|
The Sad Story of Turkish Secularism
By:
Dr. Ahmad Shafaat
(1985;
Revised December 2002)
Secularism won its first and greatest victory in
the Muslim world on Oct. 29, 1923, when in Turkey Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk came to power and systematically proceeded with his program
of secularizing that remarkable Islamic country.
Ataturk began by putting the administration of
all religious affairs, including religious education, under his
government's control. Then in 1924 he ordered the army and the civil
servants to wear the European style hats, instead of the Turkish
cap, the fez. A little later, a law completely banned the fez and
obliged all male Turks to wear hats. On Feb. 17, 1926 the laws of
Shariah were replaced by what was almost a verbatim translation of
the Swiss code. On April 9, 1928, a clause in the Turkish
Constitution which declared Islam the country's religion was removed
and teaching of Islam in schools was banned. A decree in 1928
discarded the Arabic script in which the Turkish language was
previously written and imposed the Roman script. Attempts were also
made to remove Arabic and Persian words from the Turkish language.
In 1935, Friday was replaced by Sunday as the
weekly holiday. The old Turkish titles such as "pasha" were
abolished and family names were introduced as in the West. As part
of this new enlightening tradition, Mustafa Kemal assumed the family
name of Ataturk and became Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, although some
people, who would, I imagine, be considered ignorant and backward by
the Kemalists, still call him Mustafa Kemal Pasha.
After the death of Ataturk the imposition of
secularist order was continued by his successors. But although
Ataturk and his followers were forceful in introducing European
dress, day of rest and the system of family names, they showed only
faint and theoretic interest in another European tradition:
democracy and freedom of expression. Ataturk practically ruled as a
dictator and those who succeeded him ruled under a one party system.
Opposition was ruthlessly suppressed. The justification given by the
Kemalists for their un-democratic ways was the usual excuse of
dictatorial regimes: people were not ready for democracy.
But the Turkish people were ready for democracy.
In 1946 the Kemalist government was obliged to recognize at least
one opposition party: the Democratic Party founded by Celal Bayar,
which was defeated in the first election but came to power in the
next.
As Turkey became more genuinely democratic, its
Islamic character was able to assert itself a little more. The
national assembly was soon obliged to discuss the re-introduction of
Islamic education in schools. But the Kemalists were still too
strong and Islamic forces still too disorganized. The discussion in
the national assembly resulted only in the introduction of Islamic
education for two years in primary schools and that outside regular
school hours.
Kemalism was a product of a sickness from which
Turkish culture was suffering at the turn of the century. Due to
military defeats and other factors, the Turkish culture had lost
much of its self-respect and vitality. Kemalism thrived on this
condition and tried to cut Turkey from its roots, of which it was
ashamed. But cultures never flourish by turning against their own
roots, except by a free and healthy process of self criticism. It is
therefore not surprising that despite eighty years of Kemalism,
Turkey has not moved forward.
If any intellectual or journalist criticizes
Ataturk, he or she can be imprisoned for as many as 15 years. Women
students or professors can be thrown out of university for covering
their heads. Bribery and other forms of corruption are the order of
the day. Economically, the country's condition is mediocre at best
of times and in technology it is behind many Muslim and Asian
countries.
The way for Turkey to move forward was not to
impose secularism on its people, put European hats on their heads,
rest on Sundays and write their letters in Roman script. The way for
Turkey and for every Muslim country to move forward has always been,
and will always remain, to find, out of its Islamic past a vision of
the future and then to move with faith and courage to realize that
vision.
The convincing victory of the Justice and Development Party in this
year?s election may provide a Replica IWC Portuguese glimmer of hope that this may have
started. But before we get our hopes too high let us keep in mind
that although the victorious party was founded last year by former
members of a pro-Islamic party, it has won its victory only after
distancing itself from its Islamic roots and promising that it will
keep Turkey secular. The pro-Islamic party itself was banned by the
Turkish courts. Is it any wonder that God is not hastening to send
his help to us against the aggression and oppression inflicted on
Muslims by Israel, the USA, and Britain? |