Ustav Srbije: Striktna ili kooperativna odvojenost crkve i države?

Author(s): Marija Draškić / Language(s): Bosnian,Croatian,Serbian Issue: 12/2013

This article is prepared to review some dilemmas concerning the decision on the constitutionality of the Act on Churches and Religious Communities given by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Serbia in January 2013. The principal of secular state as guaranteed by the Serbian Constitution of 2006 has been tested within the norms on the assistance of the state in enforcement of the decisions and judgments delivered by the churches and other religious organizations, on one hand, and on the rules on the religious instruction in public schools, on the other hand. Taking into account comparative, theoretical and normative method of interpretation, the author concludes that certain provisions of the Serbian Act on Churches and Religious Communities is not in accordance with The Serbian Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Dvije nade – Crkva i politika

Author(s): Tanja Grabovac / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 1+2/2015

Kaže se da nada u čovjeku zadnja umire. Ona je staza kroz sredinu, s dva različita pogleda, s pogledom na loše strane života i s pogledom na svjetliju budućnost. Nada je prekretnica između prošlosti i budućnosti, jer ona prošlost korigira, a budućnost planira. Ona dakle uključuje dvije strane: i onu lošu i onu dobru, jer da je sve dobro, ne bismo se trebali nadati, a da je sve loše, ne bismo se mogli nadati. Nada je trenutak sadašnjega vremena u kojem se pročišćava prošlost i otvara nova budućnost, suvremena budućnost. Zato svaku nadu prati radost, zbog korekcije onog negativnog u životu i zbog iščekivanja onog pozitivnog u budućem vremenu.

Схвaтање о извору и пореклу државне власти – прилог изучавању политичке философије Немањића

Author(s): Borislav D. Grozdić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2016

Author of the paper principally analyzes the question of understanding the source and origin of state power in the Nemanjic’s political philosophy of Serbia, and what follows from such a conception. It covers the period from the foundation of an independent Nemanjic’s state to its end. For the reconstruction of understanding of the origin and source of authority in Nemanjic’s Serbia the Serbian written heritage from Nemanjic dynasty period, primarily legal documents and then the original texts of literature (Serbian hagiography, liturgies, chronicles and genealogies, etc.) and others were used. It is known that Nemanjic’s Serbia inherited political philosophy of the Eastern Roman Empire, and so the idea of the divine origin of power in medieval Serbian political views, and beliefs, is accepted from the Eastern Roman Empire. Political phenomena are perceived within the Christian-Orthodox theological view of the world, so the Serbian medieval political philosophy, as well as the Eastern Roman Empire’s one, was based on the idea of God as absolute political factor. This is emphasized in every act of the state authorities and other medieval written sources. According to the Christian standpoint every authority comes from God, and so the state power has a divine origin. This view is found in the Bible, and the Old and New Testament. Every government is in foreknowledge of God, either with the will of God, which means in accordance with the law of God, or upon the permission of God. Conforming to both conceptions supreme source, the state government has a lofty goal and it is ultimately care about the salvation of souls subjects. From the divine source of authority does not follow the absolutist power of state rulers, on the contrary, Holy fathers without exception emphasize the limitation of state sovereignty. From Stefan Nemanja all the Nemanjic rulers were considered by the “grace of God”. The idea of the divine origin of authority arises a sort of understanding of the duties of rulers in the Middle Ages and the meaning of his reign, coming down to: the service God and care for servants. The Christian idea of the divine origin of power and ruler as God’s chosen individual subjects obliges Christians to comply, but only as long as it does not affect the faith, and in the event of collision, applies the principle of “Always must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5, 29). According to the Orthodox, Eastern Roman Empire’s understanding of political power, it was understood primarily and consistently as a service (serving), serving God and serving servants for the sake of God. From the founder of the sacrosanct the Nemanjic’s dynasty Stefan Nemanja in the areng of Hilandar’s founding Charter, the Serbian medieval political philosophy is based on the understanding of the place and the position of the Serbian rulers in relation to the Eastern Roman emperor and the neighboring rulers, such as the power received directly by the grace of God. There is almost universal agreement that the medieval Serbian state is a characteristic symphony of spiritual and secular powers, respectively, of the Church and the State. The idea of the divine origin of power, as well as other ideas, beliefs and values that safeguard Serbian medieval writings from the time of Nemanjic’s Serbia, based in the Orthodox Holy Father spiritual tradition, may be useful for contemporary Serbian political thought. Primarily because they indicate and resolve the spiritual dimension of political issues, which is impermissibly neglected in current culture of the Serbian people.

