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A.P. Photo/ Burhan Ozbilici
The Islamist ruling party in Turkey [AKP] has “a strategy for a creeping Islamization that culminates in a Shari’a (Islamic law) state not compatible with a secular, democratic order. The AKP does not advertise this agenda and often denies it.” Turkish courts confirmed the secret agenda. However, in the name of democracy, the U.S. and the EU demand that countervailing Turkish circles accept the AKP positions subverting the military, judiciary, and educational system. This Western pressure is naïve, for it betrays the democratic elements in Turkey to the Islamists, who, as they consolidate power, crimp democracy. Democracy is not just rule by the majority but allows civil rights, minority opinion and cultural freedom consistent with constitutional order. In Turkey, democracy is a cover for creeping Islamism and the ending democracy.
Can’t expect much policy revision by Europe. Europe is losing sight of the values of its civilization [or is reverting to hedonism and apathy]. Europe doesn’t understand what is happening to it. Europe has proved inept at ethnic problems.
Ordinary reform in Turkey is not enough. Needed is fundamental reform, such as Europeanizing Islam. Turkish immigrants in Islamic enclaves in Germany are not like Europeans in matters of tolerance and democracy. The AKP head called their possible assimilation into Europe a “crime against humanity.” In other words, he wants them to retain their hostility in exchange for German hospitality. [Sounds like preparation for introducing civil war to Europe.]
If the Turkish immigrants assimilated into European culture, they could become a welcome and useful addition to Europe, whose population is declining. Can’t expect much policy revision in Turkey. Islamists, being undemocratic, don’t compromise.
Thus, when the AKP legalized the head scarf, which signifies Islamization, and the Supreme Court found it contravened their secular constitution, the AKP threatened to shut the court.
Many Europeans praised the AKP on this issue, as being moderate and democratic. As a result of the misguided European notion of democracy, moderate, secularist Turks feel abandoned by the West and alienated towards it. In Turkey, this issue is debated more honestly than it is in Europe.
The only difference between moderate and jihadist Islamists is the use of ballots. The naïve West thinks that including Islamists in politics would tame it. It didn’t in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iraq. Hamas and Hizbullah kept their militias, which contravenes democracy (Paul Marshall, Jewish Political Chronicle, spring 2009, p.11 from M. E. Quarterly, winter 2009).
The Western foreign policy establishment has taken a counter-productive position on this. Secularist Europe actually is helping repress secularist Turkey!
For another discussion of Turkish Islamism, click here:
Comments
Way too biased... I don't expect much from an "Israel Conflict Examiner" after Davos I guess. Westeners love a "puppy Turkey", like in the 60s and 80s, that they can use whenever needed. But fortunately those days are passed my lad. Come to reality, its really not that frightning and not that hard either.
Although Richard may be quite biased, we should more question where his information comes from. Where do you get your information and why do you never refer to any sources that might avert such criticism?
Finally, turks are getting their courage back. Inshallah there will be one ummah.
At long last some western observers are seeing the evil behind AKP. AKP is an islamofascist party working to abolish democracy in Turkey and establish islamofascist rule.
Israel wants the puppet self hating Turkey back. Thank Allah for Erdogan. If Atatark was alive who would he back the corrupt Israeli puppet Turkish army or the proud turk erdogan who turned a thirld world Turkey into technology driven capitalist powerhouse
"Creeping Islamism" is an oxymoron. Islam is the majority religion in Turkey. It is quite natural that it will make some kind of impact on social and political life. Otherwise would be abnormal. If yours is not hatred of Islam, then I am expecting to see articles about Israil titled "Creeping Judaism" or about US titled "Creeping Christianity' because of the role of religion in those societies.
All the commentators above are probably quite young.
1. There is a difference between islam and islamism,
2. you think erdogan's show in Davos was real? He is renting the syrian border to Israel
3. philosophy is no longer thought in schools, Darwin is censored, biology books talk about religion etc...
4. democracy is not a faschist rule of the majority, it is there to protect the rights of the minority, not of the majority
not all of them.
1.long story short; there is no difference in practice.
2.we will see that. look into a mirror and try to turn your face into purple. if you can do it, than you are right.
3.philosophy and darwin are still being thaught but not as a dogma. look at US policies on that. biology books still talk about biology.
