We have been following the gradual erosion of Turkey as a symbol of secularism in the Islamic world under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan was elected by Muslim parties and has steadily broken down secular traditions and introduced more and more Islamic influences in government. That effort has now reached the schools, where Erdogan and his party faithful are seeking to turn schools into training grounds for Islamic orthodoxy. The story below discusses the impact of new rules on Christian Pastor Ahmet Guvener who has learned that, even after securing an exemption for his daughter from mandatory religious classes at her school, she is still required to make Islamic classes in the new Turkey being shaped by Erdogan. If she does not learn Islamic courses on the life of Mohammad or the Quran, she will fail. Erdogan calls it all part of his stated goal of raising “pious generations.”
If Guvener’s daughter, 17, does not want to take Islamic classes at her school, she will have to choose from three electives: the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the Quran or basic religious knowledge. — or fail the year.
The ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party insists that the majority of Turks are religious Muslims and that the majority will must prevail. Of course, it entirely ignores the concept of minority rights and the separation of mosque and state. Secularists have protested but Erdogan’s government has met them increasing violence and intolerance.
Erdogan’s party has also taken control of the country’s national education advisory council, which is dominated by a teacher’s union supporting Erdogan. The council has pushed for the rapid dismantling of secular rules and the introduction of Islamic teachings and values as part of the national curriculum.
While forcing the teaching of religion, the government shows less commitment to improvement of basic courses. A 2012 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report found that Turkish students are performing poorly in reading, mathematics and science. They are now 44th out of 65 countries in the rankings.
Hopefully, Erdogan will not also be adding his insights to the history curriculum. You may recall Erdogan recently declaring that Muslims discovered America and that there was proof of a Mosque in Cuba when Columbus arrived).
Source: Yahoo
SamFox
If they weren’t Muslims would it be okay Sam? You see, most people don’t make any sense to me. They never have. They come up with these unreasonable prejudices. I just ignore itchinBayDog because he is talking pig latin. You know? Seriously. Look at his name. lol. And, I think it’s nice you came back to talk to me. Really. We want lots of people on the blog to read our controversies and complaints. Most of us are crabby and in our 60s and 70s and over educated. lol.
I think that the media has taken unfair advantage of the world situation and twisted it around to suit their agendas. Would we even care about the ME if Standard Oil had not gone over there in 1861 and started drilling? idk. Probably not. They are a fiery people and for us to expect them to be nice after we mess with them and not expect any blow back is kinda dumb.
Please feel free to visit. anytime 😉
happy, ahh, blow back! The ‘B B’ word! 🙂 You really think that a shiny glowing up on a hill country like the USA reaps what it sows? Yeah, me to. If we hadn’t been messin in the ME all these decades, perhaps Muslims would have continued just fighting each other.
I think a lot of the ME problems are orchestrated. ‘Terrorists’ are the perfect ghost enemy so we can be manipulated into giving up freedom for security. Naturally, we soon will have neither. GB’s ‘Patriot’ Act & John Mc Manchurian’s indefinite detention, 0’s killing accused US citizens sans due process…
The reason I feel Muslim multiplication is a threat is that even though the majority of them just wanna live & let live, a significant % of them want every one else under the Islamic foot. ISIS & other extremist militant groups & their agenda ring any bells?
Ever do any looking up of stealth Jihad?
Once the peaceful M’s start openly opposing the radicals I’ll feel a lot better. It’s very difficult to tell the peaceful from the radical. That’s a problem.
SamFox
Ever do any looking up of stealth Jihad?
Once the peaceful M’s start openly opposing the radicals I’ll feel a lot better. It’s very difficult to tell the peaceful from the radical. That’s a problem.
SamFox
No, but I know what it is because I have a paranoid blog that I follow that is full of evangelicals and that’s all they ever talk about. It is unbelievable. Just to get many sides of a coin you know.
Listen Sam
We don’t have any ground forces. It’s like Custer and Chief Red Cloud.
