Bangladesh: 2007

Publication Date: June 2007

Publisher: Hudson Institute

Author(s): Maneeza Hossain

Research Area: Culture and religion; Politics

Type: Report

Coverage: Bangladesh

Abstract:

In the global conflict against terrorism, radical
Islamism is the driving ideology of militant forces
that have disrupted peace, security, and stability in the
world. Islamism, as a spectrum of political formulations
that share the proposition that Islam as a religion
is relevant to the political process, includes many
forms that blatantly reject democracy. Some of these
forms condone—if not promote—violence. A distinction
is made by many Muslim thinkers, and others,
between Islamism, as a political ideology, and Islam,
the religious and faith framework for one fifth of the
world population. In particular, a distinct goal has
been to underline that Islam is not incompatible with
democracy. Towards that end, the democratic experiences
of Muslim-majority societies are viewed with
interest.