Conceptualising socio-cultural dimension of islamic political thought in the politics of AKP

Abstract

The aim of the study is to conceptualise the socio-cultural dimension of Islamic political thought in the politics of AKP (Justice and Development Party) in Turkey. It addresses the question how certain aspects, particularly the veiling and education, are articulated and dealt with in the socio-cultural policies of AKP. The selection of above mentioned aspects (religious education and veiling) encapsulates several reasons, mainly due to their status of being farad (mandatory) on the adherents of concerned religion as pertaining to its teaching and regulations and secondly, the history of conflict between the secular and Islamic forces, which designed the structure of concerned aspects in such a way that affiliations, interrelations and advancement on these issues by any political group has been treated under the acts of violation of secular constitution of the state. Thus, the study of veiling and religious education and its articulation in the cultural policies of AKP will essentially help us understanding the articulation of Islam in AKP’s policies.

The analysis will help sketching the behaviour of AKP in Turkey and the direction of its future policies. Turkey is a secular democratic country. The founder of the nation, Kemal Ataturk, had strong association to the notion of secularisation of Turkey and containment of Islamism, reckoning it a potential threat to country’s secular outlook. Historically, efforts to transform its identity met with robust political resistance and forceful interventions from the watchdogs of Secularism, the Establishment and the High Command. Several religious political parties were banned and their proponents were disqualified to participate into Turkish politics as a result of pursuing anti-secular policies. AKP was born from the ashes of two formerly banned right-wing political parties, Welfare Party and Virtue Party. Execution of an Islamic agenda can bring AKP’s rule in Turkey into hot waters. Voices are already on air about the suspicious activities and policies of AKP which are instigating mounting polarisation into the society. It is thus imperative to analyse those actions and reactions of AKP which are raising suspicions over its character and its probable affiliations with Islamism.

Bearing an Islam-leaning background, AKP, after one year of its formation in 2001, is the biggest ruling party of Turkey since 2002. My findings indicate that along with the practices and empowerment of democratic norms in the society, AKP has been following an Islamist agenda on parallel basis, which has been exposed time to time by the key deputies of AKP. It has been analysed that democratic rhetoric is employed as a cover up for the execution of Islam-friendly policies and the hidden intentions and real objectives are uncovered and brought forward immediately after the successful achievement of initial aims. The exposition and sheltering Islamism in the state-controlled policies and institutions can pose trickle-down effects such as growing religiosity and amplified polarisation in the society.

My study is falling into the parameters of mix method approach, where news articles are collected quantitatively and will be analysed qualitatively employing textual analysis. I will incorporate random sampling method for the data selection and its saturation and textual analysis for finding results. The study engages the theories of secularism, modernism, democracy, and Islamism to analyse the political rhetoric.