Countries sometimes outgrow their founders. In my native country of India, for example, the "father of the country," Mahatma Gandhi, believed that each village should be economically self-sufficient, spinning its own cloth by hand and growing its own food. The other leading figure, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was a socialist who admired the Soviet Union's five-year plans. These two men defined the main choices facing India for a generation.
But eventually the Indians figured out that neither rural self-sufficiency nor Soviet-style state planning was the way to go. Watching the success of China, Indians opted for something else, in this case free market capitalism. Today free market capitalism offers the best hope for India to realize Gandhi's dream of wiping a tear off every Indian face.
Turkey has been in the clutches of Kemal Ataturk's militant secularism for two generations now. Ataturk abolished the Muslim religious courts in favor of the Swiss legal code, ended religious education in schools, legalized gambling and alcohol, replaced existing commercial laws with the German commercial law, outlawed Islamic dress in public buildings, abolished the Islamic calendar, changed the alphabet, and converted the great mosque of the Hagia Sophia into museum. Basically Ataturk tried to convert his country virtually overnight from a Muslim country into a secular European country.
Many in the West have long held Ataturk's Turkey to be a model for the Muslim world. But today no Muslim country is going the way of Turkey, and even Turkey has stopped going the way of Turkey.
Turks today are finding militant secularism to be a problem. Volkan Aytar of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation tells the New York Times, "This narrow shirt of secularism has become a little too tight and choking for Turkish society." Why should women be barred from wearing veils in government buildings? Why should only secular values be permitted in the public square? Why can't Turkey be modern and Muslim at the same time? Not only is Turkish secularism inconsistent with the religious values held by most people--Muslim as well as Christian--but secularism is also a threat to democracy. Every time religious parties stand to gain politically, the Turkish army warns that it is ready to subvert the democratic process through a military takeover.
On Sunday, Turks will have an opportunity to say farewell to Ataturk, to rebuke the generals, and to give extreme secularism a swift kick in the rear end. I predict it will happen, and that the traditional Muslim AK party headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan will win a big victory. Shouldn't Muslim countries be able to live according to Muslim values? Isn't democracy preferable to rule by the generals? In finally laying Ataturk to rest, Turkey could yet provide a model for the rest of the Muslim world.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 5)
1. Mr. D'Souza-The challenge of creating a true Muslim democracy seems daunting. It seems from what I know of Islam it is at odds with the basic fundamentals of self rule. I'm sitting here trying to think of a single Muslim democracy that doesn't have some strong arm or added aspect of keeping their people in line. I can't, can you?
Rob Zimmeman at 6:45PM on Jul 20th 2007
2. Mr. Inesh D'Souza Bin Laden:
I like to know which position you hold in Al queda. You sound like you are exited and hoping the best US friend and best democracy in that part of the world will be ruined. I am sure FBI soon will find out who you really are. I will wait.
Unal Tutak at 7:00PM on Jul 20th 2007
3.
Much like religion, Secularism can be taken much too far. Is anyone really surprised by this?
Secularism itself is not a bad idea, but it must be truly religion neutral in order to work effectively: It must not act as a reactionary force to the dominant religion or those of faith will view it as strictly opposed to their faith rather than opposed to the idea of a theocratic government. For example, veils should never have been banned in Turkey, just as they should not have been banned in France. This type of legislation is entirely contrary to secular principles which allow the free practice of religion while keeping that religion from dictating the political decisions of the country in order to protect minority opinions.
Peter at 7:00PM on Jul 20th 2007
4. Mr.Souza'
You have spoken the mind of more than a billion muslims mind.I am 100 percent agrre with you.
Mir Dost Mohammad Khan
Denver,Colorado.
USA
Mir at 7:48PM on Jul 20th 2007
5.
It'll be great won't it Dinesh ? Should be a lot of fun having the Imams running the show again in Turkey. Anyone for stoning ? How about bringing back public beheadings while we're at it ? Ah good old progress. Another Islamic Republic to go along with the likes of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and recently Iraq. NO PROBLEMS in any of those countries - right ? Now if only we can put an end to the separation of church and state here in the U.S. we'll be OK too. What's next - will you be cheerleading for an Islamist takeover of Pakistan ? Looks like we're fighting to make Iraq free for a takeover by Muslim fundamentalists. Beautiful. Just what the world needs right now - another government ruled by religious extremists. Perfect - what could possibly go wrong with that ? Right Dinesh ?
