stages of Islamization, factors that interrupted them, & ways in which nation-states provided an institutional & ideological framework that allowed Islamization to resume. Key reasons for emigration to other countries by members of religious minorities are discussed, along with the impact of intermarriage, & the positive but "silent" forces of differing birth/death rates on the religious composition of populations. Future demographic prospects for non-Muslim minorities in Muslim countries of the Middle East & North Africa are assessed. 1 Table. J. Lindroth

AbstractThis research endeavors to build an egalitarian social order that emphasizes human equality and eradicates all forms of discrimination based on identities created by the current social system, including race, religion, ethnicity, skin color, nationality, etc. This is done because research into issues of citizen equality within Muslim political systems is an interesting part of discourse regarding national diversity and ideological issues in governance. Using an empirical approach, this study analyzes the involvement of non-Muslims in practical politics and government in Muslim-majority areas such as Makassar. The involvement of non-Muslims in practical politics is key to the creation of a democratic system of governance. This study contributes an explanation as to why the recognition of non-Muslims' political rights must not solely be viewed in terms of theory, but also in terms of normative and practical structures, as Islam promotes democratic governance in which equality, justice, and tolerance are realized well and no political discrimination is committed against citizens. Through this, the purity of Islam can remain undistorted and the gap between the practiced reality among this Muslim-majority population and fundamental Islamic teachings can be bridged.Keywords: Muslim's thought; political rights; non-Muslims; Makassar; الملخصيسعى هذا البحث إلى بناء نظام اجتماعي للمساواة الذى يشدد على المساواة بين البشر ويستأصل جميع أشكال التمييز على أساس الهويات التي أنشأها النظام الاجتماعي الحالي، بما في ذلك العرق والدين والعرق ولون البشرة والجنسية وما إلى ذلك. ويتم ذلك لأن البحث في قضايا تعد المساواة بين المواطنين داخل الأنظمة السياسية الإسلامية جزءًا مهمًا من الخطاب المتعلق بالتنوع الوطني والقضايا الأيديولوجية في الحكم. باستخدام منهج تجريبي، تحلل هذه الدراسة مشاركة غير المسلمين في السياسة العملية والحكومة في المناطق ذات الأغلبية المسلمة مثل ماكاسار. إن إشراك غير المسلمين في السياسة العملية هو مفتاح إنشاء نظام حكم ديمقراطي. تسهم هذه الدراسة في تفسير لماذا يجب ألا يُنظر إلى الاعتراف بالحقوق السياسية لغير ...