Геополитика, право и идеологија

Author(s): Zoran Milošević,Aleksandra Mirović / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2013

Nowadays we know that there are geopolitical basics in roots of different legal systems in addition to their ideological roots. Geopolitics distinguishes two legal systems: Roman-Germanic (“philosophy of the land”) and “Common Law” of Anglo- Saxon world (“philosophy of the sea”), which directly influences principles of organization of social life. A most important difference regarding these two types of the law is formal source of the law. Legal philosophy of members of the Land school has religious character and within it legal principles are almost not subjected to changes, while in legal “philosophy of the Sea” school the change of law and disobeying of it is considered as something natural. According to collected data, modern mankind has been going on through “a crisis of legal consciousness” due to pervasion of political systems by the Anglo- Saxon law. However, the world does not experience this type of crisis for the first time, as it is enough to recall decay of Antic world. At that time the crisis had started with a slow but inevitable break- down of religiousness which gradually encompassed both family life and legal consciousness. „Legal consciousness which lost its religious roots turned out to be incapable of preserving and protecting monumental statehood and culture of Rome and relentless history rendered its verdict to such legal consciousness.“ Rescue and recovery of the world legal consciousness and legal order came from Christianity. A question that is ahead of us today is therefore is it possible for this pattern of the way out of the crisis to be repeated and what is religion that is capable of doing it?

Утицај конфесионалнохришћанског чиниоца на корупцију

Author(s): Vladan P. Stanković / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2011

This scientific work dealt with relationship of Christian confessions (Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism), and corruption. Consideration is approached from a theoretical and empirical sides. In the theoretical part, the author tried to penetrate the social relationships and forms of Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism to corruption, and to determine what characteristics cause this phenomenon more closely. During the empirical research the author has crossed from one independent variable - confession (the majority of Orthodox, Catholic and / or Protestant countries) with variable index ratings (non) existence of corruption based on findings of National Master and Transparency International in the last five years (2005 and 2010). Based on these results the author has confirmed that the confessional factor and correlated corruption, that corruption is best tackled in Protestant countries, and that at least overcome the Orthodox countries. To resolve the problem situation, and curb corruption, it is necessary to pay greater attention to cultural and religious factors and those determinants which may result in corruption, as it were eliminated, or at least significantly reduced.

Izvori finansiranja Islamske zajednice u Bosni i Hercegovini (1945–1962) s posebnim osvrtom na direktnu državnu pomoć

Author(s): Denis Bećirović / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 45/2016

Based on undisclosed sources and available literature, the paper examines the basic income sources of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina with special emphasis on government subsidies in the form of direct government grants. The paper gives an overview of government assistance to the Islamic Community from 1945 to 1962. Based on original archival materials, the author particularly analyzes the scope and content of government grants to the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Српска нација – порекло и етос српског национализма

Author(s): Đuro V. Bodrožić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 4/2009

Each and every nation, in order to survive and be preserved as an entity, ought to have a spiritual “buckle” keeping them together. Such “buckle” Serbian people have found in their national church that had been established by Saint Sava under the order of the Constantinople Patriarchy and in accord with the canon laws of the Orthodox Church. In this way the basis for the emergence of one autochthonous national culture had been created, the culture that could not exist without national language being used in the church. By establishment of the Autonomous Serbian Church Saint Sava became the founder of Serbian nation. The thing keeping the people together and in moral unity has not been their common origin, but their common faith. When the faith had been divided, there came the division of the peoples, too, and they never came back together after that. Saint Sava, together with his father, had determined historical destiny of his nation when he opted to choose the Byzantine Orthodoxy that has not contributed to denationalization, among its other traits.

