Islamic Parties of North Africa and the Concept of Secularization Islamic parties typically denounce the concepts of secularism and the separation of religion and the state as western concepts that have no role in the Muslim world and that are antithetical to Islam. This paper will examine closely the arguments and rhetoric that are used by Islamist political parties in the Maghreb regarding secularization and separation, particularly with regard to: (a) historical and scriptural references to Islam and the state; (b) comparisons between Islam and “the west”; (c) arguments used to justify explain the combination of religion and the state – particularly in light of there being no successful examples – indeed possibly no examples – in the modern world of religion (or religious parties) controlling the state apparatus. (Of course this assumes that they do not think of Shi’a Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia, or Morsi’s Egypt of being successful examples of religion controlling the state.)