Suchergebnisse

Trapped in a US-dominated environment, the Syria of Bachar Al-Assad lives under a strong injunction to democratize. What kind of political & social reactions does such international pressure arouse in the domestic arena? The regime itself adopted a reformist stance & pretends to aim at political liberalization. However, it gave priority to economic growth & the kind of unruly capitalism it enhances leaves little hope for a democratic transition. Non Governmental Organizations & secular political parties are caught between governmental strategies of cooperation & exclusion. As for the Islamic movements, outlawed for the past 25 years, they might mobilize a frustrated eighty percent of the Sunni population. In this critical juncture, the ruling coalition appears weakened. Adapted from the source document.

Ever since the accession of Turkey to the European Union has become an increasingly concrete possibility, one of the most discussed subjects in Europe but also in Turkey is the Muslim identity of the great majority of the Turkish population. This article aims to give an outline of the different components of this plural Islam, focusing on European Turks & their politico-religious memberships. The article also discusses the concepts of official & oppositional Islam in the Turkish context & questions the relevance of this dichotomy. Finally, the paternalistic attitude of the Turkish state with respect to the European Turks is analyzed, in particular as it applies to the religious field. Adapted from the source document.

Explores whether Islamic values are compatible with the three basic institutions of a free society: the rule of law, constitutional democracy, & a market economy. The successful functioning of these core values depends on their compatibility with a country's underlying values. A look at these institutions in the Islamic world indicates that where they exist they differ considerably from their realization elsewhere. Special attention is given to the impact of Islam's "economic ethics" on the three central institutions. The results of opinion polls conducted in 14 countries in April-May 2003 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press are drawn upon to review opinions held by Muslims on government & social issues. Although Islamic values are generally not conducive with the establishment/maintenance of free-society institutions, the poll results suggest that the attitudes of Muslim populations are surprisingly compatible with many of the preconditions needed for these core institutions. Prospects for the successful establishment of democracy in Afghanistan & Iraq are discussed. 4 Tables, 43 References. J. Lindroth

This article is a study of Jamiyyat-i Fadaeeyan-i Islam, or the Society of Devotees of Islam, a Shiite militant group active from 1945 to 1955. Such a study is significant because (1) of the striking similarity between Fadaeeyan's views & those of hardliners in today's Iran, though the former were less articulate; & (2) many younger members of Fadaeeyan later joined Heyat-ha-i Moetalefe-h Islami, the Coalition of Islamic Groups, which is considered to be the core hard-line group in postrevolutionary Iran. The intention here is to examine Fadaeeyan-i Islam's political views as supported by their religious thinking. To do so, it is necessary not only to consider the historical record of the group, but also to find out which social & political developments influenced its political & religious views. This includes a short biography of its charismatic leader, Seyyed Mojtaba Navvab-i Safavi, & an account of the group's main activities during the years of the nationalist movement in Iran, leading to the government of Mossaddeq & the nationalization of the petroleum industry. Then, the group's religious & political views are examined. Finally, an attempt is made to look at the social &, in particular, political developments that influenced the formation of these views. Adapted from the source document.