Secularism Revised
Subtitle: Arab Islam, Religious Freedom, and Equidistance
Publisher: The Other Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 247
ISBN-13: 9789839541830
Description: The separation of religion and the state is called secularism, yet even in the most avowedly secular western democracies, the reality is more complex. The author examines the rich spectrum of configurations of religion and state in the former Christendom, and juxtaposes secular ideals and practices governing church and state with contemporary debates among Arab Muslims concerning mosque and state. It contends that no single model, including secularism, is universally appropriate or consistent with religious freedom. Instead, it moots equidistance - the principle of state impartiality towards religion.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: 1 Doctrines of Secularism and Laicite; title: 2 Contemporary Arab and Muslim Discourses on Secularism; title: 3 A Critique of Secularism; title: 4 Equidistance; title: Conclusion; title: Bibliography; title: Index