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Jbond.
Every society has divides - The only differance is how they resolve them, by blowing each other up or talking and finding a
equilibrium.
Turkey - Islam and the Muslim World.
Let me begin this by saying I have always been fascinated by Turkey. From it's unique history as the fulcrum of the Muslim world to Ataturk and it's unique geography, sat there next to the glorious Mediterranean Sea between east and west. I have been on holiday to Turkey and sure enough I was not let down by the people or the country.
However Turkey is more important than just it's beaches and the Mediterranean. Turkey occupies a pivotal role in Islamic world in more ways than one. Islamic world has faced a crisis since at least the late Renaissance period and the European onslaught.
As Europe enjoyed the fruits of reason and science it spread it's wings into Muslim lands. With their new found industrial capacity they pushed into and enslaved Muslim countries. By early 20th century almost every Muslim country was under European domination. From Muslim Kazaks to Muslim Tatars [Russian] to Muslim Malays to Arab countries [ English, French ] they had become slaves to imperial Europe.
Only Ottoman Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan remained 'free' - Although in the case of latter I use the tag 'free' in a very loose way. The Islamic world was split into clear two sub sets. One that was free and fought against the European domination and those that threw up their backsides into the air and heads into the ground. With deep sense of regret I admit I come from the latter group.
This divide in the Islamic world - Between enslaved and free would have serious implications as to how European domination would be countered at the philosophical level. I must stress here that I am looking at this subject at the macro level and there were and are minor exceptions to the rule.
In the enslave camp they looked at their slavemasters [Europeans] with disgust even while they licked their boots. This would have tragic consequences because in their disgust they hated everything or anything connected to their European slavemasters. Science was looked at as European curse. In fact anything remotely connected by to their slavemasters was considered repulsive.
This slave period engendered a inferiority complex which was assuaged by becoming insular and looking back to the glorious past. This led to taking elemants of fossilized Islam gaining ground. The ignorent mullah become the saviour. The mullah preached hatred of everything European and anything connected with their civilization. Reactionery Islamic movements like Wahabism or political movements like Muslim Brotherhood or Maulana Maudoodi and the Deoband in South Asia movement represent this primitive reaction.
These movements were the bastard children of European slavery. They are nothing but a form vulgar intellectuel vendetta against their slavemasters, the Europeans. Those who today who are infected with this disease are the ones who have a very simple binary outlook on life. Are you Muslim? Do you pray five times a day? Do you fast? Do you have a beard? Ritualism thrives at the expense of substance.
Saudia Arabia is the nursey and the chief marketeer of this curse tagged as Wahabism/Salafism and Pakistan is a terminal patient of this disease.
On the other camp were those countries which stood their ground to the Europeans. Iran, Afghanistan were only partly successful because although not phsically occupied they were subject to european pressure, in particular the Afghans who had little real independance. The star was Turkey [ which is why I find it fascinating ] because not only did it stand up to Europe but managed to under Ataturk to devastate European attempts to enslave Turkey. The defining moment of Turkish dominance over European attempts was the fall of Izmir in 1922 when the Western supported Greeks were destroyed into oblivion.
Great Fire of Smyrna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So in Turkey Europe was defeated. Science, democracy, liberalism, rationality, reason, deductive logic, modern apparel or anything usefull that Europe had was not seen as curse. So it was adopted in Turkey. Roman characters were adopted for Turkish. Why not? Roman characters are easier to use in the modern world. A Arabic keyboard is notorously difficult to use. Which is why my Turkish friends are are able to write in Turkish on in this 'Pakistani Defence' but ask the Pakistani's how difficult it is to write Urdu here. Urdu is written in these forums but it uses Roman characters.
If I was to suggest to fellow Pakistani's to do what the Turks did and ditch Arabic script and adopt Roman [ which they do when they type Urdu in these forums ] I would be castrated. The reason is because Roman characters are connected with our slavemasters so it is a definite 'no, no'. This explains why the Turks are so laid back about these things.
The tragedy of the uber Islamists is that they want to impose what in fact is feeling and connect to a higher spirituel plane. You can't impose this spirit because it is feeling , a thought and frame of mind. All you can do is impose on the external features of Islam that are visible to human beings like beard, the Hijab/Burka, act of worship etc. As you know it is possible to do all those things yet a a animal. If it is imposed than it is just a act to fool others and is breeds hypocrisy. It only fools people for Allah can still see the dirty soul of such people.
In conclusion Turkey represents the progressive future, a model for Muslims to move foward yet retain their Muslim heritage. If Turkey succeeds it proves that it possible to be Muslim and modern. So I say to Turks from both sides of the spectrum, Zukernain to TurAr you guys hold the future in your hands.
There is always the Saudi example fuelled with petrodollars full hypocrisy. This is the Islam of beards, chopping hands, enslaving women and than nipping over for relief to Monte Carlo or Las Vegas or other Sin Cities to indulge in debauchery and hedonism. Let us see which side prevails in the Islamic world.
One thought was born in the bowels success and triumph [ Modern Turkey ] - The other was born in defeat and the crucible of slavery [ Salafi /Deobandi / Muslim Brotherhood ]
I know which one I hope wins.
And to answer the question posed by the thread - It depends how you gauge 'practice of Islam'. Is it the tangibles [ beards, Hijabs etc ] or the essence which intangible and can only really be measured by Allah. Perhaps we should leave this question to the hereafter and concentrate on our own salvation.
Please excuse me for any speling or grammar mistakes, post is to long for me to correct. I hope the import of what I say is understood.
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Just as a reflection of my theory have a look at the next UN General Assembly Heads of State meeting. Leaders of diverse countries like Russia, Chile, Germany Japan, both Koreas, China, Turkey, Thailand even Iran will be dressed in the modern suite.
Then watch how ex European colonies who all were slaves of Europe in the past walk in with a swagger, some African leader from some third rate starved countries with his hidous 'African' dress, then the Saudi with his [ don't know what they call it ] then the Pakistani with his Sherwani, Shalwar and Kameez.
If the proud Japanese can change from their Kimona to modern suite what gives with these third rate ex slaves from adopting modern dress? Because they connect that with their slavemaster.
Some fools try to argue that Bollywood will "de-Islamsize" Muslims surrounding India...This is a laughable imagination of those people because ;