And these people here are being sent stuff to make them feel sorry for the people getting their heads cut off. We already had this discussion on the blog. The Hitler one. I have Erdogen pegged as Hitler. Hell, he has himself pegged as Hitler. Kind of like Putin thinks he is Nappy.
Then you have the people on the Left who don’t think that Hamas and Iran are dangerous.
new power base being created under Erdogan’s aegis threatens his position. Arouri succeeds in affecting Hamas’ policies and considerably challenges its leadership.
Arouri versus Meshaal, Turkey vis-a-vis Qatar, Erdogan opposite Sheikh Tamim; meanwhile, Arouri has the upper hand.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/12/saleh-al-arouri-khaled-meshaal-hamas-leadership-turkey-gaza.html##ixzz3SMHSra1N
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to pay an official visit to Tehran next month to explore new avenues for the further expansion of all-out ties and discuss the latest regional and international developments with senior Iranian officials, a senior diplomat announced on Sunday.
“The exact date of Erdogan’s visit to Tehran has not been set yet, but it will take place in March,” Turkish Ambassador to Tehran Reza Hakan Tekin told FNA today.
The Turkish envoy noted that the Second Meeting of Iran-Turkey Joint Commission will also be held concurrent with Erdogan’s visit to the Tehran.
Erdogan’s visit will take place at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
Erdogan, who will head a high-ranking delegation, is to hold separate meetings with the country’s senior officials.
Both Iran and Turkey are influential countries in the region and their closer cooperation would be crucial to end regional crises.
Iran and Turkey have broadened their relations in various fields of economy, security, trade, education, energy and culture in the recent years.
The two sides have exchanged several politico-economic delegations during the last few months.
Turkey imports more than 90 percent of its oil and gas.
Iran and Turkey are determined to boost their trade exchanges to $35bln in the near future.
Meantime, Iran’s rich energy resources have been always matter of attention for Ankara official whose country is in dire need to gas and oil.
Under a contract signed in 1996, Turkey imports 10 billion cubic meters per year of gas from Iran. The contract became active in 2001. Turkey depends on imports for almost all of its natural gas needs, estimated to hit 52 billion cubic meters this year.
http://www.islamicinvitationturkey.com/2015/02/16/turkish-president-planning-to-visit-iran-in-march/
Soooo, Doesn’t sound good does it.??? I just don’t talk about it to most
Happy, I wasn’t trying to say anything other than Muslims are out populating the people across the pond. You added the rest. I wasn’t posting as a super superior intellect. Most of your reply makes no sense.
I’m not on AlterNet by mistake am I? 🙂
Itchin, if you were commenting on my comment I don’t think a holocaust against Muslims is a good idea. Or any one else…
If not, disregard.
SamFox
Sounds like we need to bring back the architects of the Holocaust and wipe out Islam. The Vichy Party could take over France and start there.
And people accuse Christians of forcing their ‘religion’ on others. [Jesus didn’t come to start a new ‘religion’. any way. So I’m safe. :-)]
I don’t like religion. Adding man’s rules & such to the New Testament just doesn’t make it.
This jive going on in Turkey should be another wake up call. Soon all or most of Europe will be Muslim. They are multiplying like rabbits. Look up Muslim Demographics. Hope all the women across the pond like subservience & 2nd class citizenship…
SamFox
SamFox
You are certainly entitled to your opinion, however, I don’t agree with you. Erdogen is using Muslim to subjugate his people. In the past there have been many ways of subjugating people and some of it was atheism as in communist China, the USSR and Fascist Germany under Hitler.
Please note that the underlying factor is HATE. If you can get people to HATE each other because of their race, religion or the way they look or their actions, words or deeds, you cripple their LIBERTY and all of a sudden, it is GONE.
