Turkey’s past has little to offer in terms of democratic inspiration. Ironically, there is hardly any difference between the nostalgia for Ataturk-era secularism and the A.K.P.’s glorification of the Ottoman imperial past. Both rest on the reinvention of an imagined golden age — the former with a secularist emphasis, and the latter with a focus on Islamic identity. And both look back fondly on authoritarian regimes, which makes them all the less credible as political models for a democratic present and future.
The current protest movement isn’t about the past; it is about today and tomorrow. It started because a new generation wanted to defend Gezi Park, a public green space, against the violent, abusive manner in which the government sought to sacrifice it to the gods of neo-liberalism and neo-Ottomanism with a plan to build a replica of Ottoman barracks, a shopping mall and apartments.
The real challenge for the protesters, therefore, is to ensure that this movement is not hijacked by a Kemalist backlash that seeks to reduce Turkey’s complex social problems to a simplistic dichotomy between Islam and secularism.
What Mr. Erdogan is currently undermining and destroying isn’t an imagined golden age of a secular and democratic Turkey, which never really existed, but rather the “état de grâce” that followed his party’s first electoral victory in 2002. For five or six years, the A.K.P. used democracy as its only defense against the authoritarian ways of the old guard — the coalition formed by the secular political parties and the army, long considered the guarantor of secularism. Click link below for Full article;
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/17/opinion/turkeys-false-nostalgia.html?ref=opinion
Posted By F. Sheikh
Noor Salik
An insightful analysis of Turkey’s present political dilemmas.
“Both rest on the reinvention of an imagined golden age — the former with a secularist emphasis, and the latter with a focus on Islamic identity. ”
The expression “invention of imagined golden age” may not be applicable to Turkey only,
it may be applicable to Islam as well.
At the end of the article professor mentions “Secular Democracy” is the only political structure which can provide a sustainable political environment for every political entity in complex modern societies.
Secular democracy means every ethnic, racial, religious group must be given constitutional protection of their political, economic and social rights.
I agree with Noor Salik that it is excellent analysis which is applicable to other Muslim countries also. It is also a warning to both Secularist and Religious parties. Secularist disdain religion more than they love Democracy and align with Army and dictators to keep the religious parties at bay. It was obvious in Egypt also when Secularists protested against the victory of Morsi and asked the Army to intervene.
As the author writes;
“Moreover, Turkish “secularism” often marginalized and oppressed those who openly displayed their beliefs; head-scarf-wearing women were banned from universities, and few protections were given to religious minorities.”
“For five or six years, the A.K.P. used democracy as its only defense against the authoritarian ways of the old guard — the coalition formed by the secular political parties and the army, long considered the guarantor of secularism.”
The Religious Parties use Democracy as defense to topple dictators and then become arrogant and start undermining their own achievements, as Mr. Erdogan in Turkey and Mr. Morsi in Egypt is doing .
The author writes;
“What Mr. Erdogan is currently undermining and destroying isn’t an imagined golden age of a secular and democratic Turkey, which never really existed, but rather the “état de grâce” that followed his party’s first electoral victory in 2002. For five or six years, the A.K.P. used democracy as its only defense against the authoritarian ways of the old guard — the coalition formed by the secular political parties and the army, long considered the guarantor of secularism.”
I think the gravest mistake the Secularist will make is to support and join hands with Army to topple these religious parties. The right course is to protest and stay on democratic course , no matter how ugly and imperfect.
Fayyaz
Tolerance is the key ingredient missing in the modern Islamic world. Shia against Sunni. Religious against secularists. Moderates vs militants. All are bleeding each other in the name of the same God and religion. Each faction feels so self righteous willing to go to any extremes to deny the other side. Few seem capable of agreeing to disagree and respect the rights of others to believe as they choose. It is medieval thinking that has no place in the modern world. Muslims led the world in progressive thinking once and can do so again but only when the light of tolerance brighten their path.
Nasik
Democracy has to be a secular form of rulership, since in democracy sovereignty is in the hands of the people, while in religious form of rule sovereignty lies with God.
Mirza Ashraf
Dr. Nasik Elahi
Religion and democratic ideals have to coexist. The challenge for most societies is how the balance is struck. The western model has effected a separation between church and state. The Islamic social, cultural and religious history is quite different and such clean separation is not feasible. The Muslim countries are struggling to find the right balance. There seems to be no true model that fits the needs so the differences get played out in bloody conflicts. Turkey is the most advanced in this progression and despite the domestic and regional tensions has the promise to provide a cohesive Islamic model of governance.
Nasik
I wonder if Muslims will ever come out of the past, which is correctly mentioned in this article as “imagined” glory. There is no harm in constructing a modest memorial at the expense of development for future but to pour huge resources to construct a replica of barracks of Ottoman past is rather typical of Muslims. This is what Muslims have always been up to, building tombs and mosques when Europe was building universities. One reason must be the false glorification, and sweeping the true face under the carpet, by
our scholars, telling only the exaggerated stories of glorious past. I don’t think people will be so sensitive about the paradise lost if the Muslim historians had exposed the escapades of Ottoman Sultans in their harems, of their brutal and deceitful acts against their own brothers for becoming the first in the line of succession, of “golden cage” for the losers. People forget history pretty fast. Why is it so shocking that the religious party is turning out to be authoritarian, why Kemal Ataturk did what he did – the interference in the affairs of the state by the religion is inevitable if the religion is Islam. Democracy knows no religion, if a nation selects democracy as their system of governance then first that nation must be prepared to separate state from religion. Islam comes with a baggage of Sharia, the laws that may have been appropriate a thousand years ago but are redundant in present time, and it is a futile effort to introduce democracy in Muslim societies until Islam is reduced to tradition only, just like the role of Santa in Christian societies.
Muslims have no time to waste in such squabbles as that of Teksim Square, I am not only against the decision to rebuild barracks but against protests too, already they are centuries behind fighting for symbols (which ironically are mostly false). Whats there in Jerusalem except temples and mosques! Christians launched crusades for centuries but ever since they left it behind they are advancing in every field, they have explored the solar system and on their way to intergalactic journey and en-route given humanity the technology to cure diseases, instant communication and devices like cell phones and GPS and computers etc., they are contemplating on earth’s future when sun runs out of fuel, they are talking about ways to jump from planet or steer the planet towards other star/sun . … but what matters for Muslims is how dare some one posted a cartoon, or wrote a book based on actually a deleted verse from holy book (exposing the claims of divinity of the book), or demolished a mosque (which in fact was built on a temple) or occupying a land that they had taken from others too.
What will it take for Muslims to move on, I wonder!
P.S. I have seen many historical places and remain unimpressed, “disappointment” is my usual feeling. Most monuments tell a story of oppression, of the cost at they were built in wealth and with forced labor and slavery. What impresses me is the scientific marvels built to enhance humanity in today’s world…forget past.