Examining Fault Lines Facing Muslim Societies

Abstract

For decades, scholars and academics have been debating thecauses behind the steep decline in wealth and power across Muslim-majority countries during the past two centuries. There are certainly manyexplanatory theories for the resulting strategic weakness of many of thesesocieties, their relative political disintegration, and the abject failure inmaintaining functioning states capable of providing their citizens withbasic social and economic needs. With the arrival of the colonialEuropean powers in the nineteenth century, the collapse of the OttomanEmpire in the early twentieth century, the rise of the nation-state system,and the imposition of the neo-liberal order by global powers, Muslimsocieties have had to contend with great challenges from a vastlydisadvantaged position.The Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul SabahattinZaim University (IZU) is pleased to present five studies on some of themost significant fault lines and perils facing Muslim societies today,namely the challenges of nationalism, sectarianism, secularism, andfeminism or empowerment of women in Muslim societies. The papers inthis booklet are the results of presentations given by four renownedscholars during past CIGA conferences. We hope that the ideas in thepapers will stimulate more discussion, debate, and future research aboutthese important topics.Department of Islam and Muslim Societies Studies (IMSS)Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA)