Posted on 12/27/2003 11:44:09 PM PST by miltonim
"Turks tend to place Christians in the same category as Armenian terrorists."
In response to my post regarding Turkish hostilities against non-Muslims, the following email arrived. It was speaking to another email I had received from a Turkish Muslim who defended Turkish Muslims, saying they practiced a religion of peace. Here is the anguished email from a Christian:
"Ask him about the Armenian genocide that the Turkish government does not even recognize in their history books. My grandmother was beaten, stabbed and left for dead and her whole family killed, all in the name of Muslims trying to eliminate Armenian Christians. The many trials and tribulations my grandmother went through included a stay in a concentration camp before she escaped for safer ground. But as a God follower, I know God's hand was upon her to birth future generations to work for His kingdom and I know the devil isn't too happy about that."
Of course, Turkish Muslims have maintained persecution against Christians; that’s why it is very difficult for the Christian witness to exist in Turkey. Probably the grossest atrocities against Christians in the preceding century took place in Turkey. Paul Marshall wrote in THEIR BLOOD CRIES OUT that "although Turkey is now a country with relatively few Christians, this was not always the case. Less than one hundred years ago, Turkey, or rather its Ottoman predecessor, was about 30 percent Christian. This situation changed when some two million ethnic Armenian Christians were massacred between 1905 and 1918, a genocide which the Turkish government still denies. Many of the remaining Christians fled immediately. Others facing death threats, systemic harassment, and discrimination, followed them later."
World Evangelism Alliance reports the following: "While Turkey is a secular state, tensions exist between religious elements that desire stronger ties to neighboring Muslim states, and others who consider Europe and secular politics as the way forward. The government's aggressive promotion of secularism and its move to join the European Union are causing the tensions to slowly and quietly escalate within elements of Turkey's 99.64 percent Muslim-majority society.
"In Turkey, religious freedom is a Constitutional right and is upheld by the government and the judiciary. However, some politicians, many police and all Islamists are hostile to Christianity, which they see as European and opposed to all that is essentially and historically Turkish. They regularly use ambiguous laws to prosecute and harass the Church. Several cases of harassment against churches are presently before the courts.
"Those opposed to Christianity often use ambiguous laws as their means to prosecute, harass and persecute the Church. While the courts generally dismiss these cases, the court proceedings are costly, stressful and intimidating. The harassment the Church suffers has caused multitudes of believers to either flee or emigrate to a better life.
"The Turkish security police ordered the closure of the New Testament Church that had been meeting for 40 years in Iskenderun. The reason given in the directive: ‘Your activities will incite religious, sectarian and dervish-order discrimination; will harm religious and national feelings; and will create offense in the society.’ Although the church had been meeting in this location for the past 7 years without any complaints, the directive also alleged that the church's location had not been approved in the municipal zoning plan. The church has employed a lawyer to prepare and file their case before the administrative courts.
"In Diyarbakir, Protestant pastor Ahmet Guvener has been charged with making illegal changes in the architectural plan of his nearly completed church building. However, the underlying objection voiced to the council by the governor of Diyarbakir was over the building's intended use for worship by Turkish Christians. Pastor Guvener's next hearing is set for 8 October. These cases are examples of pure harassment. Other Christian ministries have reported harassment also, including the deportation of some foreign Christian workers. In spite of this, there is much interest in the gospel and the Church is growing."
According to John Mark Ministries: "For the few in Turkey who dare profess Christ, life can be dangerous. Many believers have been harassed, threatened, and imprisoned for their faith in Christ. Evangelizing is difficult because Turks tend to place Christians in the same category as Armenian terrorists."
So goes the tolerance of Muslims for Christians in Turkey. Muslim religion is a religion of war against all non-Muslims. It is so because of the Koran doctrine to wipe out all infidels, hence the present-day Islamic slaughter of non-Muslims.
All the info you need : The Armenian Question [in English]
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.