By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
Only several days after world leaders converged on Paris to express solidarity with the French People and remorse for the victims’ families of recent terrorist attacks there, Turkish President Recip Erdoğan provided the world another gaffe that nested between the bizarre and the mysterious.
Though Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu attended the memorial led by numerous heads of state in a parade rally, a significant step backwards occurred when President Erdoğan later proclaimed that Muslims have never taken part in terrorist massacres.
We previously reported a few of these strange utterances, such as: Muslims discovered the Americas before Columbus; those using birth control are “traitors”; and declaring that Turkey had the greatest level of press freedom.
His latest is not just inaccurate, but a sure sign of how he views, or at least declares he views, a reality that exists certainly not within a realm one would expect of a secular leader or a rational individual for that matter.
“As Muslims, we’ve never taken part in terrorist massacres. Behind these lie racism, hate speech, and Islamophobia. French citizens carry out such a massacre, and Muslims pay the price. The West’s hypocrisy is obvious.
Take note that the acts of terror are not carried out in a vacuum. The acts follow a predetermined script and we should be [aware of a] a plot against the Islamic world.”
The Turkish President’s words come during a speech after having received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a state visit. Beforehand in a move that drew much ridicule among his political opponents, Erdoğan descended a grand staircase of his new fifteen hundred room palace. He was flanked by several men donning medieval Ottoman armor and bearing swords.
Certainly there will be more to come. Elections in Turkey are forthcoming.
By Darren Smith
Source:
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
@Paul Hutchinson: Thanks for the lecture–but What’s your point? Gather up all the 1.7 Billion Muslims, put them in Concentration Camps and let them wither way? What is sad about this so-called comment of yours is that you seem not to even respect the wish of the family of the Martyred Family of the MUSLIM Police Officer in France who said these loser lowlifes are pretend Muslims…just like those who in the name of faith bomb abortion clinics…Anyone who kills is not a person of faith–no matter what they say they are…and I leave you with this as an FYI…hopefully you will at least realize the true mainstream thinking in the faith today that rejects such crap (the main culprit of it being Saudi Arabia with its’ Wahabism which is part of the problem…Enjoy the week-end: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-morrison-fadl-20150114-column.html#page=1.
My point was only in response to the Turkish President’s comment and nothing more. It is time we stop looking at these acts through rose colored glasses. You are the misguided one if you think those listed are pretend Muslims. They are real hard-core murdering Muslims who pray the the same God as the vast majority of the 1.7 Billion law-respecting Muslim, one of which is my brother-in-law. He has told me how he lives a different life when in Falls Church than in his homeland, in constant fear that he might say one word that will be overheard by someone, which he called Muslims with radical views. The fear factor played a role in the Turkish President making his statement just it plays a role as the majority of the main stream media unwilling to call it what it is as well as preventing the “Good” Muslims from speaking out. For you to equate the terror acts I listed to abortion clinic bombing is valid and the person responsible for such acts is because of their faulty judgement of what their faith demands. The only difference is majority of those with Christian faith will be the first to speak out against such activities whereas the “good” Muslims will not out of fear. Have a good weekend.
mikepouraryan wrote: “Anyone who kills is not a person of faith–no matter what they say they are…”
Even if that person is the alleged prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam?
David, the logic in your last two comments is right on target. People of all faiths say they believe one way and then turn around and act another. Either they don’t really believe what they say they do, or they are just too lazy to practice their faith as explicitly as proscribed for them. Muhammad is the only “prophet” who was a warrior. Perhaps that explains a lot about the religion he founded and the behavior of his true followers.
Harry, I’m not sure, but I think those uniforms are pre-NATO.
Interesting concept, Issac. Remove the crown of religious propriety and denounce the perpetrators of terror as scumbag criminals. Then acknowledge that the incidence of this type of crime is increasing worldwide and move against it. Takes the Muslims off defense and enlists their cooperation. In theory, it sounds good. Demote the prominence, prestige, and attention given to terrorists and make them common and simply despicable. Then let’s raise the penalty for the crime of terrorism to execution. The cops and militaries do this instantly on the field, and it’s appropriate there. Wonder if that would work?
Instead of elevating a crime to a higher status, like calling it a hate crime, class more of these type of activities together and boost the actions against them. Maybe the same could be done for other detestable crimes, like rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, and others. Don’t blame anything on religion or political beliefs and don’t differentiate punishment based on motivation. Make the rules for social behavior more black and white. Sounds fundamental to me.
