Abstract
The Arab Uprising has been marked by the revolutionary downfall and removal of autocratic leaders in Tunisia (President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali), Egypt (President Hosni Mubarrak), and Libya (President Moamar Gaddafi). Major protests, strikes, and demonstrations have occurred throughout the region, destabilizing governments in Syria and Yemen. These events have renewed speculation about the type of regime most likely to replace traditional autocracies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). To explore this issue, this chapter compares the types of regimes currently governing Muslim-predominant societies with the types of regimes desired by the public in these countries. In particular, the chapter examines whether there is widespread support in Muslim-predominant societies for secular states, characterized by religious pluralism where no one type of faith is constitutionally privileged, diverse types of religious expression and practices are widely tolerated, and Islamism is one faith among many. Historically, Turkey has long provided a model for this type of state, following the Atatürk reforms establishing a modern, democratic, secular state, where the constitution neither recognizes nor promotes any official religion, religious parties are banned, and faith-based discrimination is prohibited.1
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© 2013 Lily Zubaidah Rahim
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Norris, P. (2013). Muslim Support for Secular Democracy. In: Rahim, L.Z. (eds) Muslim Secular Democracy. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137282057_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137282057_6
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