Hi again,
The debate between Mr. Spector and Reid seems very
personalized to me,
rather than going on this subject, especially by
Reid.
I want to give an example from Turkey, actually
Turkish state as an example.
Here is a country whose 99% of citizens are
Muslim.
When the state was established in 1923 by an
dictatorial government following a sovereignty war, government started to do
some "modernizing revaluations" on people's life, such as using several versions
of hats and clothes which separately represents persons religion or social
status or ethnicity was abolished and people forced to wear retype suits. All
traditional musical instruments was collected and replaced by piano. And much
more.
This was the modernization of a state and the
creation of a nation.
Because modernization in Islam was not occurred as
happened to Christianity in Europe, also state
had to rewrite Islam with its own
terms.
Turkish government was created a new Islam and all
past institutions was abolished, because a transformation from Islam based
Ottoman to a new Turkey would require this.
Of course this is not a case study private for
Turkey, this is the reformation process happened in Europe in the 15th
century. But difference in the process was, in turkey and many other
Islamic countries, externally created by the modernist
dictatorial governments by pressure.
So, this modernization became a suffering process,
suffering and pressure in the name of a future with "human rights" and a "modern
developed society". Not ended yet.
Education as an ideological apparatus of state
played a very important role in this process: creating "enlightened and modern
Turkish people", this was achieved. Most of the people who claims themselves as
progressive people still advocating inhumanity and fascist policies against any
kind of Islamic movement., whatever it is.
In a country like Turkey, supporting their
opposition, not required to support their ideology or maybe you can oppose it,
becomes a requirement for a progressive person. This is a real politic
choose.
Same policy must be valid in the current situation,
against war on terrorism.
PS: If it is needed to notice, I do not mean
supporting terrorism of S11.
by