Anyone who kills is not a person of faith–End of Story. I am not sure why this seems not to be understood. Although Edrogan is a profound disappointment due to his autocratic tendencies, you need to look at this in this context @Darren Smith and not implicitly condemn. I also remind you & all others about what the Brother of the Martyred Muslim Police Officer said–Those who did the atrocities (and continue to undertake such atrocities) are pretend Muslims…since this was started when Professor Turley released his column as he noted his reservations (reinforced by you @ Darren Smith in your comments) about Howard Dean’s comment –which prompted quite a firestorm through the Turley Community. As for @Karen S noting about the Iranian Revolution, not quite correct…Please be aware of what the Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said when asked about it (and he condemned it) & you can read it by accessing it here: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/09/iranian-foreign-minister-javad-zarif-holocaust-a-heinous-crime-and-a-genocide/ & what Former President Khatami said about it back in 2006 @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4763494.stm. Furthermore, you seem (and that Persian that you allude does not seem to understand the realities as epitomized by this article from the Economist: economist.com/news/special-report/21628597-after-decades-messianic-fervour-iran-becoming-more-mature-and-modern-country. Condemning 75 Million Iranians just because a lower idiot like Ahmadinejad (who drove the Iranian Economy to the ground with his disastrous policies) said the crap that he did (and as a side note he’s under investigation right now). This is not to whitewash the current profound issues (as epitomized by the detaining of the Washington Post’s Jason Rezayian and a multitude of other reporters and human rights activists at all…) Let’s make sure we realize the full spectra.
Wishing all a joyous W-End.
mikepouraryan,
You might now have been aware but WordPress does not allow more than 2 links per comment. I edited your comment to dereference one of the hyperlinks so that it would work. If you would like the readership to review more than two links this can be accomplished through additional comments.
mikepouraryan – the Muslim policeman was not martyred because he died in the line of duty, not for a cause.
mikepouraryan wrote: “Those who did the atrocities (and continue to undertake such atrocities) are pretend Muslims…”
How do you know that? Why do you not consider that the Muslims who do not kill are the pretend Muslims? It seems like the ones who kill are behaving more like Muhammad did. Wouldn’t that make them the real Muslims? Maybe the majority of Muslims are pretend Muslims just like the majority of Christians are pretend Christians. Most Christians do not live like Christ did at all, and most Muslims do not live like Muhammad did. Do you see it differently?
I’m not too surprised by the comment that they were not Muslims. On the one hand it is like how many Christians say that the Westboro Baptists are not Christians. On the other hand it is likely he rules by telling people what he wants them to hear, so he assumes that the West does the same and simply declares that they were Muslims. How does anybody know? Few have actual first hand knowledge. We just read what the press tells us and we believe it. He reads the same press and does not believe it.
What I found most fascinating in Darren’s article were the guards in medieval costumes. Does this guy see himself as reviving the Ottoman empire? He makes me think of Saddam Hussein who believed himself to be the reincarnated Nebuchadnezzar ruler of Babylon. Saddam Hussein thought God had called him to restore Babylon to its former glory.
Got to be a bad translation. Surely he said “No true Muslims have ever taken part in terrorist attacks.”
Darren,
I’ve been scratching my head when looking at the pictures.
Are those the new NATO military uniforms?
issac’s employment of the term Neanderthals is Right On! Neanderthals had a religion of course. All humans have some sort. Science can be a religion. Gravity is based on observation and consistency. Then you see a hot air balloon. Then science explains it. Religion does not try to explain hot air balloons. Religion might preach things like Christ rising up to Heaven without a hot air balloon or an airplane. Science preaches things like the Sun always rises. But really the world is turning and the sun is not rising– it is standing still. This is when you get into semantics. Erdogan does not really believe in religion or science. He believes in himself. It is all about Erdogan. Power corrupts. Absolute power is on a plane higher than anything conceived by religion or science. Erdogan is on a roll. Turkey is on a path to Hell and Damnation. When a nation is damned then all holy hell breaks out. Damn and Nation are a perfect construct for Erdogan and Turkey.
I think the West is missing a great opportunity here. If Erdogan says that it isn’t Islam that is performing the terrorist acts and/or the persecution of innocents throughout the world, then we should agree with him and never refer to any performance of slaughter, terrorism, lashing, jailing for comments, etc as Muslim related. The West can categorically state, as supported by Erdogan, that this is thuggery and these are thugs and ask him for help in waxing the lot of them.
