Secularism: Principle Involves the Exclusion of Religion

Secularism
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Secularism is a principle that involves the exclusion of religion from public Parts of the society such as education and the state. According to this principle, there is no religion that is great than the other before the law and therefore religious institutions are completely separated from the state. The main objective of applying the secularism principle is to ensure that the affairs of the state are not in any way interfered with religious groups. This essay will compare and contrast the ideologies of secularism at work in in liberal multiculturalist states such as Canada and the US and Republican states deploying concepts of strong’ secularism such as France and Turkey. In addition to that, this essay will also discuss historical specificity, concepts of public sphere, public order, national identity, citizenship and public policy. The paper will also highlight the advantages and limitations of each ideology for managing religious pluralism using evidence from the cases studies this term.
Countries such as the US and Canada are liberal multiculturalist states that embrace some elements of religion in their political systems as a way of managing religious pluralism. Therefore, it is always a challenge to maintain secularism in such states because different religious groups and different sets of beliefs define their political systems. According to Rayside (2010, p. 280), the religious right constituency in the Conservative Party in Canada has always threatened to leave the party because they feel that most of their opinion are always ignored. On the other hand, the organizational resources of evangelical Protestants and the sheer size of the religious right in the US also enhance the need to combine state affairs and religious beliefs. Moreover, there is a large constituency of believers when it comes to neoliberal deregulation as well as the traditional moral regulation and this has happened because of the individualism of the American protestant faith.
Furthermore, the Progressive Conservative Party still consists of many activists with strong views on the issue of sexual diversity despite the fact that the party has powerful disciplinary tools. There have always been tensions within political parties since the mid-2000s when debates on sexual diversity emerged in Canada (Rayside, 2011, p. 279). The policies that are prioritized by neoliberals in Canada contradict the policy claims of moral traditionalist and this has always led to divisions in political parties. In addition to that, there are contrasting opinions when it come sharia-based family law arbitration in Canada. Supporters of the idea claim that Muslim family law tribunals should be legalized because of the fact that Canada has a multiculturalism policy. On the hand, those against the idea claim that the multiculturalism policy should be abandoned if at all it can be used to justify sharia courts. They argue that multiculturalism can turn into a dangerous policy if it can be invoked to when defending the adoption of sharia courts (Kymlicka, 2005, p. 1). Some commentators argue that the defenders of the Muslim family law tribunals abuse the multiculturalism policy.
There have always been calls for the enhancement of individual liberty and reduction of state authority in liberal multiculturalist states like Canada and the US and this therefore means that the need to deal with excessive individualism and strict enforcement of moral codes will always be a difficult balancing act for both the Canadian Conservative Party and the US Republican party (Rayside, 2011, p. 279). To begin with, the Canadian political system has been dominated by multiculturalism in the last three decades and therefore the multiculturalism policy has played a major role in shaping the Canadian identity. Furthermore, public institutions in multicultural states like Canada and the US operate under multicultural frameworks and ideas. Kymlicka, (2005, p. 1) observes that most public institutions in a country like Canada have adopted multiculturalism policies and this therefore, means that ethnic and religious minorities are free to participate in state programs. The multicultural policy has been a success story in countries like Canada and the US and this is clear evidence that its effects are positive (Kymlicka, 2005, p. 2). However, it is important to note that the multicultural policy has undergone various transformations over time because its main goals keep on changing since the liberal ideals of individual freedom gave birth to the original multiculturalism policy. Canada experienced a liberal revolution in 1971 and therefore individual liberties meant that restrictions such discrimination of homosexuality, birth control and abortion as well as all types of discrimination would be contested by the proponents of equality and individual’s freedom (Kymlicka, 2005, p. 1).
The changing conditions in Turkey coupled with its recent interactions with European institutions has led to the Europeanization in the Turkish-Muslim socio-political movements (Yavuz (a), 2010, p. 225). Again, the country has embraced secularism because of its recent foreign policies and the emergence of a new cognitive map of Islamic identity that is very accommodative. The current secular characteristics of the Turkish government are attributed to the country’s interaction with Europe. Previously, Islam and Europe were constantly locked in constant struggles and this consequently meant there would be difficulties in achieving religious pluralism in instances of intolerance. In addition to that, the clash between Islamic fundamentalism and the European secular humanist has always led to xenophobia and bigotry and that is why the need for great pluralism through political and social reforms had always been avoided by Muslim conservatives (Yavuz (a), 2010, p. 226). However, the Muslim attitude towards Europe and Islam has been shifting in recent years going by the recent history of Islam in Turkey.
Furthermore, the integration of the Turkish Political Islamic movements with the Western world and Europe indicate Turkey’s dramatic cognitive shift. Membership in the EU has always received the support of the diverse religious and ethnic groups in Turkey. The other reason for the shift in attitude is the promise for greater religious, social and political and freedom that led increased calls for Turkey to join the European Union (Yavuz, 2010, p. 226). The various Islamic faction agree on most socio-economic issues but these factions differ when it comes to understanding Islam’s political role. After the 1980s dramatic liberalization, most Turks came to understand that democracy, human rights and pluralism could only be achieved in a universal system.
The attitude of Turkish Muslims towards Europe has been changing over the years according the available historical facts. Furthermore, there have been competing versions of Islam despite the fact that the competing factions share a common Islamic language (Yavuz (c), 2006, p. 226). Most of the Islamic political movements in the country were completely against Europeanization of Turkey but things began to change in the early 1990 as result of a cognitive shift that was very dramatic. Consequently, membership in the U has made the diverse re...