12 Islam and the State: the identification of secularism with modernisation and social progress Flashcards
How do Islamists view the Ottoman Empire - and why?
Islamists often look to the Ottoman Empire as the perfect Islamic society. They link its success to enforcing Shariah law.
This then leads them to believe that having a Caliphate is very important.
why does Hussein think the Ottoman empire was held back?
Hussein considers that the Ottoman empire was mainly held back by its inability to take on the printing press as it could not print in Arabic. This held the empire back by about 200 years.
How does Hussein view the Ottoman Empire?
He believes that the Ottomans wanted to secularise their laws - it tolerated may faiths over three continents - one of the longest lasting empires in history! (e.g. tanzimat reforms)
It gave each community its own courts and so each community could carry out their own religious laws.
What happened to the Ottoman Empire in the end?
As it went into decline, the Sultan Selim III looked for a solution.
This involved reforms along European lines. He made changes to education, the law and the military.
The Ottoman soldiers did not like the changes and, with backing, they murdered Selim and replaced him with his brother.
Finally, Selim supporters overthrew his brother and put his nephew in charge, Mahmud who instigated European style reforms which became known as the Tanzimat reforms.
What were the Tamzimat Reforms
1839 - The Tanzimat reforms were intended to create a modern, centralized, and efficient state that could compete with the European powers.
The Tanzimat reforms are considered a turning point in Islamic history, as they marked the beginning of a period of modernization and transformation for the empire.
- Mahmud introduced new laws, abolished the system of tax farming, established a modern education system, and reorganized the Ottoman military along European lines.
So, while the Tanzimat Reforms refer to the larger series of reforms initiated by the Ottoman Empire in the mid-19th century, the Gulhane Decree was a specific edict that marked the beginning of these reforms.
What was The Gulhane Decree
Aimed to modernize the
administration, the army, the judiciary, and the education system of the empire, and to provide more rights and equality to Ottoman citizens regardless of their religion or ethnicity.
It also reduced the power of the Janissaries, the elite Ottoman military corps, which had become corrupt and hindered the reforms.
- Instituted a regular system of levying taxes;
- Modernised army and navy.
- Abolished the death penalty for apostasy. Moving away from Islamic punishments.
what was The imperial rescript 1856.
This recognised that the Ghulene decree had not gone far enough and introduced:
- A European style penal system (based on the French system) which put aside the Hadd (Islamic punishment).
- Got rid of the jizya tax for Dhimmis.
- Brought in Napoleonic trade laws.
- Decriminalised homosexuality.
Courts were a mix of shariah and non shariah courts
Secularism in Turkey
Secularism in Turkey refers to the separation of religion and state, which was introduced during the early years of the Turkish Republic. It was a part of the sweeping reforms, known as Kemalism, initiated by Mustafa Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.
Atatürk
Atatürk believed that the country’s progress and modernization required a complete break with the Islamic Ottoman past, and he implemented a number of policies aimed at creating a secular, modern state.
One of the key reforms was the abolition of the Ottoman Caliphate , which had been the religious and political authority for Muslims around the world.
Atatürk also introduced a number of laws, such as the Civil Code, the Penal Code, and the Law on Family Rights, which were based on European legal models and aimed at secularizing Turkish society.
Liberal democracy depends upon a civil society. Turkey has a lot of voluntary organisations which demonstrates the fact that it is a civil society.
Since then, Turkey has had a secular government, with the military playing a key role in upholding secularism. However, in recent years, there have been concerns about the increasing influence of Islam in Turkish politics, and some have criticized the government for undermining secularism
