Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Extremism: Turkey will not become Malaysia

oct 10, 2007

i hope turkey will not. turks were among the most fundie mohammedans around until ataturk forced them into being less virulent.

malaysia is going the other way, of course. their mohammedans used to be fairly reasonable in the past.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: raj

Turkey will not become Malaysia
 

29/09: Turkey will not become Malaysia

Category: General
Posted by: Raja Petra
The domestic debate about whether there is a threat of Islamicisation in Turkey has been stoked by American comparisons of Turkey and Malaysia.

Tolga KORKUT

There were many who had interpreted the overwhelming victory of the religious Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the general elections of 22 July as the beginning of a new era.

It was thought that now the AKP would show its real colours and start on its project of Islamicisation. The party's current efforts to write a new constitution, albeit up to now with no participation from other segments of society, has been seen as an effort to allow the headscarf into public life.

American comparison of Turkey and Malaysia

Now there is a heated debate on whether or not Turkey faces a threat of increasing Islamicisation. Recent American comparisons of Turkey and Malaysia as two moderate Muslim states have had strong reactions in Turkey.

President Gül himself has argued that Malaysia is very different from Turkey. Now the domestic media has taken up the theme, asking, "Could Turkey become a Malaysia?"

Reporters sent to Malaysia

"Milliyet" newspaper has sent its reporter Ece Temelkuran to Malaysia to make comparisons. In her "This is Malaysia" series, today's headline is "No food or money for children during Ramazan". Underneath it says, "The practices in Malaysia, the centre of 'moderate Islam' show how 'personal' it is when 'political Islam' is described as a 'personal choice'."

"A typical example are primary school children who are forced to stay hungry: during Ramazan the school does not give a lunch break, the canteen is closed, but people are free not to fast!"

The "Vatan" newspaper also continues a series analysing Malaysia. Today, Prof. Dr. Nur Vergin, "Zaman" journalist Ali Bulac and " Posta" journalist Mehmet Barlas try to answer the question of whether the AKP will Islamicise society through state mechanisms.

"Turkey will not become Malaysia"

Ezgi Basaran and Sebati Karakurt of the "Hürriyet" newspaper spoke with Zeinah Anwar, from the Sisters in Islam (SIS) group for the newspaper's series "Malaysian women from tradition to modernity". Anwar told the journalists that Turkey would not turn into a Malaysia.

Alev Alatli of the "Zaman" newspaper took an ironic stance; comparing the Turkish and the Malaysian economy, she said, "I wish we could become Malaysians."

In Turkey "no pressure on uncovered women"

In Hasan Bozkurt's interview with Prof. Dr. Metin Heper of Bilkent University, the academic said that "I have never seen pressure put on uncovered women."He was referring on current discussions of "neighbourhood pressure" (read peer pressure) which covered women are said to apply.

Powerful Fetva Council

The "Sabah" newspaper covered a series published by the weekly "Yeni Aktüel" magazine, owned by the same group. Under the heading "Malaysia: Neither Fully Laicist Nor Fully Islamic" it read "Malaysia, which together with Turkey Americans had shown as an example of moderate Islam, has a "laicism" article in its constitution, but it also has quite a powerful Fetva Council".

The newspaper's editor-in-chief Ergun Babahan wrote, "As there is talk of a constitution which could change the balance of power in Turkey, those who favoured education for headscarved women recently have suddenly started saying that it is too early."

In the Kemalist "Cumhuriyet" newspaper, Mahmut Güler has prepared a series entitled "The reality of Malaysia", with today's heading being "A country of compulsory Islam".

Underneath it says, "The official religion of Malaysia, which is 60 percent Muslim, is Islam. Those who do not fast are punished with prison sentences or fines. At university graduation ceremonies all women, be they Muslims or not, have to wear a headscarf. If a woman wears revealing clothes, she is taken to court for corrupting morality." (TK/AG)

Comments

raven1958 wrote:

Secular moderate Malaysia was hijacked when this country's education ministry virtually let religious schools run by State Religious authorities a free hand....producing lop-sided immature graduates with tunnel vision. Malaysia can only return to secularism once these schools are eradicated...otherwise get set to go Pakistan/Afghanistan way.........
29/09 11:23:02

kopi37 wrote:

How can Turkey become Malaysia when they are supposed to be the maunufacturing Country of yacht and we are merely the consumer Country!

They are fond of 'Turkey' and we are fond of "Kentucky Chicken", totally not the same in favourites!

There is only one thing close that will possibly make Turkey become the same, that is, the hobby of yachting and fishing! Our supremo has booked a 30-m yacht ready to go out sea fishing but that doesn't mean Turkey has become Malaysia! Same hobby does not tantamount to same ideology! Hobby can change, ideology must last which can never be afforded to be flip-flop! The Lawyers and the people will walk the street on flip-flop policies!..........
29/09 12:23:51

vanniyan wrote:

Turkey can never become like Malaysia becos it practise a Secular Government. The PM is from a Muslim Party but not a hypocrite like our UMNO guys. The Turkey Military is a strong secular group and they will intervene if any political party wanted to change the country' s strong secular set up. The PM is not an idiot like ours who don't know the meaning of secular, when the reporters ask whether Malaysia is a secular or Islamic country, he said that it is not Islamic nor Secular, than what a ATHESIS Country!!!!!!!!
29/09 19:58:24

budakindia wrote:

why they should follow us? malaysians are known to be copy cats. ask yourself.. what is the true malaysian identity? nothing! so why turkey should follow the eluded and evasive malaysia!
29/09 22:37:45

aboo wrote:

The Turks belong to a civilization that existed centuries before the arrival of Christ, while the Proto-Malays had yet to emigrate from Yunnan to the Malay peninsula. How can you compare a civilized race with barbarians?
30/09 11:07:05

watchdog wrote:

Oi Lee Heng Hin aka 'aboo'.

You yourself have come closer from a place to Yunan. Therefore you a barbarian too or quasi barbarian?

idiots like you dont desrve space on any blog - you should be banished to the bogs!!!!
30/09 21:38:07

Counterpointer wrote:

Turkey would not want to become Malaysia but Malaysia certainly has become a turkey being run by this bunch of turkeys.
01/10 08:33:05

1 comment:

san said...

Ironically, it would be good for India if Ataturkism/Kemalism collapses in Turkey, and there is a revival of religious governance. Because this will at least bring the pressure of Islamic nationalism back to the borders of Europe, which has for far too long been shielded from it since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. We Indians won't be hurt since we have no border with them, but the European feet will for once be held to the Islamist flame. That alone will change European attitudes towards India really quick.