The more I read you the less sense you make - you sure you're not secretly advising the current administration ?
max at 10:09PM on Jul 20th 2007
6. It is hilarious that a "GOOD MUSLIM" country per the USA is Turkey which seperates church and state grudgingly while we turn a blind eye to our "Sister Democracy" Israel which IS A RELIGOUS state and where only people who are Jewish can have full equal rights. And then we wonder why we are hated? Now that's crazy. We should pressure Israel to become as secular as Turkey and allow non-Jews to have equal rights. But any Jewish person you say that to will say "but then they will over-run us? Sound familiar - (US South, South Africa?).
joeblow at 10:33PM on Jul 20th 2007
7. Atatruk removed the problems that sank the Ottoman empire when he secularised what had become the sick man of europe. No doubt the imams want to inflict their disease on a patient that has pretty much healed---much the way some so-called christians would love to re-start the Inquisition in democratic countries. There is no such thing as a democratic muslim, either.
Alex Hamilton at 11:08PM on Jul 20th 2007
8. Mega dittos, max, mega dittos!
emelpe at 11:42PM on Jul 20th 2007
9. Democracy is a warm, friendly word for tyranny. Where Ataturk was admittedly a dictator with arguably noble intentions, democracy makes the MAJORITY the dictator with SELFISH intentions. Which one would you pick? I would settle for neither. Rather, I would like to see every man and woman exist in a state of total self-rule.
Seth at 12:31AM on Jul 21st 2007
10. Nothing good can come out of any extreme form of a religion. Makes no difference what religion you speak of. In my eyes Jewish, Muslim and Christians all stem from the same twisted, violent and brutal ideals. Speak of peace while stabbing in the back. Organized religion is just a way to be in power. One thing I will say is that so many dislike America yet I do not see us blowing ourselves up, beheading or stoning people or blaming our women for getting raped. Sure we have our issues but I will take our issues before any of the extreme countries out there. If Turkey goes extremist then it will be a shame and a huge setback.
E at 1:10AM on Jul 21st 2007
11.
I agree that nothing good can come from extremism in religion, but I just don't see that happening at this point in Turkey. Honestly, what have they done to this point except restore the rights of Muslim's to practice their religion equally with the rest of the religions of Turkey? If you want to wear a veil, wear a veil, who the hell cares?
Ataturk was reactionary to the dominant religion, and limited their rights more than the minority religions as a result. That should -not- happen in a secular democracy. All religions must be treated with equal disenfranchisement, or your government is not truly secular, and this is what has caused the religious resurgence as of late.
Peter at 2:43AM on Jul 21st 2007
12. It would appear that we are forgetting the simple fact of moderninity.
It doesn't make any difference what the application, there is no escaping it, and most of the so-called religious paractices such as veils no longer have a place in modern society.
Adherence to such out-dated practices such as the veil (which by the way was intended to prevent the temptation of men outside of the woman's family, and absolutely nothing to do with the dignity of the woman)is fine in remote areas where policing that requires identification is not yet in place.
The installation of any modern government whose basis is a regional interpretation of a religion, can only lead to factionalism, suspicion and ultimately a drive to dominate..
Dinesh needs to look into his own Indian backyard where ritual village killings are as every-day as rain and rarely make front page news.The deeply ingrained, and diverse, regional cultures of greater India are harsh...I have spent a year there recently, and I know..
yopalmal at 5:45AM on Jul 21st 2007
13. I've been tracking your blogposts of late, something that often gives me headaches, and I've noticed contradictions in terms are a common theme.
You once poked fun at "feminist scholars",then I believe someone brilliantly pointed out your role as "conservative intellectual" was another oxymoron...oh, and let's see, you now add "militant secularism" to the list. Well, here's another one for you: how 'bout "muslim democracy"-- the biggest contradiction of them all.
I wish people who knew nothing about this subject (aka most europeans and yourself)would stop commenting on it. Ataturk may have had an iron-clad idealism that resulted in closed-mindedness, and he may deserve to lose the "benevolent dictator" image, but he was and still is the best thing that ever happened to Turkey. Why throw the baby out with the bathwater? Unless, of course, that baby is religion, then throw away, I say...
Funda Duyal
Funda at 6:01AM on Jul 21st 2007
14. Peter: "Honestly, what have they done to this point except restore the rights of Muslim's to practice their religion equally with the rest of the religions of Turkey?"
Your joking, right? Turkey is 94% Muslim. No one was preventing anyone from practicing their religion; the Turkish constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
Joe Bob at 7:21AM on Jul 21st 2007
15. I usually find you to be quite level-headed, but I don't know where you're coming from with this.
Why should any country be run by radical extremists? This isn't about women not being allowed to wear head scarves in government buildings - IT IS ABOUT all women in Turkey being forced to wear head scarves when the extremists take over, regardless of their beliefs. IT IS ABOUT Turkish citizens becoming criminals overnight for keeping Bibles on their bookshelves.
And, let's all keep in mind, that Islamists, time and time again, in both word and action, prove themselves to be the LEAST tolerant of any other religion or ideology.
Why should Turkish society embrace intolerance in its purest form? How could that possibly set a good exampl for the rest of the Middle East?
Frank at 8:03AM on Jul 21st 2007