Posted on 05/17/2006 6:18:43 PM PDT by floridaobserver
A gunman stormed into a courthouse meeting room in Ankara on Wednesday and shot five judges, apparently in anger at a ruling enforcing a strict ban on the wearing of Islamic head scarves.
One judge later died, and top officials, including the prime minister, who himself had criticized the court's ruling, rushed to denounce the attack as a violation of Turkey's secular and democratic traditions.
The gunman, who was captured, is Alparslan Arslan, a lawyer.
He is not known to have previously displayed strong Islamist views, but during the siege, "he presented himself as the soldier of God," said Tansel Colasan, acting chief judge of the highest administrative court, the Council of State, where the shooting took place.
"He reportedly said he was there to punish the court members for their verdicts on the head scarf cases," Judge Colasan told reporters outside the courthouse in Ankara, the capital.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Meanwhile, all the prudent politicians are saying that if we will negotiate with the Islamists in Iran, something will come of it. It is merely an excuse to avoid taking a courageous action. As if a boycott of Iranian oil is going to have any effect whatsoever.
the scarf made me do it?
Islam is a brain desease... that sometimes takes years tully manifest.
It seems as if the Turkish experiment in secular modernism is increasingly in danger of failing. The Islamist parties got into power, the generals stood back, and things have been going down hill, to all appearances.
We need a slamnation bomb, or S-bomb, i.e. something which can send slammites to slammite hell in huge numbers. The major ingredient should be freeze-dried pork ground at least as fine as the flash powder they use for flintlock rifles.
These people need to be deprogrammed.
Excellent question.
How many people have been killed over these idiodic towels?
Where is the UN outrage?
Thay are like old explosives. No one knows when they will detonate. Its a crazy cult followed by crazy people, and we are crazy to call it a religion and say they want peace.
This time the Islamists were smart, they first infected the Turkish military officer corps before taking over the government. That way they ensured the military wouldn't take over the government like the last couple times. Ataturks dream is dead in Turkey.
I've got a protective fence around my property made of bacon.
The religion of peace strikes again.
If Allah is so merciful and all-powerful, why the hell does he need soldiers?
Ironically, the European Union is the reason Turkey's military can't do anything to intervene. Before Turkey's EU entrance talks could begin last year, EU wanted any military influence removed from the government. Because the Turkish military supports EU membership, they complied fully.
It's basically a catch-22 situation - if the generals intervene, EU will get pissed, and it may be the end of Turkey's EU dreams. So the military's hands are tied.
Who told you Allah was merciful? Ask Nick Berg how merciful Allah and Mohammed are.
Jeez lousie, talk about the 'fashion police' - this guy could work for 'People Magazine'
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