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This book examines the critical intersection of religion, democracy, and political leadership in three prominent Muslim-majority states Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey. It offers a comparative analysis of the political careers and strategies of Mahathir Mohamad, Nawaz Sharif, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, exploring how these leaders have strategically instrumentalised religion to shape their political narratives, mobilise public support, and consolidate power. By examining the adaptive use of religion as a tool for governance, the book sheds light on the broader dynamics of religious politics in contemporary democracies.
Using qualitative research methods, the book investigates the political rhetoric, policy decisions, and symbolic actions of these leaders, analysing how they navigate the tensions between Islamic principles and democratic institutions. Drawing on extensive historical and contextual data, it categorises religious instrumentalisation into three fluid strategies: conservatism, nationalism, and populism. This innovative framework offers readers a fresh perspective on how religion functions as a versatile political tool, making it highly relevant to scholars and practitioners in political science, sociology, and religious studies.
List of contents
1. An Introduction.- 2. Theoretical Framework.- 3. Conservatism.- 4. Nationalism.- 5. Populism.- 6. Civilizationalism.- 7. Impact on Democracy.- 8. Conclusion.
About the author
Syaza Shukri is an associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia and a visiting senior fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. Her area of specialisation is comparative politics, specifically political Islam and democratisation in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and her home country of Malaysia. She has published on populism, identity politics, and geopolitics, focusing on the Muslim world.
Fizza Batool is an assistant professor at SZABIST University, where she teaches courses on democratisation and South Asian politics. She has recently completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Central European University Democracy Institute. Prior to her academic career, Fizza held senior research positions at prominent Pakistani policy institutes. In 2020, she was a distinguished South Asian visiting fellow at the Stimson Centre in Washington, D.C.
Ihsan Yilmaz is research chair and professor of political science and international relations at Deakin University’s Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation. Previously, he worked at the Universities of Oxford and London. His research focuses on nation-building, citizenship, minorities, securitisation, intergroup emotions, populism, transnationalism, digital authoritarianism, and legal pluralism. He currently leads two Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery projects: “Religious Populism, Emotions, and Political Mobilisation: Civilisationism in Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan” and “Civilisationist Mobilisation, Digital Technologies, and Social Cohesion: The Case of Turkish and Indian Diasporas in Australia.” He also co-leads a three-year Gerda Henkel Foundation project, “Smart Digital Technologies and the Future of Democracy in the Muslim World: The Pakistani, Iranian, Egyptian and Turkish Cases.”
Summary
This book examines the critical intersection of religion, democracy, and political leadership in three prominent Muslim-majority states—Malaysia, Pakistan, and Turkey. It offers a comparative analysis of the political careers and strategies of Mahathir Mohamad, Nawaz Sharif, and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, exploring how these leaders have strategically instrumentalised religion to shape their political narratives, mobilise public support, and consolidate power. By examining the adaptive use of religion as a tool for governance, the book sheds light on the broader dynamics of religious politics in contemporary democracies.
Using qualitative research methods, the book investigates the political rhetoric, policy decisions, and symbolic actions of these leaders, analysing how they navigate the tensions between Islamic principles and democratic institutions. Drawing on extensive historical and contextual data, it categorises religious instrumentalisation into three fluid strategies: conservatism, nationalism, and populism. This innovative framework offers readers a fresh perspective on how religion functions as a versatile political tool, making it highly relevant to scholars and practitioners in political science, sociology, and religious studies.
