To John

Submitted by Abdul Razak (Saudi Arabia), May 22, 2008 at 03:33

Howdy John. As I said, the West has decided that Ataturk saved Turkey. It doesn't matter to people like you that in Turkey itself, millions passionately disagree with this view. It's how you want to see it, and perhaps to you that's really all that matters. Think about it John. Ataturk changed the script among other things. But, let's look at only that.

The average Turk cannot today read his history books from 100 years ago, unless he does a special course at university! So, to draw a parallel. Some bright spark American president decides to change the script in America to the Arabic, Chinese or whatever other script. This would immediately divorce the average American from all the written records of your nations achievements. Your current knowledge of nuclear weapons for example, would become a fuzzy blur of confusion instantly! Your arts and all other sciences would follow the same fate.

Perhaps the saddest dilemma of our time, is that people in the West are often unable/unwilling/too arrogant/ignorant/self-righteous to equate themselves with others in the world.

Turkey is the most successful Muslim state? By whose measure? Malaysia for one, is more successful. You use adjectives like "close-minded", and that is also something that Westerners do really glibly. "We own the adjectives and only we can use them. They only apply to those whose views are not like ours, and they never ever apply to us, as we are forever exempt from them" So, the West makes "pre-emptive" war, others commit "terror". The West brings "democracy and freedom", others invade and occupy. The West is "open-minded", all those with different views are "close-minded and backward". Really funny.

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