Didja look up Muslim Demographics? That’s my main point. What you mentioned that happened in the past was not good, to say the least. But that was then. What you said about Erdogen is only one way Muslims are attempting to take over. I mentioned another way, multiplying. That is a much bigger, quieter threat. And very effective.
If there are more Muslims across the pond or in the US than anyone else, then hate becomes a moot point.
One can hate all they want. Won’t change anything unless there is an ability to force something on others. Or an overt action, like killing someone as ISIS is doing. Hate can be a powerful destructive force, very true. So can lust for $$ & power.
SamFox
SamFox
Yes,
Like Cain and Abel or Jacob and Esau………….This is Mankind forever and ever. Nothing has changed except demographics as you just said.
Earlier I was discussing the Founders in relaton to the Greeks of Athens and the Statesman Pericles as being an Ideal. that was 2600 years ago. Still the man had integrity no matter if he was a Neoplatonian or not. There were no Muslims yet there were Arabs who were indifferent to religion till Mohammed thus the difference of cultures. You are trying to tell me how it is going to be and you are not the unknowable known. Let the events unfold please and perhaps mankind will eventually evolve to a state beyond lust and greed where hate seems to become unequivocal.
There is nothing pious about Erdogan. How can anyone who is as arrogant and narcissistic as this man even consider making a country pious. He is also a chauvinistic swine, and wouldn’t begin to understand what true pious means.
The beheading of Christians, like what occurred in Libya, will be coming to a country near you. Libya is all on Obama and Hillary. Guys like Erdogan see the weakness of Obama and go w/ the group they perceive to be the winner, Muslim extremists. This guy could give a rat’s ass about Islam. He just wants money and power. He’s no ideologue, he’s Putin like.
I agree with DavidM. If in WWII we had been more tolerant of Hitler, we would maybe not gotten engaged in the war. Same with the Yappanese. My only fear here is fear itself. Guys like Erdogan are not really about religion. They are like most preachers, priests, rabbis and rabbits– all about themselves. Women should not drive in Turkey. That is a given. Erdogan needs to get more up to date on that one. Ugly women should have their faces covered in all parts of the world. Otherwise the truth will not be hidden from view. Many women we don’t need to view. And that’s the truth. And so I hope this truth about ugly women gains favor. Then we can turn to dealing with ugly pugs like Erdogan. He is one dork all the way.
I can’t understand why a Christian living in a Muslim country would object to these classes: the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the Quran or basic religious knowledge. Do they really want their children to be ignorant of Islam?
When secularists push this principle of freedom FROM religion rather than freedom OF religion, they will invariably provoke social unrest. Secularists, even in our country, need to learn to be more tolerant of religious ideology. There is nothing to fear from ideas that are not forced upon us. Ultimately what is true gains favor when there is freedom to share all ideas. Only when ideas are censored and restricted to favor one perspective does the truth get hidden from view.
I agree with davidm2575
Thank God he is on the blog for his clear sightedness. He sees past what the rest of us don’t.
There is a 4 minute video here which is worth watching.
http://www.dw.de/morality-classes-for-turkish-schoolkids/av-18235511
He spent the equivalent of $600 million in Turkish tax dollars on his own illegally built Presidential palace, so I’m not convinced of his sincerity in being “Islamic” or pious. It’s hard to take seriously the piety of someone who lives high off the hog on the backs of the workers and producers of his society.
Thanks for this report. It surely would be interesting to see an English version of the syllabus used to teach Islam in these schools. Any chance you might have a link?
Thank you,
Maury Siskel maurysis@peoplepc.com
My2cents – religions are not viruses
That being said. Erdogan is looking more and more like Hitler in the face every day. He is a good little Fascist.
Religions are like viruses, some are more deadly than others. Combine religion with sexual frustration, lack of mental depth (with or without education) and you have self righteous cult that is willing to kill people in the hope of making their lives meaningful. Combine narcissism and intellectualization and you have the current response of the west, that can only reinforce the barbarism committed by the followers of the “religion of peace”.