Muslim Minority State Relations

This volume explores the dominant types of relationships between Muslim minorities and states in different parts of the world, the challenges each side faces, and the cases and reasons for exemplary integration, religious tolerance, and freedom of expression. By bringing together diverse case studies from Europe, Africa, and Asia, this book offers insight into the nature of state engagement with Muslim communities and Muslim community responses towards the state, in turn. This collection offers readers the opportunity to learn more about what drives government policy on Muslim minority communities, Muslim community policies and responses in turn, and where common ground lies in building religious tolerance, greater community cohesion and enhancing Muslim community-state relations.

This paper examines the history of Islam in the Philippines and contemporary developments, with a focus on Philippine state policies and practices with regard to the Muslim Filipinos, including security issues and foreign relations, especially with Islamic countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. More specifically, it touches on the following domains: (1) the history of Islamic development and how it changed the course of the Philippine state, (2) the Philippine state’s traditional approach toward Philippine Islam and its adherents, and the mechanisms of religious control throughout history and in the contemporary era, (3) changing attitudes and policies concerning Islam, along with possible departures from traditional approaches of control, as may have been influenced by foreign relations with Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Libya, as well as actual or perceived attempts to use such relations as a legitimizing role, (4) Philippine-Saudi relations, and (5) conclusions or implications, along with policy recommendations for strengthening bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Other possible interventions in the evolution of Philippine state policy toward the Filipino Muslims will also be considered and analyzed. The most significant of these are the changes in actions or perceptions toward the Muslim Filipinos which are taking place as a result of the globalizing process and the increasing demand for democratization and access to a good life.

This paper examines the relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Arabia) and the Russian Federation (RF) in the light of Muslim minority rights through analyzing the history of Islam in the Russian territory, with a focus on the rights of Muslims under the Tsarist rule since 1552 and during the existence of the Soviet Union. The first part of the paper suggests that, although Muslims are minority in modern Russia today, Islam established itself as an official religion in the Volga-Urals region and Caucasus during the early years of Islam. It also shows that the historical relations between Muslims and tsarist Russia were not always in conflict. The second part of the paper, which is based on Russian archival sources, presents a brief description of Soviet and Saudi Arabian diplomatic relations. The third part of the paper discusses the status of Islam and Muslims in modern Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union and suggests that the tragedy of 9/11 and the US-led “Global War on Terror,” as its consequence resulted in religious discrimination and an anti-Islamic mood throughout the country. In 2002, the RF adopted a new law entitled, “On Fighting Extremist Activity.” This led to the decline of religious freedom, which directly harmed relations between Saudi Arabia and Russia. Donations coming from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through various channels were blocked, Saudi-funded institutions were banned as a part of the prevention of “Wahhabi” influences (which had been banned in Russia since 2002), and books (both original copies and translations) published in Saudi Arabia were banned as well. At the same time, the two governments continued working together on fighting against extremism, educational and cultural programs, and the development of Islamic banking in Russia. The last part of the essay includes some policy recommendations and concluding remarks.

The involvement of minorities in politics has been the subject of a considerable number of studies. However, these studies are rarely concerned with the views of Muslims on their participation in the political processes of non-Muslim societies. Several Western scholars have thought and still think that the world, from the perspective of Muslims, can be divided in accordance with the dichotomy of the classical Islamic Law that distinguishes between the "Territory of Islam" and the "Territoryof War". however, during the last decennia various Muslim scholars have tried to reinterpret the position of Muslims in non-Muslim societies in new religious terms by which this classification has been emended and corrected. In this book, four different views are distinguished: the pragmatic, idealistic or utopian, re-interpretative, and traditionalist views. It goes without saying that the practical implementaion of these views to a large degree depends upon the types of Muslim organizations and representative bodies in those societies, as well as their denominational and ethnical backgrounds. From an international comparative perspective it appears that, contrary to the situation in Australia, Muslims of most Western European states have been thus far unsuccessful in creating representative organizations at national levels. This is also illustrated by studies of Muslim organizations in Germany, Italy and the united Kingdom. Another important factor consists of the views of the younger generations of Muslim immigrants about the compatibility of their Islamic identiity and full participation in the non-Muslim, secular societies in which they are living. Research on this subject contained in the present book responds to this question in an affirmative way.

This text offers a comprehensive discussion of minorities and ethnic politics in eight Arab countries. Focusing on the strategic political chaos made by minorities, majorities and regimes in power, the authors point to probable future developments in majority-minority relations in the region.

State, Religion and Muslims offers a comprehensive insight into the discrimination against Muslims at the legislative, executive and judicial level across the 12 Western countries situating discriminatory practices in their institutional framework with a multidisciplinary look.