Islam and modernity: The case of Turkey and the Welfare party

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The term of modernity has always been a crucial and mostly misunderstood concept of the 20 century. There is another significant misunderstanding about the “clash” of religion and modernity. The last misunderstanding is the usage of Islam as an anti-modern term and lifestyle in the lives of Islamic societies. The fundamental goal of all developmental efforts in developing countries is to modernize their societies, and the image of modernity, insofar as it relates to material goods, is that of the more developed countries in the West. Harry Eckstein advocates a universal approach to development based on “abstract theories regardless of time, place and circumstancetheory that spans the whole of history, from primal origins to modernity.” We should not forget that it is the individuals of a society who determine its shape and direction. Binding with the term of modernity, there is an important discussion about the secularization and its anti-religious characteristics. Secularization is not a necessary condition for development and modernization. It is one thing to reject the power of any religious group or “class”, but quite another to also reject what the revealed religions have to offer. Looking from the other side of the medallion, Islam is not against modernity and development. Islamic societies have been static and have not developed in the manner they should, this is essentially due to the failure in understanding and application of the Qur’anic doctrine in its totality. Claims are made in the Muslim world by the ruling elites that their societies are Islamic, but when one critically scrutinizes these societies on the basis of the Qur’an, that is, its principles and guidelines, apart from noticing some rituals and traditions, one finds it extremely difficult to take the claims seriously. When we look to the case in Turkey, we can see the Islamic elite (so called elite) and their aim to politicize Islam on the basis of anti-Westernism, which has been a significant failure. The political Islam in Turkey had been criticizing the development (progress) model of Turkey as being Western. I will examine the Islamic movement in Turkey (and specifically the current case, Welfare Party etc.) using the above terms and their approach to modernity and Islam.