Islamic thought and the public sphere

Abstract

For the purpose of clarity I offer an operational definition of Islamic thought which is Sunni-based. The public sphere is placed in the context of deliberative politics as an ethical frame in which the following elements are assumed: freedom, equality, reciprocity, reasoning, choice, fraternity and solidarity. Three Islamic models are identified: model (A), the Sufi/individualist model; model (B), shariah-legal-religious nationalism; and model (C), the ethical model. Model (C) is taken to be the most relevant to the notion of deliberative politics. The implications of model (C) for the idea of individual, society and political authority are examined. The issue of translation proviso is then introduced in the context of examining the feasibility or otherwise for model (C) to become a dominant Islamic discourse. Finally, I introduce the notion of ‘silence’ as potentially useful for the idea of religion and deliberative politics.