Through association with thuggery perhaps the Saudis, Iranians, and the rest of the neanderthals will understand that their version of religion is not only not accepted as religion by the West but not even termed religion, not religious extremism but simple and clear thuggery.
Once an act is associated with religion it obtains a toehold of credibility. Take that away from the thugs in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. First using Erdogan then diplomatically through the UN and other political and economic means.
You can point the finger at the West for the thuggery it performed in the past, however, it is self acknowledged and the move, however slow at times, is in the direction of peace and tolerance.
Death to thuggery and intolerance. Come the revolution.
It must be lovely inside his head. What a paradise to live in. 🙂
Baghdad Bob, meet Ankara Al.
randy – my Dad also spent some time in Turkey. It’s a vastly different place today. 🙁
Obama says it’s not Islamic terrorism, see what you liberal idiots elected. This man has done more damage to this country than any foreign power ever has
How do you think the Turks got 40 prisoners released by ISIS? Why didn’t the Turks aid the Kurds in Syria? Gee they must be in with them. Screw’em
Never? Let’s see . . .
The Shoe Bomber was a Muslim
The Beltway Snipers were Muslims
The Fort Hood Shooter was a Muslim
The underwear Bomber was a Muslim
The U-S.S. Cole Bombers were Muslims
The Madrid Train Bombers were Muslims
The Bafi Nightclub Bombers were Muslims
The London Subway Bombers were Muslims
The Moscow Theatre Attackers were Muslims
The Boston Marathon Bombers were Muslims
The Pan-Am flight #93 Bombers were Muslims
The Air France Entebbe Hijackers were Muslims
The Iranian Embassy Takeover, was by Muslims
The Beirut U.S. Embassy bombers were Muslims
The Libyan U.S. Embassy Attack was by Musiims
The Buenos Aires Suicide Bombers were Muslims
The Israeli Olympic Team Attackers were Muslims
The Kenyan U.S, Embassy Bombers were Muslims
The Saudi, Khobar Towers Bombers were Muslims
The Beirut Marine Barracks bombers were Muslims
The Besian Russian School Attackers were Muslims
The first World Trade Center Bombers were Muslims
The Bombay & Mumbai India Attackers were Muslims
The Achille Lauro Cruise Ship Hijackers were Muslims
The September 11th Airline Hijackers were Muslims’
The Ottoman Empire zuit suits are reason alone to kick Turkey out of NATO.
This schmuck is the worst head of state in a so called civilized nation state. They are leaping into the dark ages under this guy. If you owned a company would you want to risk a business venture inside this terriotory of his? Notice how I spelled territory. Maybe “terror-tory” is more apt. Next the schmuck will be wearing a turban or a tent on the head. Turkey: don’t fly over and flush– they will likely shoot you down. Change the name of our own Thanksgiving bird.
I lived in Turkey for a couple of years courtesy of the USAF, and it was a secular society where women were barred from wearing the veil. This was a product of the founder of modern Turkey, Ataturk, who was a militant atheist and who basically destroyed the power of the Islamic clerics. Yet I posted with a Turk, who assured me that Ataturk was a good Muslim! I told him that a good Muslim would not order mosques to be demolished so as not to disturb his drinking times. He had nothing to say about that. I hope that some outside information is disseminated about the true beliefs and actions of Ataturk since that is one sure way to stop this foolishness.
What’s sad is some don’t even think of it as taqqiya. They actually think it’s true. Hard to tell which camp someone falls in, though.
Propaganda taqqiya is necessary in their shame-based culture.
Morally, it’s like a 2-year old; nothing is ever their fault.
Funny how Erdogan’s views are becoming law in the West (via hate speech).
I’ve seen this before. There’s this type of brainwashing going on.
I knew a man who was Persian. He grew up in Iran, where the school kids chant “Death to America” every morning so they can start the day right. Their government tells them everything the West says is a lie, propagated between either Jews of Westerners who hate Islam. Holocaust – Photoshopped lies. No Jew was ever killed in the history of time, apparently. His father was educated in America, so he knew this wasn’t true. But his brother in law bought the Party Line utterly and completely. He read on one of the Internet brainwashing sites that the Jews all knew 9/11 was going to happen, so they stayed home and didn’t warn anybody. I showed him a list of victims, which had Jewish victims, and he still wouldn’t believe me. It didn’t matter what proof I brought him. Lies. All lies.
You can’t reason with brainwashing. Interventions are ignored. Either people are smart enough to snap out of it on their own, or they’re lost.
When those easily led people are running a country, the scope for them to run amuck is sobering.