That Tiny Minority of Extremists just keeps growing. “Poll’s finding on Islam and violence should ring alarm bells,” by Barçin Yinanç, Hürriyet Daily News, February 3, 2015:
“We have been following with great concern what is happening at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul,” a Western diplomat told me, in reference to demonstrations of support of the Kouachi brothers who attacked the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo last month.
The diplomat was referring to the group who had gathered for funeral prayers for the Kouachi brothers – after the attack that killed 12 people – carrying banners reading “We are Cherif Kouachi” and “We are Said Kouachi.”
According to an opinion poll conducted in Turkey by the Metropoll research company last month, 56 percent agreed that Charlie Hebdo (which published the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad) had insulted the Prophet, but said it was wrong for them to be killed. However, 20 percent of respondents said they had “got what they deserved” for insulting the Prophet. Only 16 percent said the Charlie Hebdo killings were an attack on freedom of expression.
The demonstrations in support of the Kouachi brothers substantiate the findings of the Metropoll report. Some 73.6 percent of those polled said they were against the use of violence in the name of Islam, while 20 percent said they would condone “the use of violence in the name of Islam in certain instances.” In another poll conducted last September, the latter figure was 13 percent. In Metropoll’s January poll, 34 percent of AKP voters said they would condone the use of violence in the name of Islam in certain instances.
The presence of a group that sympathizes with cruel killers is worrying. The fact that 20 percent of people in Turkey believe the victims got what they deserve is even more worrying, as this is no small amount. But there is another point that is even more terrifying. Let’s assume that this number was, for example, less than 10 percent. That would not minimize the terrifying fact that some in Turkey found the courage to go onto the street carrying banners that essentially said, “You have done the right thing by killing them.”
This is incitement to violence, and normally it should be punishable by law.
We have a president who loves talking at every occasion on nearly all subjects. But not one word was uttered to condemn those who openly showed their sympathy to those who claim to be killing in the name of Islam.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan tells us when we should get married, how many children we should have, why we should quit smoking, and what type of bread we should eat.
When the Charlie Hebdo attack took place, he condemned the killings in written statement. When he spoke, he chose to put the blame not on radical Islamists, but on the Islamophobic Europeans….
Victor says
That is a lower percentage than I expected.
mortimer says
Opinion surveys show an average 15% of Muslims are strong supporters of jihad. 65% support Sharia and the caliphate, but they are vague about how violence will enforce Sharia. They also want democracy to some unspecified degree.
In other words, most Muslims are contradictory.
RonW says
Maybe that represents those who, if asked flat out, are brazen enough to say it to your face. Others may prefer to hedge their bets, saying one thing and believing another, as muslims are wont to do.
Also remember there are quite a number of ‘anti-erdogan’ Turks in turkey. Possibly enough are ‘secularized/weternized’ to bring down that statistic.
Spot On says
Exactly.
Georg says
I’m going to guess 1:5 Turks live in a household with 4 other people who don’t kick them out for being whackos… Please, if there’s any sanity left in the world, do not let them in the EU.
mortimer says
“20 percent said they would condone “the use of violence in the name of Islam in certain instances.”
That means several million Turks are jihadists.
Jack says
Most Turks I’ve met think muslims are animals. That poll registers the animals. They don’t like what’s going on any more than we do. And now that a Sunni is PM, and turning their schools into Madrassa’s, they are even more pissed.
Salah says
You’re right, Jack. NEVER trust biased, compromised, corrupt, politically motivated poll centers. Most of them are funded by the Muslim Brotherhood thugs.
Most Turks are fed up with their Muslim Brotherhood president. Most Iranians are fed up with their Ayatollahs.
Both rose up against their respective oppressors and both were slaughtered like sheep.
The free world did nothing to help them. Human rights (i.e.terrorists’ rights) organisations did nothing. We let them down. Not only that, but we have sided with the oppressors of these two great peoples, and we still are.
I’m glad my people (the Egyptians) stood up to the Muslim Brotherhood and threw them out of power, to the shameful humiliation of Obama.
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-end-of-muslim-brotherhood.html
Brian Hoff says
As far as I know there wasw no upraiseing against the AKP lead government.
Mirren10 says
”Most Turks I’ve met think muslims are animals.”
And how many might that be ? Do you consider the Turks you have personally met, a definitive sample of the whole ?
mortimer says
Turks appear to be much less in favor of religious establishment than Erdogan who seems to be imposing his views against the wishes of Turks.
PEW RESEARCH RELIGIOUS ATTITUDES IN TURKEY
-generally (12%) want government to codify Islamic law
-amoung more devout (18%) want government to codify Islamic law
-say children should be able to inherit equally, regardless of gender, in Turkey (88%)
Angemon says
The diplomat should check back to his country and see if there are similar protests…
duh_swami says
20 percent said they would condone “the use of violence in the name of Islam in certain instances.”
Yes, and there are hundreds, maybe thousands of these ‘certain instances,.
Vatandas says
Considering that Turkey is 98+ percent Muslim, I’m surprised at the low number. However, most Jihadists think that the Turks are kafir, but Erdogan is working hard to change that.
Joseph says
Wait. Didn’t Pope Francis say the same thing?
R Cole says
20% is still a “few”!!
Tiny! Small!! ~Really!!
::
But more than a third of the Erdogan’s AKP party supporters – would condone the use of violence in the name of Islam.
What we are told is that Islamic terrorist violence has nothing to do with Islam – but it seems most Muslims don’t agree – what is good is that most choose not to support it – and that is the place we need to be. Ultimately it is about choice. What Muslims choose to do. And this is independent of what Islam Koran/Holy books may or may not instruct.
Islamo-bogus!
When talking of “Islamophobes” Erdogan is in good company – whenever Islamic jihadists attack – [once they kill they are no longer wannabes – however pathetic they may appear] – after the mass killing – situated practically in the pool of blood splatter – some of the media commentary focuses on ‘Islamophobia’ — which of course is the label given to the criticism primarily aimed at the rising tide of attacks carried out in the name of Islam.
But just think – if these were statistics for the imagined group of “Islamophobes” – 20% saw violence as necessary. There would be a media feeding frenzy. But as these are Turkish [Muslim] statistics they will be tucked under the carpet – so they can claim – in the face of all evidence to the contrary – that Islamic terrorism has nothing to do with Islam.
Islamo-ganda
That’s how you do propaganda – for Islam!
To think there is a campaign to see people arrested – jailed – imprisoned – for stating the same as the findings of these Turkish statistics. Who benefits from that?
jay says
Not exactly shocking that the former Ottoman Empire misses its old powers and size and is longing for the old days. Also not shocking that many feel this way, this is is a culture that denies the Armenian Genocide to this day. They are an Islamic culture, why should anyone be shocked or surprised they feel this way? They feel they were merciful and respectful for not razing the Sofia Hagia, but turning it into a mosque. That was the equivalent of Jesus acts to them. They’re culturally stunted savages with superiority complexes and biologically inbred beyond any cohesion with modernity. All technological and philosophical modernity they have they stole and their inability to not be backwards throwbacks to a bygone era and utilize them efficiently proves that genetically, something very damaging has been done to the populations by this way of life.