Утицај вере на уједињавање Старог континента

Author(s): Miroljub Jevtić / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 4/2008

European countries get involved in the process of globalization in many different ways. Some of these ways are individual and the others are collective. The most important aspect of globalization is EU, European Union. At the moment the vast majority of European countries are EU members. There are some Balkanic countries among them, such as Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. Other Balkanic countries also show serious intention to join the EU and become lawful members. European Union was roman catholic- protestant community until Greece has joined it. With the admission of Greece the religious quintessence has changed. So, that one orthodox country with orthodoxy as an official religion becomes member of EU. This changes religious quintessence of EU essentially. Apart from that, the labour influx from developing countries even more complicates religious situation in Europe. There are various followers of Muslim, Hindu or Buddist religion. Though, newcomers have remained minority in traditionally roman- catholic and protestant countries. But this minority, that grow day in day out, essentially change christian character of EU. Despite of that Greece was the only country of different religious orientation for a long time. With the admission of Bulgaria, Romania and Cyprus the religious structure of EU has changed essentially. Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia are also orthodox countries. And all of them tend to join the EU. If this happened the orthodox would become almost equal in proportional relations. And eventually Russian joining of EU would result in orthodox domination in EU. Albania also tend to join the EU. And Albania is dominantly Muslim country. Therefore, Muslim Albania, huge Muslim community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Bulgaria and numerous Muslim minorities in founding countries of EU raise many questions. One of the most important questions is a question of cultural identity of Europe. Demo- Christian and People’s political parties want to point out in EU Constitution that Europe has Judeo- Christian roots. Left political parties did not accept that. So that this clause has not been included in draft of European Constitution. But this problem has not been solved yet and the future will be very interesting.

Religia jako źródło władzy: strategie przetrwania religii w polityce demokratycznej

Author(s): Maciej Potz / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2016

In contemporary Western world religion has long lost its status of a default legitimating formula and has been relegated, in liberal political philosophy, to the private sphere. Institutionally, religious organizations have been largely separated from government institutions. Despite these adverse circumstances, religion – both as a system of ideas, values and norms and in its institutional expression – has adopted effective survival strategies guarding it from social and political marginalization. Religion has been accorded special status among other ideologies. In science, it results in a sort of methodological agnosticism, which treats religious and scientific statements as belonging to two in commensurable spheres. In politics, religious organizations are often granted special legal status among other political actors and religious freedom has been constitutionalized as a special case of general freedom of expression. As judicature and political practice show, religious arguments can often trump non-religious claims when fundamental value conflicts arise. In their political activity, religious organizations have used strategies characteristic for other political actors (lobbying, mass mobilization etc.), thereby gaining democratic legitimacy, as well as unique, religion-specific strategies. Armed with these and other empowering tools, religion can continue to influence democratic political systems in significant ways.

Rola kobiet muzułmańskich w życiu politycznym na przykładzie wybranych państw

Author(s): Fuad Jomma / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2016

The topic of those publication is the role of Muslim women in political and social life. Presents the first women in Islam, which played an important role in politics. Presents some Muslim countries and the presence of women in the governments of these countries. It describes the degree of their involvement in politics. Discusses the factors that affect the growth of the role of women in the political arena and those that limit their participation in political and social life. You’ll find the answer to the question whether the high rate of GDP has an impact on women’s involvement in social and political life.

“PRIVLAČNOST ‘ISLAMSKE DRŽAVE’ REZULTAT JE STRAHA, BIJESA I NEIZVJESNOSTI ZBOG NEPRAVDE I NEJEDNAKOSTI ŠIROM SVIJETA”

Author(s): Ziauddin Sardar,Harun Karčić / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 69/2017

Ziauddin Sardar (1951) is a Muslim scholar and a writer of Pakistani origin. His fields of interests include Muslim thought, studies about the future, philosophy of knowledge and science and other cultural studies in the widest sense. He is the author of numerous books, essays, articles, discussions as well as columns and television programmes. So far he has published or edited, on his own and with other co-authors over 35 books of great significance. The following are the most prominent of these: The Future of Muslim Civilisation (1979), Islamic Futures: The Shape of Ideas to Come (1985), Postmodernism and the Other (1998), Orientalism (1999), Why Do People Hate America? (2002). The British magazine “Prospect” listed him amongst the 100 most influential public figures of the Great Brittan. He recently stayed in Sarajevo responding to the invitation by The Centre for Advance Studies where he held a workshop titled: Navigating Postnormal Balkans: A Hands On Futures Workshop and Polylogue. Dr. Harun Karčić, a representative of The Centre for Advance Studies discussed with him a number of issues including the identity of Muslims in Europe, radicalism, the attitude of Islam regarding natural sciences and postmodernity.

