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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A paper which offers a critical analysis of Tessler's article on the relationship of religion and democracy in the Middle East, with particular reference to his comparisons between religiosity in Islamic states and in fundamentalist Christian societies in the western world.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: JL5_JLtessl.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Middle East", there are a number of preconceptions, both about the relationship of Islam to democracy and with regard to the interaction of religion and politics in general, which he
finds to be simplistic at best and inaccurate at worst. It is widely assumed in the West, for instance, that Islam is diametrically opposed to democracy and therefore those Arabs
with strong religious principles must automatically reject democratisation out of hand. Tessler argues that this is not the case: there is such a wide
variety of theological and political thought under the broad banner of Islam that it is impossible to make such a sweeping generalisation. Certainly, there are some groups within the Middle
East for whom Islam is associated with enforced authority, conformity and maintenance of the status quo, but there are others who have a different perspective on both the parameters of
the faith itself and its influence on political ideology. Tessler illustrates this diversity by drawing a comparison between the US and Europe, in terms
of the relationship between religion and politics. In the US, strongly held religious convictions tend to be associated with Christian fundamentalism, authoritarianism, restrictive moral codes and a "hawkish" political trend.
In Europe, however, greater religiosity tended to be linked to internationalism, European integration, and support for foreign aid. Tessler argues that there is
a similar degree of diversity in Arab countries, and that it is impossible to make generalisations about the way that Islam and democracy are interlinked. He finds, for example, that
support for democracy can be found in those who also support Islam, and that the two are by no means mutually exclusive. He notes however that in some areas, women
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