The Secularization of Individual Islamic Practice

Abstract

Another factor to be considered in the transformation of Islamic identity and practice is the influence exerted on Islam by the secular character of European and American societies. The legitimacy of Islam’s establishment in Europe and America—often described as spaces devoid of God—continues to raise questions and doubts. In many respects, Islam is considered to be the diametrical opposite of the principle of secularism, viewed as an inherent attribute of the Western world. It is, certainly, true that it was in Europe that the principle of religious freedom developed, through blood and tears, from the sixteenth century on. This struggle for religious freedom led to that gradual separation of the political and religious spheres, which is now a fundamental aspect of democracy from Europe to the United States, Canada, and Australia. This separation includes both religious organizations’ independence from most forms of political authority and the protection of religious freedom, guaranteed by that same power. This process of separating Church and State, otherwise known as secularization, is based on the philosophical principles of tolerance and respect for religious beliefs. It should be noted that the European history of this separation is rather more complex and contentious than the corresponding American history, as the social systems of Europe were long characterized by the congruence between State’s roles and those of a dominant Church. In contrast religious pluralism in the United States is one of the basic elements of the national ethos.