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Muslims' Peculiar Affinity with Autocracy: A Myth or Realityt
Abstract
Do the attitudes of citizens of Muslim-majority countries stand as an anomaly with regard to the global trend of democratization? How different are the citizens of Muslim countries from the citizens of other non-Western countries, in terms of the factors that propel them to support or refrain from supporting democracy and its fundamental principles? To answer the first question, this paper uses survey data on popular attitudes in thirteen Muslim-majority countries. Addressing the second question, it employs public surveys in six countries as a laboratory. The paper mainly uses the World Value Survey (2006-2008 Wave). Although this dataset has some limitations on the cross-cultural examination of my two research questions, it still includes sufficient number of cases to represent a spectrum of political regimes that ranges from consolidated democracies (USA, Norway, and India) to emerging democracies (Taiwan, Brazil and Ghana). It also provides a variation of non-Arab Muslim countries (Turkey and Indonesia), Arab Muslim countries (Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco), and non-Muslim countries (China and Vietnam). At the more variable-oriented level of analysis, this paper investigates the possible factors that lead citizens of Muslim countries to adopt similar or different values regarding democracy. It also compares public attitudes in these countries with those in a selected group of non-Muslim countries, including the largest consolidated democracy in the world--India. Among the interesting findings of this research is defiance of one-size-fit-all overgeneralizations about the Muslims who are not only different and diverse but they are also different and diverse for different and diverse reasons. Besides, there is evidence that democracy indeed is of global appeal to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Yet there is a clear gap between Muslims and non-Muslims in regards to religious trust and gender equality.
Discipline
Political Science
Geographic Area
All Middle East
Sub Area
Middle East/Near East Studies