MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: THE NARRATIVES OF SECULARISM AND ISLAM IN BANGLADESH

This paper challenges the popular perception that Bangladesh has become the latest battleground between secularism and Islam and problematizes the simplified understanding and the binarization of religion and secularism in Bangladesh. It argues that extant discussions on the one hand overlooks the historical background of the interactions of religion and while on the other hand, it ignores the extant multiplicity of both Islamic practices and the understanding of secularism. The author calls for a nuanced understanding of the complex historical and contemporaneous developments regarding relationships between religion and politics.     

Taking Sides: Determinants of Support for a Presidential System in Turkey*

A key issue on the Turkish political agenda concerns a transition to presidentialism, with a constitutional amendment proposal submitted in December 2016. While the positions of political elites are well known, we lack a detailed analysis of the electorate’s views on such a transition. To fill this gap, we present cross-sectional and panel data collected over the period from spring 2015 to winter 2015–16. Partisanship emerges as the key factor shaping views on presidentialism, and reflections of the centre–periphery cleavage in Turkish politics are also visible. The shift of the Turkish nationalist constituency’s views in favour of presidentialism has been a significant trend in the aftermath of the June 2015 general election.     

Social Fragmental Origins of Terrorism: A Research Note

Social fragmentation is one of the primary factors feeding the reservoir of discontent leading to terrorism. Social fragmentation is a result of internal and external tensions. The primary set of internal tensions is ethnic identities related to several issues, including race, religion, and language. The primary external tension is rooted in past colonial policies which favor the emergence of puppet “strongmen,” and their hereditary successors within the colonized land (Migdal 1988; Shughart 2006; Esposito 2003). The external tensions polarize the fragments by disrupting the delicate balance in wealth distribution among social groups, enabling the emergence of cliental economies and tribal politics.