This article examines the thoughts of Ali Abd al-Raziq, an important Egyptian scholar and author of a book called Islam and the Bases of Rule (al-Islam wa Usul al-Hukm), published in 1925. In this work, Abd al-Raziq presented fundamental arguments in support of the separation of religion and politics, which were fully supported by a very original analysis of Islam's holy text, the Quran, as well as by the historical situation of the Muslim community at the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Although the publication of this book caused a great scandal in Egypt, with its author being forced to withdraw from Egyptian public life for quite a long period of time, the arguments contained in the book represent an important contribution to the debates about the desirable degree of linkage between Islam and politics in the Muslim world., Jan Kondrys., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Secularism and state policies toward religion represent one of the most important issues in Turkey aver since the establishment of the republic in 1923. This contribution briefly summarizes the interpretation of secularism a la turca under the Kemalist leadership and highlights the significant changes that have happened in this area under the AKP government of Prime Minister Recep Tayip Endogan after 2002. The AKP's attempts to introduce Islam-based morality into public space waswelcomed by various religious communities while diminished pressure from the state authorities allowed religiously oriented Turkish movements to act more freely. With the AKP's consolidation of power, the Hizmet movement of Fethullah Gülen finally forged a closer alliance with Ergodan's government and so became an important source of political and economic support both in Turkey and abroad. THe article also shows that the "moderate" secularism as experienced under the current government relaxed the pressure on vocational schools for imams and preachers and transformed the understanding of the state Sunni-Muslim "Church" organization (Diyanet) in the eyes of former hard-line Islamists. Secular circles, however, reject these developments and new trends as signs of continuous Islamization., Gabriel Pirický., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Comparisons of the recent protests in Turkey to the Arab Spring are met with negative responses among representatives of the Turkish governmnet as well as those criticizing the govemment. The attitudes of political opponents emphasizing the difference between Turkey and the other Middle Eastern countries show the impact of Orientalism on Turkish identity as well as perceptions of Turkey's role as a model for (not only) Middle Eastern Muslim countries., Jitka Malečková., and Obsahuje bibliografii