Nov 14 2006
Turkey Prosecuting Al Qaeda Agents
One of our more liberal readers thinks Turkey, being an Islamic country and tilting towards Islamic law, has become complicit as Syria in the war on terror and would never work against Al Qaeda. As usual, the liberals are all fantasy and no reality. Turkey has been the target of Al Qaeda terrorism and is prosecuting an Al Qaeda agent – who hails from Syria by the way – for planning terrorist attacks in Turkey on direct orders from Bin Laden. While Turkey is a key element in what will transpire (and has been a subject of many recent posts) how Turkey proceeds is not clear, and tends to be on the side of the West – not opposed to it. They have 72 terrorists on trial right now. So it would be presumptuous to claim Turkey would ally against the US and the West. All indications are Al Qaeda has already alienated this nation with their attacks on it.
Turkey buried a old leader last weekend, there were 100’s of thousand people in the street voicing the need to continue a secular Turkey.
In Turkey it is ILLEGAL for women to wear Muslim veils in government buildings. It is illegal to wear a fez. The Turks are definitely not like other Muslims. They drink like fish, watch racy movies and party like there is no tomorrow. One Turkish woman I know says that there is a great deal of hostility to women who wear veils and burka’s on the street.
The government provides an official interpretation of the Quarn that forbids jihad and has informants in Mosque. If an Imam gets radical he is deported. They also do not allow non-Turks to be Imams which limits the Wahibi’s from taking over.
Indeed, Jack Straw in the UK should have defended himself by saying he was modeling his request for Muslim women to not wear a veil upon TURKISH law.
Turkey has been secular since 1923 after the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The fiercest proponent of secularism was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a revered leader. Turkey has worked hard to maintain secularism since that time. The Islamists are trying their best to make this an Islamist state. I’m not saying it is impossible for this to happen but it is unlikely to happen soon. That said, if something is not done soon the whole of the ME will become as Islamic state.