Modernity, Islam, and Secularism in Turkey: Bodies, Places, and Time (Volume 14)

by Alev Çınar

What would an Islamic modernism look like? The question is a pressing one, as cultures rebel against modernity in its almost exclusively European forms. Alev Cinar's groundbreaking examination of contemporary Turkey, which stands at the threshold of East and West, of religious and secular nationalism, explores modernity through daily practices and the social construction of identity and political agency in relation to nationalism, secularism, and Islam. Focusing on developments of the 1990s, Modernity, Islam, and Secularism in Turkey argues that Islamist ideology generated an alternative modernization project, which applied the same strategies and techniques as that of the modernizing state to produce and institutionalize its own version of an equally thorough nationalist program. Using local details and debates - including a fascinating discussion of veiling as symbolic of both the "liberation" of Western appearance and the Islamists' struggle to rescue their nation's culture - Cinar reveals modernity as a transformative intervention in bodies, places, and times.Bringing a much-needed critical theory approach to bear on the politics of an Islamic nation, Cinar's work introduces a new way of conceptualizing modernity based on the analysis of a non-Western context.

212 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Félix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Modernity, Islam, and Secularism in Turkey offers a compelling, if uneven, examination of Turkish nation-building through the lenses of visual regulation, urban space, and public commemorations. The book’s central premise, that the modern Turkish state strategically used "bodies, places, and time" to institutionalize its secularist project, which later Islamist political protagonists eendeavoured to turn aroung, is both insightful and productive for understanding the complexities of Turkish identity.

The book is at its strongest when providing historical narrative and analysis. The sections detailing the rise of the Refah Partisi and its evolution into the ruling AKP are particularly interesting, serving as an excellent primer on the political tensions surrounding Turkey's assertive form of secularism. Readers will come away with a much better understanding of the enduring conflict between religious expression and the somewhat imposed secular, radically anti traditionalist modernity.

However, the analytical framework employed by the author often detracts from these historical strengths. Approximately a third of the book is mired in a dense thicket of political science jargon and what feels like repetitive conceptual over-interpretation. The author's determination to fit every social development into a pre-defined political schema can feel forced, at times resembling a self-fulfilling prophecy. The author explicitly sidelines the "perspective of the wearer," deeming it a potential skew to the political analysis, but this choice has the unfortunate effect of reducing citizens to mere instruments of state policy as a self-fullfilling prophecy.

This methodological approach leads to some odd argumentative acrobatics. For example, it is written that the national Hat Law of 1925 only targeted the clothes of men, but at the same time, some local governments also regulated the clothes of women. The conclusion is therefore that, during the founding years, the secular state used the medium of the female body and women’s public visibility as a strategic means through which Turkey’s new secular project of modernization would be institutionalized.

Furthermore, the scope is implicitly disregarding the role and experience of non-Muslim minorities in both the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. This omission misses an opportunity to compare the 20th century state's secularism with its historical management of religious diversity through the millet system.

A recurring frustration is really the tendency to interpret every social shift, such as the growing popularity of Western clothing in urban areas, as a direct consequence of political machination. It never considers non-political agents like commerce, global trends, or individual choice. Was this change always a state-driven "statement,” or was it also because these new styles “sold well” and were embraced for their own sake? Maybe it's just a money trail?

[Bluebay-Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gives insights into Turkish culture from a socio-political point of view. Describes Turkey's internal struggle between Islamic influences and maintaining a secular state. Contains information on history and conflict surrounding the headscarf.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found her exploration of the role of the veil in forming the public and private spheres very interesting.