Secularism and Contemporary Muslim Politics: Repositioning Religion in a Democratic State

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the dynamics of the relationship between secularism and contemporary Muslim politics and explain the process of religious repositioning in democratic countries. For decades, secularism was often understood as a separation between religion and state that was seen as a prerequisite for modernity and democracy. However, global political developments show that religion is not marginalized from the public sphere, but rather continues to play an important role in political and democratic life in various Muslim countries. This study uses a qualitative method with a library research approach and descriptive-comparative analysis. Data were obtained from books, journal articles, official documents, and various scientific publications that discuss secularism, democracy, and contemporary Islamic politics. The research analysis uses the theory of Multiple Secularities from Monika Wohlrab-Sahr and Marian Burchardt, the theory of Public Religion from José Casanova, the theory of Twin Tolerances from Alfred Stepan, and the perspective of Governmentality from Michel Foucault. The results of the study show that Muslim countries are not moving towards a uniform model of secularism, but rather develop various forms of religious and state relations that are influenced by their respective historical, political, and cultural contexts. Religion is no longer positioned as the formal basis of the state nor completely separated from public life, but is repositioned as a source of public ethics, moral legitimacy, and social capital that contributes to the strengthening of democracy. This research offers the concept of Democratic Religious Repositioning, which is a condition when religion and the state build a negotiable and accommodating relationship so as to allow religious values and democratic principles to develop in a complementary manner in a pluralistic society. These findings show that the future of contemporary Muslim politics does not lie in the dichotomy between the secular state and the religious state, but rather in the ability to build democratic, inclusive, and contextual governance of religious-state relations.