Ping
Posted on 10/29/2004 7:41:07 PM PDT by freedom44
29th October marked the 81st anniversary of the Turkish Republic. A secular country that has succeeded to survive, progress and to remain loyal to the principles introduced by its founder Mustafa Kemal Pasha, otherwise known as Ataturk - the Father of Turks. A framework in which under no domestic or international pressure the Turkish authorities have compromised on.
The Turks today are celebrating and deserve to be congratulated for their untiring efforts and their love for their country. At the same time my ancient land has sunken in the darkest period of its history since the Arab invasion of Iran in 640 A.D.
Secularism, the key to Turkey's survival and prosperity has been used and mentioned over and over by those Iranian activists outside and inside Iran particularly more than ever before in the recent years. After the death of the man who introduced its concept to us - Reza Shah the Great, it was never paid much attention until his grandson reintroduced it to our daily vocabulary.
Today more than ever before Iran is badly in need of a school of thought like that of Turkey's Kemalists which could guarantee its future democracy, secularism and nationalism; if we ever achieve such noble goals! Iran needs a doctrine so that our true secularists could stand by it, otherwise, the general expression that "people themselves will be the guarantee of our future democracy", is simply naivety.
What Iran of post-Islamic terror needs are visionary, truly secular men and women with modern thoughts to mould a new foundation for a modern nation to lead a proud life among the progressive nations of this world. Iran does not need people who are typical oriental romantics. Pragmatic, realists, radicals and forward-looking leaders are what we need to bring our country to the modern age.
(Excerpt) Read more at iranian.ws ...
This was posted earlier today: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1261801/posts
I imagine the burgeoning Islamists in Turkey will keep a low profile until they get admitted into the EU, then they'll take the EU down from within.
The Turks are far more progressive then you believe and keep dreaming if you are having wet dreams of an Islamist Turkey.
Did you know that Turkey's prime minister Edrogan, was an Islamist firebrand who served a 9 month sentence for inciting religious hatred?
Did you know that Turkey recently tried to criminalize adultery, only backing down because it endangered their admission into the EU?
Edrogan has an Islamist bent. AK whips talk openly about introducing more Islamist legislation once Ankara gets its green light on EU accession. In rural areas, AK-appointed district superintendents have been demoting female teachers who come to school in trousers. Municipal police in Samsun warned couples against kissing in public on the orders of the local AK Party mayor.
In Turkey, some modernist Islamic theologians, who publish the academic journal Islamiyat, in the footsteps of Fazlur Rahman, are calling for a complete renewal of the shariah (Islamic law), including the Koranic rulings on the penal code, women's status and the doctrine of war.
Turkey is about to go full blown Islamist, they are just hiding their nature temporarily until they get admitted into the EU.
Turkey gave women the right to vote before we did. They implemented some of the most progressive rights movements far before most nations in the west.
Also, have you ever visited Turkey!? The idea of Turkey falling to Islamists is ridiculous. France is far more likely to fall to Islamists then Turkey.
Still not convinced about how "progressive" Turkey's prime minister Erdogan is?
Did you know that as mayor of Istanbul, he tried to outlaw alcohol in many localities? That he used to refuse to shake the hands of women?
Did you know that the religious minded party that has risen to power in Turkey today, was created out of the remains of two banned Islamist groups?
"Also, have you ever visited Turkey!?"
Yes and it is not a place that I would want to run afowl of their law. Brrr
Ismir and the surrounding area - 1963
BTTT
Ban alcohol in many localities? Have you ever visited TEXAS?!? Alcohol is banned in MANY localities. :)
welllllllllllll... in some places in texas, the sale is banned. the possession and use is not. not the same thing as turkey.
OK, here is the point. You say it is unthinkable for islamists to take over Turkey.
THEY ALREADY HAVE.
The party that has risen to power in Turkey was formed out of two banned Islamists groups. Erdogan is a famously avowed Islamist, even though he has been hiding his nature by necessity (the army will overthrow him if he talks religion). He was sent to prison for 9 months for inciting religious hatred, and has quite a history proving his nature.
The government passed a ban on adultery, that is a whiff of the islamist sharia to come. Once the EU accepts Turkey, the army will no longer be able to overthrow the government at its whim. The EU can no longer threaten Turkey to behave properly or not be allowed into the EU. The Islamists can reveal their true nature.
It is already finished.
Alcohol is not banned in Turkey. Only in small localities same as Texas.
To answer your question, I have been to Turkey.
I have been to Turkish Cyprus, which I think illustrates clearly the progressive nature of Turkey that awaits the EU and the world.
Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974. They permanently seized half of the country, and to this day occupy it with troops and a puppet government. They pushed all of the native Christians out of their half, and kept them out permanently, occupying their empty homes with settlers from the Turkish mainland. They destroyed nearly every church, either dynamiting them, converting them into horse stables or mosques, or simply filling them with trash and graffiti. Turkish Cyprus today is an ethnically pure enclave, an entity unrecognized by every government in the world except Turkey. Several UN resolutions condemned the invasion and called for Turkish withdrawal, but have been ignored.
I suspect this isn't the last time "progressive" Turkey will visit this behavior on the world.
Turkey hides chechen terrorists.
Boy, how puritanical, these Turks
How disgusting that the Turks would pass laws banning adultry. ;)
Are you saying Greek Cyprus is not ethnically pure?
Correct, there are huge numbers of turks in Greek Cyprus.
There are no Greeks in Turkish Cyprus.
There are lots of mosques in Southern Cyprus, I take it.
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.