Exploring the influence of Islamic governance and religious regimes on sustainability and resilience planning: A study of public administration in Muslim-majority countries
| Published date | 01 October 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/09520767231223282 |
| Author | Haris Alibašić |
| Date | 01 October 2024 |
Special Issue: Religion as an explanatory factor in public administration:
Directions for research
Public Policy and Administration
2024, Vol. 39(4) 556–587
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/09520767231223282
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Exploring the influence of
Islamic governance and
religious regimes on
sustainability and resilience
planning: A study of public
administration in
Muslim-majority countries
Haris Alibaˇ
si´
c
Public Administration Program, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, USA
Abstract
This research delves into the relatively uncharted territory of Islamic governance and its
impact on strategic sustainability and climate resilience planning in Muslim-majority
countries. It scrutinizes the role of religious regimes in public administration and policy-
making within these nations. The study employs a case study methodology, focusing on
11 strategically chosen countries within the Islamic world, and evaluates their respective
climate resilience and sustainable development objectives. Forty-five reports, plans, and
government documents from 2017 to 2023 are analyzed using a two-cycle coding process
facilitatedby software. The paper makes three significant contributions.Firstly, it addresses
the academiccall for understanding thepositive governance of sustainabledevelopment and
resilienceplanning in Muslim-majoritycountries, specifically focusingon the role of religious
regimes. Secondly, it reframes the general understanding of governance in public admin-
istration related to resilience planning in Islamic countries. Lastly, it offersan understanding
of religious regimes to analyze climate resilience planning. The analysis reveals several
thematic categories, each representing a different resilience and sustainability planning
governance aspect. The study’s results suggest that nations with the most effective plans
tend to have robust economies, comprehensive educational institutions, pluralistic soci-
eties, inclusive governments, and liberal religious regimes, all of which positively influence
sustainable development and climate resilience planning.
Corresponding author:
Haris Alibaˇ
si´
c, Public Administration Program, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg.
76A Room 326, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA.
Email: halibasic@uwf.edu
Keywords
Religious regimes, climate resilience, governance, sustainable development, Islam
Introduction
The Islamic world and Muslim-majority countries are addressing the urgent issue of
climate change by focusing on enhanced sustainability and resilience planning. Climate
resilience, defined as safeguarding human life, property, infrastructure, and natural re-
sources against the detrimental effects of climate change, is vital for these nations to
secure long-term economic and social stability. Furthermore, climate resilience and
sustainable development are crucial in shielding vulnerable communities from risks
linked to extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, rising sea levels, heat waves,
and other threats. Comprehensive resilience, sustainability planning, and implementation
at all governmental levels are required to avert a climate catastrophe.
This research offers an in-depth review of climate resilience and sustainability
planning governance in selected Islamic and Muslim-majority nations. It scrutinizes a
purposeful sample of 11 countries, all with a Muslim majority population but varying
political systems and governance, and evaluates their sustainability and resilience
planning levels.
Countries examined
For comparative ease, all countries under review are Sunni majority: Algeria, Egy pt,
Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Turkey, and the
United Arab Emirates. Detailed information on the population figures, the political
systems, and the religious regimes is offered below in Table 1.
Additionally, Ongaro and Tantardini(2023) explored the relationship between religion
and public administration (PA) by focusing on the religious regimes of countries
worldwide, mediating the connection between institutionalized religions and PA. The
authors classified 216 countries based on their religious regimes, finding that 65% exhibit
a‘Liberal Religious Regime,’while 9.3% fall under ‘Caesarism,’and 1.9% are con-
sidered ‘Theocracies.’Others exhibit a mix of these classifications. The religious regime
attributions are crucial for understanding the complex relationship between religion and
PA and provide a basis for the potential classification of individual countries for this
research.
The governance of sustainability and resilience planning in Islamic and Muslim-
majority countries aids these nations in achieving sustainability and resilience capabil-
ities. The results highlight these nations’initiatives toward achieving long-term
sustainability in response to global warming trends and serve as a resource for public
administrators and policymakers aiming to be informed by Islamic governance. Fur-
thermore, it is beneficial for scholars researching the influence of Islamic governance on
public policy formulation and the broader implications of climate change on global
development.
Alibaˇ
si´
c557
Table 1. Muslim-majority countries by population and political systems.
Country
Muslim
population in
millions*
Percentage
muslim
population (%)*
Political system/Secular or
non-secular
Religious
regimes Additional details**
1 Algeria 41.25 99 Constitutional semi-
presidential republic
Caesarism The constitution declares Islam the state
religion and prohibits state institutions
from behaving in a manner
incompatible with Islam
2 Egypt 87.5 92.35 Secular republicanism, with a
semi-presidential system of
government
Caesarism The government officially recognizes
sunni Islam, christianity, and Judaism
3 Indonesia 273.8 88 Secular democracy Caesarism/
Liberal
religious
regime
The constitution guarantees the freedom
of worship
4 Jordan 10.2 97.2 Constitutional, hereditary
monarchy with a
parliamentary form of
government
Caesarism/
Theocracy
Islam is the official religion, and Jordan is
declared part of the Arab ummah
(“nation”)
5 Malaysia 16.3 61.3 Secular/Parliamentary
democracy
Liberal religious
regime
The constitution makes it a secular
country and guarantees freedom of
religion while establishing Islam as the
“religion of the federation
6 Morocco 37.93 99 A parliamentary
constitutional monarchy
Caesarism Islam is a state religion and nominally
provides for the freedom of religion
7 Pakistan 200.4 96.5 Islamic republic Caesarism/
Theocracy
Pakistan is an Islamic republic, with Islam
as the religion of the presidency
(continued)
558 Public Policy and Administration 39(4)
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