First Iran, now Turkey. Sharia Alert. "Women-only park plan causes stir in secular Turkey," from Reuters:
ISTANBUL: Strong reaction to a plan for a women-only park in Istanbul has focused attention on the divisions between Turkey’s secularists and supporters of the ruling AK Party, which has its roots in political Islam.
Critics of the plan see it as the latest sign that the ruling party is trying to push through an Islamist agenda, but several female voters in the district said yesterday they loved the idea.
News that the AK Party-run municipality of Bagcilar was planning to create a park exclusively for women, reported in the local press this week, prompted a fierce reaction among secular Turks who say the party is trying to give Islam a greater role in public life.
The controversy reached parliament on Thursday, when opposition CHP lawmaker Bihlun Tamayligil asked the assembly: "Can you reconcile the principles of the Republic with applying the segregation of men and women?" according to local media.
The row is the latest of several between pro-secular and Islamist-leaning camps in Turkey, which is officially secular but overwhelmingly Muslim.
Municipalities run by the AK Party caused outrage in some quarters last year by banning alcohol in restaurants they run. Islam bans alcoholic drinks. The party also wants to lift a ban on women wearing headscarves in official buildings.
Tension between the two sides is likely to increase as the November 2007 general election draws nearer.
"They’re talking about (protecting women from) sexual harassment but this is an Islamist agenda ... it’s very obviously an application of harem-selamlik (separating men and women)," Pinar Ilkkaracan, founder of the NGO Women for Women’s Human Rights, told Reuters.
In some parts of Istanbul skimpily-clad women hop between nightclubs, but in Bagcilar, where nearly all the women on the street wear headscarves, the AK Party seems to be in tune with voters -- at least with a handful of local women.
"It’s good, I hope it happens. It’d be more comfortable," 21-year-old textile worker Nurgul Karayanik told Reuters in the neighbourhood. "Men make comments, leer at women a lot in Turkey," she said.
Some were puzzled by other women’s opposition to the plan.
"There are women who don’t go out because of men ... because (they think) it’s sinful. And men make comments, it’s uncomfortable," said 49-year-old Muteber Kucukkaraca.
Local mayor Feyzullah Kiyiklik, angered by the controversy, declined to give any details.
"We haven’t finished the park yet, we haven’t opened it, no decision has been taken ... but if you are interested, the day we open our park you could also come, inshallah," he said.
The dynamics of Islam are very interesting to watch. These guys create a situation and then feign mocked horror when the the rest of us get that icky feeling that something isn't right, and try to oppose it, but then we stumble around in the dark, feeling for the light switch. It's time we turn all the lights on, pull the rock back and expose for all to see what these guys are up to.
We know their tactics. We know what they want. We need to say NO to what they want, and mean it.
This would apply to the Aishah face covering incident, effectively throwing Al-Hilali out of Australia for comparing women to meet and then saying his comments were taken out of context, and now this. Control, control, CONTROL. The lies continue, ad nauseum, and they are all sound eerily similar. So why do we doubt that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes?
It's time to put down what we are doing and deal with this, once and for all. A friend told me yesterday that she doesn't understand why this bothers me so much since all of this is going on "over there" and she really doesn't believe that she'll ever have to deal with this problem in her lifetime. Her lifetime. What about everybody else's lifetime? I'm grateful that when the conflict between England and our colonies started to get really uncomfortable, the people living back then thought about me and mine, instead of just what was going on in their lifetime. I for one can no longer sit back and pretend like everything is fine. It's getting way too uncomfortable. And when it gets that uncomfortable, inaction becomes impossible.
Sorry, that should be "comparing women to meat". No coffee yet this morning.
Turkey, we are often told, especially by secular Turks who wish to have their country enter the E.U. so that the problem of Islam in Turkey can be forcibly shared with Infidels and secularists throughout the European countries,is a splendid blend of East and West, bestriding the Bosphorus not only literally but more important metaphorically, and hence offers a Lesson To Us All.
One can see it in this park situation. Those, in this cornter, representing the East, want Turkey to be more Muslim, to emulate in its parks the system of the Saudis, and if they had their way, Turkey would end up with a system of all-male parks and all-female parks.
And then, one assumes, those who represent in Turkey the West would insist that the parks be regulated, as one more place of public entertainment, according to the rules that once upon a time regulated the English stage (see Colley Cibber -- no, on second thought, don't), and will insist, as a myopic Turkish informant schooled "in Cambridge" (that is, at the "Cambridge School of English" a half-mile from Trinity Great Court), "female parks should be taken by male parks." Secular Turks, eager to mimic the West, but understanding the need to do so always in retardo, will promptly enact such legislation.
