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Secularism-international perspective
Gandhi states that if he were a dictator, religion and state would be separate. He believes religion is a personal matter and the state should concern itself only with secular affairs like health, education, and social welfare, not religion. The state would not interfere with personal religious beliefs or observances.
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Secularism-international perspective
- 1. “If I werea dictator, religion and state would be separate. I swear by my religion. I will die for it. But it is my personal affair. The state has nothing to do with it. The state would look after your secular welfare, health, communications, foreign relations, currency and so on, but not your or my religion. That is everybody's personal concern!” ― Mahatma Gandhi 1
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- 3. Secularism is theconcept that government or other entities should exist separately from religion and / or religious beliefs 3
- 4. U.S.A United Statesof America - The United States does not have an official religion at either the federal or state level. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is written as "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" and is held to be applied to the state via the Fourteenth Amendment. Furthermore, Article Six of the United States Constitution prohibits the use of any religious test as qualification for any public office 4
- 5. Australia Section 116 ofthe Constitution provides: “The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth.” 5
- 6. FRANCE •Freedom of religionis a constitutional right. •French religious policy is based on the concept of laïcité, a strict separation of church and state under which public life is kept completely secular •The French Constitution of 1958 states "The Republic neither recognizes, nor salaries, nor subsidizes any religion".. 6
- 7. FORMER SECULAR STATES Bangladesh(1971-1977) - "Secularism" is one of the fundamental principles that drove the Bengali nationalist movement and subsequent Bangladesh Liberation War which led to the creation of Bangladesh, which had been founded as a democratic secular nation-state. The term Secularity had been induced into the original Constitution of Bangladesh in 1972 as one of the Four State Principles, the others being Democracy, Nationalism and Socialism. After the dramatic assassination in 1975 of President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's founder, secularism would be condemned by subsequent military regimes and be eventually removed from the constitution by President Ziaur Rahman in 1977 by replacing the word "Secularity" with "Absolutue trust and faith in the Almighty Allah shall be the basis of all actions". 7
- 8. FORMER SECULAR STATES Iran (1925-1979) - Iran became a secular state in 1925 after Reza Pahlavi was installed as Shah. However, Islam was reinstituted as the state religion in December 1979 following the Iranian Revolution and the adoption of a new constitution. Iraq (1932–1968) - Iraq became a secular state in 1932 after independence. However, Islam was instituted as the state religion of Iraq in 1968 following the adoption of a new Iraqi constitution. 8
- 9. NON SECULAR STATES Unitedkingdom The Christianity as followed by the churchof England, but there is no established church in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Two Archbishops and 24 senior diocesan Bishops of the Church of England have seats in the House of Lords (the Lords Spiritual) and they can and do participate in debates and vote in divisions, which involve decisions affecting the entire United Kingdom. 9
- 10. Non secular states Islam(non-denominational Qatar Vajrayana Buddhism Bangladesh Saudi Arabia Iraq Somalia Christian countries Djibouti Tunisia Alsace-Moselle Pakistan United Arab Emirates Argentina Shia Islam Costa Rica Sunni Islam Bhutan Iran Liechtenstein Algeria Ibadi Malta Brunei Oman Monaco Comoros Mixed Shia & Sunni Vatican City Egypt Kuwait Denmark Jordan Iceland Libya Yemen (Zaydi fiqh among Zaydi Shias) Norway Maldives Greece Malaysia Georgia Mauritania Sweden 10 Afghanistan Morocco Bahrain Theravada Buddhism Cambodia
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