On May 22, the National Democratic Institute issued a poll on developing political attitudes in Libya.  The following excerpts focus on public opinion of Islam and politics.  The survey, which included a dozen focus groups in six major cities, found that a significant majority want and expect Islam to be a defining force in the new political order. Most actually fear a secular government would perpetuate corruption and degrade conservative Libyan society. A link to the full report is at the end.

Islam and Politics

Participants’ responses reaffirm that Libya is a conservative religious society; most participants want and expect Islam to play a role in political life.
Respondents of all backgrounds assert that Libya is an Islamic country and that religion will naturally govern public life to a certain degree. Participants explain that Islam has rules to keep politics honest and protect citizens’ rights. Some participants claim that mosques and imams can positively influence the political sphere and help raise citizen awareness.

There is limited support for a separation between religion and politics.
Some participants caution against the potential infiltration of extremist ideologies, while others argue that religion will always play an important cultural role, but should have limited influence in the political sphere.

Participants raise fears when discussing religion and politics that a secular government would allow corruption to thrive and would contribute to a degradation of Libya’s conservative moral fabric.

Participants believe that Islam provides the right moral backing and necessary instruction and that the fundamental role Islam plays in the country’s cultural identity should translate to the political arena, including influencing the constitution and legislation.

Libyans agree that moderate Islamic principles should influence governance, but opinions vary on exactly what that means in terms of the role religion should play in public life.
There is consensus on the need to avoid extremism.

Although participants overwhelmingly declare their desire to live in a “moderate Islamic country,” they struggle with trying to define what moderate means to them. They associate moderate Islam with a course that is neither secular, nor extremist, but that instead practices tolerance and respects rights.

While nearly all participants agree that the constitution should draw heavily on IslamicShari’a law, the key debate emerging is whether the constitution will be basedexclusively on Shari’a or whether Shari’a will be an important reference among others.

Parties who emphasize religion are broadly seen as fake and dishonest.
Although participants claim they want to vote for a moderate Islamic party, there is considerable discomfort and suspicion of political parties based solely on religion. This unease is due less to secular inclinations and more to the fact that as citizens of a conservative Islamic country, participants assume that all parties are Muslim and that any party that makes extra effort to emphasize their Islamic characteristics is manipulating their faith to attract votes.

Other participants claim that while political parties should broadly promote moderateIslam, they should focus their political speeches and outreach efforts on sharing their plans for the country and how they intend to solve Libya’s security and governancechallenges.
Even participants who claim that a party’s religiosity is an important factor in determining who to vote for generally say they prefer parties to focus on programs and plans and that they can judge if a party is religious based on its actions.

Many male participants claim that women do not have a proven track record,nationally or globally, of successful leadership and that this proves they are notcapable of navigating the complicated contours of Libya’s political transition.
Some participants cite examples ranging from Islamic history to the more recent struggles of the current female Libyan Minister of Health as further evidence that women should not be given opportunities to lead.

While nearly all participants agree that the constitution should draw heavily from IslamicShari’a, the key debate emerging is whether the constitution will be based exclusivelyon  Shari’a or whether  Shari’a will be an important, but not the only, reference.
Those participants who believe Islam should be the only source of the constitution claim that such an approach is both natural – because Islam has rules for all aspects of life – and necessary due to the moral instruction inherent in Islam.

Other participants believe that Islam should be an important source, but not the sole source for the constitution.  They claim that a constitution inspired by  Shari’a, but that draws from other sources, will protect the country from extremism and ensure that Libya is tolerant of minority rights and other religions.  Others argue that  Shari’a is not comprehensive enough to encompass all the issues that must be tackled in the new constitution and that they prefer to be inspired by religion rather than tied  to a particular interpretation.

Although opinions vary on the degree to which Shari’a should influence the constitution,there is broad agreement that the future Libyan constitution should contain noprovisions that contradict Islam.
Some participants advise the NPC to consult religious scholars to ensure there is no conflict.

http://www.ndi.org/files/Libya-Focus-Group-May2012.pdf