4.mostly true. problem is protection of majority rights which is missing in your definition and in Turkey.
Danny Lee Shaw II asks why I don't cite my sources. Re-read the article, and you will see my source cited, ultimately from Middle East Quarterly. Ask my critics to cite their sources. They haven't, so far.
About a fifth of my articles are editorials, based on my having read a couple of hundred thousands of pages over the past 15 years and thinking for myself. Some of those readings were of international law and were by renowned scholars.
Tonight I deleted about 3 comments, tonight, two calling me names and not having anything of substance in them, the third insulting Arabs and not having anything of substance in it.
Many of the comments pronounce judgment on me, but fail to back up their own judgment with facts. Most of the time they don't deal with the subject of my article. The comments on this article were pertinent.
I referred to "creeping Islamism" because the Islamist party is imposing theocracy slowly and is pretending not to be overturning the Constitution. There is no such thing as "creeping Judaism" or "creeping Christianity," because There is no movement to slowly impose a theocracy in Israel or, to my knowledge, in Christian countries, though separation of religion and state is not total in certain of those countries. Indeed, in those countries, secularism is growing.
My critic equated the three faiths as if they operate the same, at the current time. They do not.
A Turk gave the current regime credit for making Turkey a strong nation. I was impressed by Turkey's strength and its growing economy before the current regime took office.
Richard, I do hope you saw my comment on another of your 'editorials' after I saw on this one and the next a citation. I shall be staying up on MEQ (mid. east quart) as much as possible from now on. Thanks, again, for more resources for my information expansion.
Erdogan has reportedly said that Democracy is like a street car - when it takes you to your stop you get off !!
No doubt that stop - is Europe !!
Before Erdogan went to trail he had replaced half the civil servants with islamist leaning ones - and after his 'Islamization' trail he is quietly going after the military and judiciary - so that they would no longer be able to stand in the way of his efforts to undo secularism.
He has said - the Turkish constitution is like a rag with holes in it.
Clearly a guy who wants to use the system to arrive at his Islamist aims.
He hates Ataturk.
But politically whose next inline - you have the Kemalists (stuck in the past - but best hope for Europe) and you have the Nationalist - who want to restore the Ottoman Empire and believe that Turkish people are the most superior people on earth!!
Part 2 ...
Part 2
I'm still trying to figure out - what it was that Erdogan was angling for when he told the German Turks not to assimilate.
My guess is that it is his aim to bring the whole of Europe under Islam - small fact .. Erdogan has encouraged Turkish women to have a minimum of 3-4 children.
The Turkish population is growing exponentially - surpassing all predictions - it now stands at 76 million (CIA FactBook). This is at a time when Europe is saying how can we afford to subsidise all these rural farmers (2/3) of the population.
Not long ago everyone was saying Turkey would have a population of 80 M in a decade - but this could occur in a year or two.
With the large population of Muslims coming from the East and the vast swathes of unassimilated Turkish in Germany and other parts of Europe - they could together push for an Islamized Europe.
If the NATO debacle was anything to go by - where the Fmr. Danish leader was rejected solely on religious grounds - then we are in
To Mr Shulman;
No one is imposing theocracy in Turkey.
If you call legalizing head scarf as Islamization, you need to provide us your explanation of human rights violations like kicking young girls out of universities because of their head scarfs.
Look at the Bush era and read some more on Republican party supporters for creeping Christianity in States, I am sure you will find enough worrisome material.
Nevermind....
This gives enough insight about your views of Islam and Muslims: "The only difference between moderate and jihadist Islamists is the use of ballots"
What can be said more???
Kamil_Sah put words in my mouth and then condemns me for them. I didn't say the only problem in the Islamist creeping dictatorship of Turk was head scarfs, whose significance, by the way, you gloss over. Kamil, you missed other points and didn't click on my links to my related articles, that provide more points.
Some of the comments before yours provided additional points.
You assert that my not putting into this article problems elsewhere, some of which you may be exaggerating, proves me prejudiced. Specious argument! Each article provides additional information on a specific topic, not a comprehensive book. Indeed, other articles do point out other human rights issues; still others are outside my scope.
You quote my report about the difference between moderate and radical Islamists being the ballot without explanation or understanding it. It is a sarcastic statement meaning that some Islamists pretend to be moderate, but use elections to get power, to end democracy.
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