your article about militant islam and turkey

Submitted by Zisan Sumer (Turkey), Jun 14, 2008 at 05:52

I think you as a think tank who gives support to american policy makers, should must stay out of creating ideas like this . You may not notice but you are creating ideas that might have grave results. I invite you to be responsible , dedicated to the goodness of humanity. Because you seem to disregard the dangers of dealing with religions outside of their domain : which is evolution of human psychology.

Therefore it only involves that. Peoples conciousness and developement of concience. These ideas have no place in politics therefore religions stay within their own domain: Private life of the individual. State must respect the privacy of individuals and their choice of worship and worshipper . No true believer would have much to say about politics anyway.I think this is an important test. People who claim faith might try to control other's individual choices and manipulate innocent minds of people in order to guide them into making terrible choices : like turning militant in the name of God.

My second remark will be about with your terminology Ataturkism: Its correct name would be Kemalisim. Kemalism is an ideology for Turks and it is and ideal ideology for turks. There are historical figures ;many countries that know this. Moreover Kemalism need everything it needs in it. It is an alive and well ideology. If you try to get familiar with its terms and get a good reading on it you will be able to see it as well.It is so because many different nations took Kemalism as a model for themselves. Turks did not hide Kemalism from anyone. Interested parties can learn as much as they are interested. And Turkey set a model for other Islamic countries with its unique seculare democratic lawful state. In other words turks did not hide from religios or hinder religion just gave its right place. Private domain of the individual life and choices.

And there are such countries who took Kemalism more seriously and took Kemalism as a model for themselves. Thanks to their vision it will stay alive and will give solutions to other sovereign nations all around the world.

Let me give you another insight why other islamic countries are not like Turkey.Some islamic countries knew of the choice of Kemalism. In fact most muslim world saw turkey by its choice of secular democratic regime as a disappointment for them. They wanted their way of life stay just like it was. They did not want to leave their islamic way of hindering lives of individuals especially women .A form of totalitarian regime that wants to control individual lives constantly. They made their choices for Sheria(Kuran laws) willingly not because turkey did not want to let them know of their choices of a secular democratic country.

I hope you do not take my remarks as a challenge but further new insights into your theories. Because people like you do have every right to be informed well.

Most respectfully

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