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As I have long noted, any secular, democratic or republican or semi-democratic government in the Islamic world -- indeed, any government that does not fully implement Sharia -- faces mounting pressure from forces that believe that no non-Sharia government has any legitimacy at all. And that is true even in the country that is most often held up as the model and proof that Islam and democracy can coexist (despite the fact that its secularism was established in an atmosphere of war with Islam): Turkey.
"FEATURE-Islam challenges secularism in Turkey's east," by Paul de Bendern for Reuters:
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Oct 30 (Reuters) - In the heartland of Turkey's southeast, plagued by decades of conflict between separatist Kurdish rebels and the state, a new threat to secularism is emerging -- Islamist groups.Local politicians say these organisations are becoming more active in the poor region that borders Iraq and Syria, and some fear this could fan fundamentalism, especially among young people who have grown up with violence.
As in the rest of predominantly Sunni Muslim Turkey, practising one's religion here long took a backseat to a public espousal of the secularism of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the republic's founder.
However, since the AK Party, which has roots in political Islam, swept to power in 2002, Muslims are now being more open about their faith.
"We feel much freer to practise Islam," said Engin Aydin, a teacher and physics graduate who was selling religious books near Diyarbakir's 11th century Ulu Cami mosque. "It's getting better by the day."
In the southeast's largest city, mosques are welcoming more worshippers, non governmental organisations (NGOs) with a religious overtone are helping the poor and the number of unofficial prayer rooms is on the rise, say politicians and lawyers.
"In every poor neighbourhood, new radical Islamic associations are giving hot food, they have meetings at people's homes. They pay for students to go to school," said Firat Anli, mayor of a district of Diyarbakir and member of the main Kurdish party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP).
"I'm very worried ... I fear they'll become more powerful and could turn to violence like the (Turkish) Hezbollah," he said, referring to a defunct armed group, active in the 1990s.
Posted by Robert at October 29, 2006 7:53 PM
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"And that is true even in the country that is most often held up as the model and proof that Islam and democracy can coexist (despite the fact that its secularism was established in an atmosphere of war with Islam)..."
And despite the fact that its secularism has been more or less maintained over the decades by a military quasi-dictatorship.
Posted by: remote_control![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 29, 2006 8:02 PM
Since Ataturk is highly respected by average Turks as the father of their modern state it will be interesting to see what happens if Islamaniacs start smearing his name and such. Hopefully most Turks won't stand for that because the world doesn't need yet another chaotic basket case from the Muslim world to deal with.
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at October 29, 2006 8:06 PM
have you noticed how muslims tend to IDOLIZE and worship people?
mohammad, this ataturk guy... scary...
Posted by: StillFedUp at October 29, 2006 08:19 PM
Yes indeed. Old Mo gets the same type of "PBUH" after his name as does Allah. Muslims commit one of the offenses the Koran deplores-hypocrisy-and they don't even realize it!
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at October 29, 2006 8:38 PM
For a Muslim population to be "moderate," it must repudiate massive tracts of Islamic sources mandating the implementation of sharia law and jihad against non-compliants. This is tantamount to apostasy, and hardliners attempting to mobilize Islamic communities living under secular governments will have the source texts on their side in driving this point home.
If the Turkish government doesn't get a handle on this soon (read: quick, decisive and forceful containment of these Islamist groups), wholesale intifada in that country won't be far behind.
Posted by: Clive at October 29, 2006 8:55 PM
Turkey in the Fall of 2006 is like a chessboard with the Pope playing one side and a computer programmed to a low skill level playing the other. T minus one month to dialog.
Posted by: limes at October 29, 2006 9:18 PM
"have you noticed how muslims tend to IDOLIZE and worship people?"
Sure, among Muslims you may say that you doubt God's existence or express frustration with God and get away with it.
But if you say the same thing about Muhammad you are in deep trouble.
In the Saudi flag the name 'Muhammad' is written with larger letters than 'Allah' and it is in the middle of the flag.
And what about the black stone?
Islam promotes idolatry in practice despite the monotheistic blah blah.
Posted by: rocky at October 29, 2006 9:33 PM
If the Turkish government doesn't get a handle on this soon (read: quick, decisive and forceful containment of these Islamist groups), wholesale intifada in that country won't be far behind.
Posted by: Clive
GOOD!! No way they can slide into the EU if they get too crazy!!
GOOD DAMMN RIDDANCE!!!!!
Amen!
Posted by: germaninamerica at October 30, 2006 12:08 AM
Olmert is now promising a "broad action" in Gaza to stop the jihadist rockets shot at Israeli towns from there. However, people don't trust Olmert. He supported the mad, criminal retreat from Gaza last year. It has lately been revealed that olmert intervened in the privatizing of a govt-owned bank in favor of his friends, including the American leftist millionaire, Daniel Abrahams. The police are supposed to start a criminal investigation of olmert's activities as acting minister of the Treasury last year after Netanyahu resigned from the govt. That is when olmert is supposed to have exercized his favoritism in the bank sale for his friends.
Many or most Israelis are waiting for olmert to stop being prime minister, one way or another. A criminal prosecution is a good as another.
at October 30, 2006 8:37 AM
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