CONF./CFP- Political Islam and Democracy, CSID, May 14, Washington, D.C.
Posted by: Radwan Masmoudi <masmoudi@islam-democracy.org>
Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy
Call for Paper Proposals
Political Islam and Democracy - What do Islamists and Islamic
Movements want?
CSID's 9th Annual Conference
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Washington, D.C.
The term "Islamist" today is mostly popularly connected in the Western
mind with theocracy, disregard for human rights, and hostility towards
the West. It is used indiscriminately to describe various religiously-
inspired political movements in a broad swath of the Muslim world
which is internally culturally, socially, ethnically and, to an
extent, religiously diverse. The broad application of this term in
this manner thus collapses a range of views among groups loosely
labeled as Islamist. "Hard-line" Islamists who reject Western-style
democracy outright, for example, need to be distinguished from
"moderate" Islamists who are willing to be accommodating of democratic
political participation.
In the past 10 or 15 years, many Islamic movements have in fact become
strong advocates of democracy, but still have vague interpretations of
what democracy means. Does democracy - in their view - include equal
rights for non-Muslims and secularists? Does it include equal rights
for women? How do they reconcile the basic concept of democracy (rule
of the people, by the people, and for the people) with their
understanding of "divine sovereignty" (al-Hakimiyya)? Will Islamists
and Islamic movements respect the right of the people to change their
governments or to pass legislation that appear to contradict
traditional interpretations of the Sharia? These moderate Islamist
parties are gaining in popularity, but are they capable of providing
effective solutions to the social and political problems of the Arab
and Muslim world? Should the US and the West engage such moderate
Islamists, or should we try to exclude them from the political process
in their countries by making "secularism" a pre-condition for
political activism?
The Ninth annual conference of the Center for the Study of Islam and
Democracy (CSID) will be devoted to exploring the complexities of this
highly important topic today in the context of democracy and
democratization in these diverse Muslim-majority societies. Paper
proposals are invited from prospective participants on the following
five broad topics. Possible topics are not restricted to the ones
that follow but proposals must establish their relevance in general to
the issues of democracy and democratization processes in the Islamic
world:
1. What do the main Islamic parties from Morocco to Indonesia say
about democracy, human rights, equality, and rule of law? Do they
believe in implementing sharia laws, and if so, what is their
understanding of the sharia and how do they intend to implement such
laws?
2. Are Islamist movements capable of generating interpretations of
Islamic law so as to promote a democratic political culture and
pluralist civil society? If so, where have they succeeded in doing
so, and how can these experiences and views be replicated in other
parts of the Muslim world?
3. Should the US, Europe, and the West engage these moderate Islamists
in a dialogue and encourage them to participate in peaceful political
movements and processes? Can broad coalitions between moderate
Islamists and secularists be built to support moderation and peaceful
democratization in the Muslim world?
4. How has the rise of political Islam or Islamism in late twentieth
century affected the rights of women and religious minorities in
Muslim majority societies?
5. How can moderate Islamist movements be harnessed to promote gender
rights and the equality of citizens today? What is the spectrum of
views now current among these groups in various parts of the Islamic
world?
6. Has the current exclusion of Islamist groups in general from the
broader political dialogue in the Middle East, for example, adversely
affected the process of democratization in the region?
Both broad theoretical studies and specific case studies are welcome.
Paper proposals (no more than 400 words) are due by February 20, 2008
and should be sent to:
Prof. Asma Afsaruddin
Chair, Conference Program Committee
1625 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 601,
Washington, D.C. 20036.
Tel.: (202) 265-1200. Fax: (202) 265-1222.
E-mail: conference2008@islam-democracy.org
Authors of accepted proposals will be notified by March 1, 2008 and
final papers must be submitted by April 1, 2008.
Selected panelists and speakers must cover their own travel and
accommodations to participate in the conference, and pay the
conference registration fee ($100) by April 1. CSID will waive the
conference registration fees and provide an honorarium of $300 for
speakers and panelists coming from overseas to present their papers.
Radwan A. Masmoudi
President
Center for the Study of Islam & Democracy (CSID)
1625 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. 202-265-1200
Fax: 202-265-1222
Cell: 202-251-3036
masmoudi@islam-democracy.org
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