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Reply to Islamic State Discussion
by by
09 March 2002 17:13 UTC
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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
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