“Introduction: Political Secularism and Religious Difference in Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa”
Jeffrey Haynes and Erin Wilson
Abstract
The introductory paper of this symposium compares the impact of “political secular” governing regimes in the countries of both the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Western Europe. The overall objective is to assess the impact of political secularism in both regions, as a key component of inter-religious and cultural discord and contention with significant political ramifications. The concept of “political secularism,” a contentious term, often lacking in analytical clarity, is briefly assessed. That is, what does “political secularism” mean and what does it look like both within and across Europe and the MENA? Opinions differ from scholar to scholar. As there is no consensus regarding the meaning of the term “political secular,” a core contribution of this introduction is to examine what the term means analytically in the contexts of the MENA and Western Europe.
The Religion and Politics Section of the APSA is pleased to announce a Call for Nominations for candidates to stand in an upcoming online election to serve a two-year term on the Executive Committee of the Religion and Politics Section. There are three vacancies on the Committee to be filled in this election.