Assertive Secularism, Fear of Religion and Political Mobilization: Proposing a Comparison Between the United States and Turkey

This article examines the mobilization strategies of assertive secularist movements in Turkey and corresponding patterns among political movements in the United States. It analyzes the possible constituency for assertive secularism in the U.S. context and compares the role fear of “religious reaction” plays for secularists in both countries. After warning about the dangers of a “secularism trap”, the article proposes further research to test patterns of assertive secularist political mobilization against further cases.