Alexander Benard

Bio: Alexander Benard is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Rule of law & Civil authority. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 3 citations.

The Advantage to Islam of Mosque-State Separation

Abstract: MOSQUE-STATE SEPARATION and religious freedom appear to have stalled in Muslim-majority countries, leading scholars, theologians, and policymakers to conclude that a theocratic model of governance is inevitable for the Islamic world They argue that Islam is distinct from religions like Christianity because Islamic states have a duty to implement Shari'a, and therefore require a government with joint religious and civil authority (1) Muslim publics are presumed to be deeply attached to this belief, which is why they have rejected the notion of a secular-based rule of law An objective look at the facts, however, uncovers quite a different picture Recent surveys indicate that the populations of many major Muslim-majority countries are almost evenly divided on such hot-button issues as whether Shari'a should serve as the primary foundation for laws and whether clerics should be involved in political questions These new data challenge previously held assumptions about the values and attitudes of Muslim publics concerning mosque-state separation As important, history informs us that the current debate surrounding separation of religion and politics is not a historic anomaly; nor is it unique to Islam In other parts of the world, including the West, it took great efforts to replace the "age-old assumption" that it is "right and justifiable to maintain religious uniformity by force" (2) The debate occurring in the Islamic world today should be viewed in the context of other countries' transitions to separation of religion and politics, which offer valuable lessons that can help supporters of mosque-state separation become more effective Among the most interesting precedents for the Islamic world, and most surprising, is colonial America To establish church-state separation and religious freedom in the United States, the Founders had to convince a devout and deeply skeptical populace that such a system posed no threat to religion What today seems like a natural and obvious development was in fact a hard-won paradigm change with astonishing parallels to the issues dominating the debate in the Islamic world today The Founders' experience provides a template for those who seek to advance mosque-state separation in Muslim-majority countries Religious freedom in the Islamic world In the battle between supporters and opponents of mosque-state separation, there can be little doubt that the Islamic fundamentalists are currently winning Most countries in the region do not separate religious and political authority The Saudi Arabian constitution, for example, declares that it is the state's duty to protect Islam and implement Shari'a The result is a country where a typical year sees roughly 50 public beheadings, many for petty crimes such as marijuana possession, in accordance with strict interpretations of Shari'a Women are not allowed to drive cars and the Muttaween (religious police) patrol public spaces to punish conduct or styles of dress they deem too liberal Infamously, this has included an intervention in which they drove young schoolgirls back into a burning school building to die, because in fleeing they had neglected to properly don their veils In Iran, too, the theocratic regime in power since 1979 operates a virtual police state Minorities, such as Baha'is, have been largely driven out of the country Flogging is a common penalty for personal "transgressions," and adultery is still punishable by stoning In 2004, a mentally handicapped 16-year-old girl was hanged in public for "crimes against chastity" These two countries are among the more extreme examples, but even the more enlightened constitutions in the region have reserved a significant role for Islam in lawmaking and governance Article 2 of Iraq's constitution--one of the most recently ratified in the Islamic world--states that "Islam is the official religion of the state and it is a fundamental source of legislation …

Government interference in religious institutions and terrorism

Abstract: Many states have adopted policies that monitor or attempt to control religious institutions in various ways. This ranges from limiting foreign-born clerics to approving the sermons presented in the...

Egyptian Diaspora Explains the Meaning of its Political Engagement in Washington, DC

Abstract: Egyptian Diaspora Explains the Meaning of its Political Engagement in Washington, DC by Sameh Hassan Elnaggar M.A., Mercy College, 2008 B.S., Cairo University, 1991 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University December 2019 Abstract Available literature showed that the Egyptian diaspora (e.g., emigrants who share a common situations and work for the same cause) has been developing and engaging politically in the United States during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The diasporas’ role was of interest to researchers and policymakers; however, the literature concerning diasporas has underexamined the Egyptian diaspora regarding its proliferation and active political engagement. Using the conflict and climate theories of Truman, and Cigler and Loomis in conjunction with the political engagement factors theory of Jang as the theoretical foundation of the study, the purpose was to explore how members of the diaspora explain and perceive their political engagement in Washington, DC. In this qualitative study, the key characteristics of diaspora and political and social factors of home and host countries that enable and inhibit that engagement regarding particular issues were addressed through 16 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with EgyptianAmericans. Maxwell and Miller’s doubled-strategy and Yin’s case study steps approach were used for analysis. The findings indicated that the engagement of the diaspora except Coptic and some Islamic groups are passive most of the time because of the politicalAvailable literature showed that the Egyptian diaspora (e.g., emigrants who share a common situations and work for the same cause) has been developing and engaging politically in the United States during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. The diasporas’ role was of interest to researchers and policymakers; however, the literature concerning diasporas has underexamined the Egyptian diaspora regarding its proliferation and active political engagement. Using the conflict and climate theories of Truman, and Cigler and Loomis in conjunction with the political engagement factors theory of Jang as the theoretical foundation of the study, the purpose was to explore how members of the diaspora explain and perceive their political engagement in Washington, DC. In this qualitative study, the key characteristics of diaspora and political and social factors of home and host countries that enable and inhibit that engagement regarding particular issues were addressed through 16 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with EgyptianAmericans. Maxwell and Miller’s doubled-strategy and Yin’s case study steps approach were used for analysis. The findings indicated that the engagement of the diaspora except Coptic and some Islamic groups are passive most of the time because of the political home culture; despite that fact, the diaspora became active for a short time because of the Egyptian revolution. Future research should exam those aspects to better understand the mechanism of building an Egyptian lobby to work continuously and effectively on Egyptian interests in the United States. The diaspora and policymakers may use the study results to help improve the role of this diaspora to impose positive social changes in Egypt and the future political engagement of Egyptian younger generations. Egyptian Diaspora Explains the Meaning of its Political Engagement in Washington, DC by Sameh Hassan Elnaggar M.A., Mercy College, 2008 B.S., Cairo University, 1991 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration

The Geography of Religious Freedom

Abstract: In 2007 the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom classified the level of religious freedom in 101 countries and territories. The index focuses on “the denial to anyone of rights of a particular reason, those connected with practicing one’s religion, and the denial of rights for a particular reason, because of the religious beliefs of those who are persecuted and/or those who persecute.” Using the categories of “free,” “partly free,” and “unfree,” we first map these data to analyze the geography of religious freedom in different parts of the world. Religious freedom is generally greatest in North America and Western Europe, and least in North Africa and Asia. We further analyze these data in terms of the dominant religion in each country. The Muslim world had one of the smallest proportions of countries with high levels of religious freedom. Of the 35 countries dominated by Islam only Mali and Senegal were classified as “free.” The Catholic world included 23 countries with 19 being classified as “free.” Considering all 49 Christian countries whether Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox or mixed, 36 were classified as “free.” Countries dominated by Buddhism and related religions were divided with half being “free” and half being either “partly free” or “unfree.” There are six countries classified as “mixed Muslim/Christian” such as Cameroon, Eritrea and Lebanon, with all six being classified as “partly free” or “unfree.”