And then where will that leave the Turkish would-be flaneuse? Worse off than before.
Of course we know what those single-sex jeune-parquistes are worried about. They remember that old Al Bowlly song:
"A walk in the park/A kiss in the dark
In London on a night like this."
They needn't worry. London isn't just like Istanbul. Yet.
"Men make comments, leer at women a lot in Turkey," she said.
Hmm? I thought women are profoundly respected in Islam. What's going on?
I guess it is time for the secular military to have a coup d etat and re-establish secular rule in Turkey and ban the islamic party.
Democracy does not work in islamic lands. They just turns themselves into a theocratic state. I had hoped that Iraq and Afghanistan would be the exceptions but once they put into their constitution that they would be under islamic law and that sharia would be followed I knew that as a democracy they were doomed.
What should we do? Split them into three countries.
In the southern oil region we, the US, England, Australia and other friendly non-muslim allies should allow those who are in prison to emmigrate with their families to start a new life. Hopefully they would be the majority in that section. Of course the psychopaths would not be considered.
This would piss off Saudi Arabia and other muslim nations but they may be allies in name but they are not our friends.
Sounds like this park will be vacant. Aren't women supposed to be escorted by male relatives when they are outside their home. How can these women frequent a womens only park when their male relatives are leering at the other women being escorted by their male relatives? Very confusing.
americaningermany
being in italy i can tell you that this sort of shit is pulled by southern italians.
I guess the more you get closer to equator, the more heat kicks in, the less you want to work and the more you just want to have sex.
I suppose it's that simple.
People from cold emispheres have been busy all along since cavemen to find animals to kill and cover themselves with their skins, because you can die of coldness.
African men (and in general anybody that doesn't have to worry about temperature) didn't have to provide themselves clothing.
Let's see.
A skinny guy dresses up in a Burka. He goes to the park where there's nothing but women walking around in full length veils and burkas.
With a magic signal known to a few women, he has a tyrist or two and no-one knows any better.
Since they're all wearing masks and veils, he can get away with this pretty often. Now I see why prostitution is such a great problem in Islam.
God willing, of course.
no, they are just more prone to show masculine activity than others.
remember that legislation plays a role in the education of people.
In italy (north and south) as in any other decent country you go to jail for rape.
If mothers aren't able to educate males, at least laws can fill the void.
In the muslim world there isn't an educating mother and not even LAWS.
Gee whiz, what do you do when an idiot makes a comment?
Embarrass the hell out of him so he'll think twice before doing it again.
They speak about this like it's some uncontrollable force of nature. Men being jerks are not like hurricanes! LMAO!
My first thought when I read this article was this is like a dog park. A place to take your pet.
.. and don't forget your pooper scooper.
"It's time to put down what we are doing and deal with this, once and for all. A friend told me yesterday that she doesn't understand why this bothers me so much..."
It's not yet time to deal with this, precisely because these "friends" in our West still outnumber us.
Maybe George Michael will convert to Islam now for those Men's Only parks.
You cannot tell me that such strict and quite frankly inhuman segregation of men and women does not encourage "nontraditional"* sexual activity. Rather than promote healthy relationships it produces a male populace with no self control.
Islam is a photographic negative of normal human life.
"Just say no to Mohammad."
*homosexuality, bestiality, chronic masturbation, etc., etc.
Critics of the plan see it as the latest sign that the ruling party is trying to push through an Islamist agenda, but several female voters in the district said yesterday they loved the idea.
The idea may catch on.. Lesbians and radical feminists may enjoy this one!!
Last time I visited Germany I was shocked to encounter so-called Frauenparkplätze [Women-only parking] The rationale i was told was to make women's egress safer from rapists by giving them parking jnear the exits.
Made me remember why I left in the first place! I'm one myself but all I could think was: Those wacky Krauts!
Instead of locking the bastards up they let 'em out on the prowl and then they think they can fix that situation by letting the ladies park closer to the exits.. I can only imagine the rapists lying in wait by the exits in search of some raw meat.. meeow!
Political correctness gone wild once again!!
Why not have parks where muftis can't go since they can't control themselves and their urges. Better yet.. have entire countries they're not allowed in. I'll be glad to never go to any of theirs. :-)
I've said it before, but I'll say it again:
Turkey does NOT belong in the European Union.
Turkey doesn't belong to Europe. Period.
Not geographically. (I don't care about a lousy 3% of the land surface) Not historically. Not religiously.
The cultural differences are wider than trenches.
Posted by: americaningermany
Those lousy 3% belong to Greece by all rights. Turkey doesn't belong to Europe. Problem is they think Europe belongs to them.
"Men make comments, leer at women a lot in Turkey," she said.
You don't say...