Српски црквени часописи о организацији, ширењу и дјеловању комунизма у Краљевини СХС/Југославији (1920–1940)

Author(s): Nebojša Malešević / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 2/2017

The primary intention of the paper is to show Communism organization, expansion and operation followed by Serbian Church magazines between 1920 and 1940 in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes / Yugoslavia. The author, will by analyzing all available and the relevant church newspapers from that period show how the Serbian Church magazines reacted to Communism. Special attention will be paid to the organization, expansion and (secret) action of the Communists since the founding of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPY) and the Young Communist League of Yugoslavia (SKOJ) until the beginning of World War II. Communism, at the time, was a new political philosophy which was developed as a child of socialism versus capitalism. Communism slowly came to the scene of the new state which was founded after World War I. Communism using the still young, economically weaken, and we can say insufficiently organized, multinational and multi-religious Kingdom, slowly, with a great discipline of his supporters and good organization expanded its field of action. In this paper, we will talk about it, whether, and how, Serbian church magazine recognized organization and expansion of the new political thinking and how it commented on itture.

Rzeczy (nie)pospolite: Kościół wobec państwa PiS

Author(s): Aleksander Hall / Language(s): Polish Issue: 668/2017

Po objęciu władzy przez PiS w 2015 roku Kościół uzyskał pewność, że w kwestiach światopoglądowych, obyczajowych, a także formalnych relacji pomiędzy państwem a Kościołem nie nastąpią zmiany w prawie niezgodne z jego nauczaniem. Uznanie Kościoła musiał wzbudzić program „500+” i jego oficjalne uzasadnienie. Powyższe przyczyny sympatii ludzi Kościoła dla obozu obecnej władzy są logiczne i zrozumiałe. Natomiast niezrozumiałe – i obawiam się, że bardzo kosztowne dla Kościoła i polskiego społeczeństwa – mogą okazać się skutki milczenia Kościoła w innych niezmiernie ważnych sferach polityki PiS. Pierwsza z tych sfer to kierunek zmian ustrojowych w państwie i sposób ich przeprowadzania. Lekceważenie konstytucji i prawa jest niezwykle groźne dla wspólnoty politycznej. Wprowadzanie zmian o charakterze autorytarnym nie tylko ogranicza wolność obywateli, lecz w wielu przypadkach wprost uderza w ich godność, zmuszając do zachowań niezgodnych z ich przekonaniami i łamiąc charaktery. Tam, gdzie chodzi o godność osoby ludzkiej, Kościół nie powinien milczeć.

Demografsko stanje katolika i procesi u Bosni i Hercegovini od 1996. do 2015. godine

Author(s): Tomo Vukšić / Language(s): Croatian Issue: 2/2016

Explaining the Conflict in Central African Republic: Causes and Dynamics

Author(s): Abdurrahim Sıradağ / Language(s): English Issue: 3/2016

Since the Central African Republic (CAR) gained independence from France in 1960 it has faced deep social, economic and political crises. The country has witnessed 10 military coup attempts between 2005 and 2015, which have aggravated political and economic development of the CAR. The most recent by leader of the Seleka coalition group, Michel Djotodia, against the government of Bozize in March 2013 that saw hundreds of thousands displaced and thousands killed. Although the violence in the CAR partially polarized Muslims and Christians, we argue in this paper that the driver of the conflict in the CAR is more a struggle for power among political elite. The aim is to explain the main motivations behind the political crisis and the changing dynamics of the violent conflict in the CAR.

Türkiye’de Muhafazakârlaşma: Kuşak Farki Var Mi?

Author(s): Gizem Arıkan,Eser Şekercioğlu / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 1/2014

One of the most important findings of the studies concerning political behavior in Turkey is Turkish voters’ shift towards the right, and rising religiosity. The erosion of the electoral support of the center right political parties in favor of political Islamist and ultranationalist alternatives starting with mid-1990s, as well as the increasing tendency of the participants of public opinion studies to place themselves to more rightist ideological positions and their rising levels of religiosity are regarded as signs of shift towards the right. Yet, not many studies take up the question of whether this observed shift is necessarily associated with rising conservatism in social and political values. In case the answer is affirmative - i.e., in case the shift towards the rights is also associated with change in core social and political values of citizens, we should also take up the question of whether this is a result of new generations socializing into politics in the post-1980 period developing values that are different from the past generations, or whether there is a change in the values of all citizens. This study seeks to contribute to these discussions by testing hypothesese drawn from political socialization theories and using World Values Survey data collected in Turkey in 1990, 1996, 2001 and 2007. The main questions we seek to answer are whether ideological shift towards the right is accompanied by a parallel rise in conservative social and political values and attitudes, and whether the change/stability in values are a result of generational replacement.

