ISLAM AND MODERNITY

In Edward Said’s book, Orientalism, it is argued that if the West is considered the place of historical progress, modernity, scientific development, and then the “Orient” is deemed remote from the enlightening process of historical change. When the Orient have faced with the West, there has been a discussion of whether it’s appropriate or true to acquire modern, Western forms of knowledge, European practices, institutions, or technologies. Muslims have dealt with this issue by approaching from one of three methodological points: First, Islam must adapt itself to modernity by excluding all beliefs and practices that are incompatible with modernity. Second, Islamic modernity rejects all modernist principles that are inconsistent with Islamic teachings. Finally, modernity and Islam are mutually compatible and reconcilable when based on a particular reinterpretation of Islam. ‘Modernity’ covers a number of important elements such as secularization, nationalism, rationalization, individualism, democratization, and industrialization. Depending on these characteristics, Muslims have perceived “modernity” in various ways and have held different views on its relevance to and compatibility with Islam. Most of Islamist thinkers have opposed to idea of modernity as interpreting it accepting Western values. However, some other Muslim thinkers have supported the idea of modernity saying that it is important to distinguish “modernization” from “Westernization.” Nevertheless, the exposure of the European power and ideas have inspired the leaders beginning from the last decades of the Ottoman Empire. In this paper, first similar examples of the modernization policies in different contexts (Uzbekistan, Turkey and Afghanistan) will be presented, and then how Muslims have responded to the perception, reality, and representation of modernity will be discussed.

Keywords

Islam, modernism, East and West, modernization policies (Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Afghanistan).