Armenian genocide

Submitted by Maggie (Australia), Aug 3, 2005 at 23:12

Sultan,

please do not be offended that I have used this title. However, I have read about the Turkish genocide against the Armenians at least from the Armenian point of view. On the other hand you are saying that you fought a war that you eventually won.

According to one source, an Armenian who lived through the genocide, many of the people who were turned out of their homes and saw those homes burnt had no idea why it was happening. Some Armenians at that time escaped and travelled to distant lands.

I would love to try and understand why the Turks took the action against the Armenians, since like the Kurds they are a minority in Turkey.

Now I do know that the Turks do know how to play hard. In fact Turkey was the enemy of my country during world war one. This does not make Turkey an enemy of the west at the present time. Neither does the genocide that occurred at the turn of the century. There is a known fact that history is often written from the point of view of the victor. Since history is often distorted by the party recording the details, I do find it necessary to listen to the other side as well. I have these arguments with people regarding the impact of the Inquisition in Europe, but I think that both you and I know that we could not live with the trouble that was caused by the Cathari.

I think it is commendable that you are trying to listen to both sides. This is typical of the Turks at the present time. However, I do think that we can make a very good case against the Islamofacists. I think that the difference here is that the Islamofacists are teaching the young in particular their particular brand of Islam - Wahhibi (sp) and this brand varies significantly from the ordinary practice of Islam amongst a people who were originally subjugated in the 7th Century A.D.

I think that what I have been learning over the past few days casts some doubt on your own position, (not that you will turn and be like the Islamofacists) because the facists are teaching the youth that the true Islam of Mohammed. I posted a portion of an interview with a young Islamic in Britain. The balance of the interview is frightening. At the same time I read a report about what is happening in the Melbourne mosques, and again I fear the control that the radicals could get if the moderate Imams fail to keep them from getting to our youth. This is the same situation in Sydney, where approximately 200 people attended a meeting in Auburn and heard from a radical extremist. That is 200 potential terrorists who appear to be ordinary people.

I believe that a real part of the problem is the desire of these young people to adopt the Sharia law. The women are taking the veil and they are allowing their husbands to subjugate them in a variety of ways. In Australia, like in the U.K., there is a campaign to get young Christians (especially women) to convert to Islam. Having read about the methods adopted in Egypt and being able to verify some of the detail from another source, I do think that this is a very subtle method that has been adopted in order to introduce the caliphate.

I am certain that as a Muslim, you value the freedom that you have in Turkey. It is true that I already admire the Muslim women of Turkey and in the past had grown to "love" one Turkish woman as though she was a sister. Since you value your freedom I do not think that you would want to enter into a jihad or see the world wide caliphate being introduced.

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