Science, rationalism and positivism as the basis of secularism and the disestablishment of Islam: A comparative study of Turkey and Iran

Today Turkey is the only Muslim nation whose constitution stipulates that secularism is one of the basic organizational principles of the state and where the legal system, including the realm of personal status, family law and religious law is totally secularized. In Turkey, despite alterations in the regimes, Islamic revivivalism and constitutional renewal, the disestablishment of Islam is irrevocable. Iran, however, is a theocracy which declares that Islam is the state religion and where the legal system, educational establishment and all laws governing personal standing are dictated by Islamic law. This Thesis examines the secular movements that took place beginning in the eighteenth century and culminating in the early twentieth century reforms under Reza Shah in Iran and Ataturk in Turkey. The purpose of this study is to show that the successful disestablishment of Islam in Turkey was due to a scientific, positive and rational thought process which occurred in Turkey and not Iran.