Part II | Outline
Category B | Principles
Topic 10 | Equal citizenship
Equal citizenship is the political manifestation of the moral principle of human dignity. It refers to the idea that all citizens should be equal in status and rights, without regard to their religious identity or other identity differences. In 2016, 300 Islamic scholars and leaders issued the Marrakesh Declaration, a consensus document that affirms equal citizenship as an Islamic principle and a framework principle for constitutional governance in Muslim-majority countries.
- Citizenship focuses on our basic rights as members of a political community and includes a number of important rights and responsibilities.
- Equal citizenship emphasizes that our rights as citizens should not be based on classifications such as race, religion, and sex.
- The key benefit is that a bundle of rights and protections derives from equal citizenship. It can serve as a basic starting point for sound and nondiscriminatory political structures.
- Two key dangers are inherent in invoking the ideal of equal citizenship. First, the concept is relative and does not necessarily include a floor. For example, citizens of a totalitarian state or the Gulag are equal, but they do not enjoy a robust set of rights. Second, equal citizenship does not necessarily mean treating all individuals the same at all times.
The Marrakesh Declaration is an effort by leaders in the Muslim world to identify Islamic reasons for toleration and pluralism. The idea of equal citizenship is an important component of this thinking and is an important development in the Muslim world, where citizenship status has often depended on religious status.
- The key idea as expressed in the Marrakesh Declaration, adopted by a group of 300 Islamic leaders in 2016, is that equal citizenship is a fundamental Islamic principle and should be utilized as a principle of constitutional governance in Muslim-majority countries. As a result, the idea of equal citizenship may have particular contemporary salience in countries with a Muslim majority.