Alevi Gençliğinin Siyasi ve Sosyo-Kültürel Kimlik Mücadelesi I

Author(s): Fazilet Ahu Özmen / Language(s): Turkish Issue: 1/2011

With its different definitions, its pluralist structure and its contribution to the political, social and cultural space of Turkey, besides constituting an important factor; Alevism; is a often debated concept and a mobilization tool nowadays. Since the Ottoman period Alevism has a struggle of identity. Their marginalization in the Ottoman Empire as well as in the later periods of the Republic due to the characteristics of their belief system, their definition as the „other‟ by the opposition forces have caused great difficulties for Alevis. Because of the oppression they have experienced, they could not sufficiently express themselves and could not attain a cultural autonomy. However, with the transition to the multi-party system and migration flows from the country-sides to the cities, the situation has began to change and especially with the effect of the political activities of the mid-1960‟s, the Alevi community, especially the young generation has began to take its places in the society. Alevis that formed an important fraction of the 68 generation have adopted leftist orientations that formed the basis of their identity formation. This process has continued throughout the 1970‟s. But events between 1978-80 have once more deeply affected the Alevis and they once more retired into themselves. Besides observing the identity formation of the Alevi youth between 1968-80, this article also highlights the importance of their contributions to the political development and to the direction of this development in these periods.

“Islamic Republics”: The Place of Islam in Republican Arab Constitutions

Author(s): Elif Nur Erkan Balci / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2011

This article discusses the calling of Arab republics as Islamic state by examining their constitutions. Also the article assumes that a „holistic approach‟ which calls all republican Arab states as „Islamic state‟ is wrong. This holistic approach which is mainly developed by the Orientalist tradition is problematic because it establishes the Islamic order/state as an absolute other of the pluralist system of the West. Therefore, the article aims to problematize this holistic approach by showing that visibility degrees of Islam in their constitutions are different in all Arab republics.

Misir’da Müslüman Kardeşler Hareketinin Demokrasi Anlayişi Ve Sisteme Etkisi

Author(s): Mehmet Dalar / Language(s): Turkish Issue: Special/2010

Egypt, seen by global powers like the United States and regional power like Israel as important State in the Middle East region, is a country having a key role position in respect of factors such as solving the Palestinian Israeli dispute, its strategic situation in North Africa region and its location on the major trade routes such as Suez Canal. Any alteration taken place in the political administration of this State having deep rooted historical and cultural heritage, will lead to significant change affecting the global and regional powers beyond to effect in the internal politics. It is estimated that the fundamental alteration, which global and regional powers don‟t accept, will occur in the foreign policy of Egypt in the case that Society of Muslim Brothers (Muslim Brotherhood-MB-) movement gain the power in the country. This study analyzes the effects of MB movement, evaluated as important pro Islamic opposition movement, on the Egypt's political and social structure, and determines its problems concerning participation in political process of Egypt. Also the study analyzes the political thought of MB, its changing activations from date of establishment to present day, its approach to democracy, its relations with the government, its effect in the social and cultural structure of country, its perception towards non Muslim population, its relations with the radical organizations such as Al-Qaeda. How much extend the movement may be effective is evaluated in the study, in the event of case that MB movement become government.

Веронаука и(ли) евронаука: критика елемената реформе образовања 2000-2003. (Шта антропологија о образовању може да каже о антропологији у образовању?)

Author(s): Jana Baćević / Language(s): Serbian Issue: 1/2005

Паралелно увођење веронауке и грађанског васпитања у оквиру реформе образовања 2001. године посматрано је као политичка стратегија којом се тадашња власт захваљивала Српској православној цркви, правила „симболички отклон“ од идеолошког наслеђа претходног режима и настојала да осигура подршку бирачког тела истовременим позивањем на сет „традиционалних“ вредности, и потврђивањем модерне, демократске, проевропске оријентације. Затим су закључци из рада примењени на питање увођења етнологије и антропологије у школе, где тврдим да нам перпетуација дихотомије између корпуса „традиционалних“ и „модерних“ вредности у политичкој реторици и реформи образовања даје велики простор за планирање будућности дисциплине.