Islam and Democracy in the Maldives: Interrogating Reformist Islam's Role in Politics

This book explores the relationship between Islam and democratization in the Maldives, examining how an electoral democracy with liberal features emerged in 2009. It challenges the assumption that reformist interpretations of Islam are a positive force for liberalization and democratization, arguing that modern nation-building has transformed Islam as a modern political religion, limiting the depth of democratization.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 198 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate relationship between Islam and democratization in the Indian Ocean nation of the Maldives. It explores the fascinating journey of how and why an electoral democracy, founded on a constitution that boasts numerous liberal features but also incorporates Islam-based limitations, particularly in terms of religious freedom, emerged in the country by 2009. Through its in-depth analysis, the book challenges a prevailing approach to Muslim politics that posits reformist interpretations of Islam as a positive and even necessary force for liberalization and democratization in Muslim-majority contexts.

While the book acknowledges that reformist Islam did play certain positive roles in democratization in the Maldives, it also highlights that reformist Islam may not always be an uncontroversial force in the realm of politics. It argues that the modern nation-building process in the Maldives, influenced by political actors with reformist Islamic orientations since around the 1930s, has undergone a profound transformation of Islam as a modern institutional and discursive political religion. These transformations have existed as path-dependent constraints on the depth of democratization, ensuring religion-based limitations and intensifying controversies over religion vis-à-vis the state and individual rights.

This original empirical contribution offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between Islam and politics in the Maldives, making it an essential read for academics and students engaged in the study of democracy, Islam, political science, and area studies, particularly in the context of South Asian politics. By examining the historical, social, and cultural factors that have shaped the Maldives' democratic development, the book sheds light on the challenges and opportunities faced by Muslim-majority countries in navigating the complex relationship between religion and politics.

Weight: 352g
Dimension: 156 x 233 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032020105