Mainstream Western analysts and policymakers should ask themselves why Turkey is adopting a curriculum that is sympathetic to groups it has assumed to be twisting and hijacking Islam. Why aren’t there protests in Turkey by peaceful Muslims who are outraged over this misrepresentation of their peaceful religion?
“Turkey school curriculum radicalised with Jihad, sympathies for ISIS – study,” Ahval, March 5, 2021:
Turkey’s school curriculum has been radicalised, reversing a previous trend of tolerance and cultural openness, according to a study published this week.
The government has introduced Jihad into textbooks, and martyrdom has been glorified and turned into the “new normal”, reported IMPACT-se, which researches and exposes intolerance in school textbooks in the Middle East and elsewhere from its headquarters in Tel Aviv.
“Islam is depicted as a political matter, with science and technology used to advance its goals,” IMPACT-se said…
“The curriculum adopts an anti-American stance, displaying sympathy for the motivations of ISIS and Al-Qaeda, while remaining staunchly anti-PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party),” it said….
“There is an emphasis on concepts such as ‘Turkish World Domination’ and Turkish or Ottoman ‘Ideal of the World Order’,” IMPACT-se said. “According to the curriculum, the ‘Turkish Basin’ stretches from the Adriatic Sea to Central Asia. Both Ottoman Turkish and Arabic language studies are offered.”…
“Elective programs such as Kurdish have been neglected and largely replaced by religious ‘elective’ courses, which are often mandatory in practice,” IMPACT-se said.
The curriculum contains subtle anti-democratic messaging, describing former political allies as terrorists and suggesting that civil activism, such as the 2013 Gezi Park protests, are “manipulated by suspect capitalist and foreign powers”, IMPACT-se said.
“Some anti-Christian and anti-Jewish sentiment has been introduced; in both cases the pejorative infidels is used, rather than the traditional term, ‘People of the Book’,” it said….
Here follow the key findings of the study, as printed in the executive summary:
- The Turkish curriculum has been significantly radicalised in recent years.
- Jihad war is introduced as a central value; martyrdom in battle is glorified.
- Islam is depicted as political, using science and technology to advance its goals
- An ethno-nationalist religious vision combining neo-Ottomanism and pan-Turkism is taught.
- Concepts such as “Turkish World Domination” and the Turkish or Ottoman “Ideal of the World Order” are emphasised.
- The curriculum adopts an anti-American stance and displays sympathy toward the motivations of ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
- There are anti-Armenian and pro-Azerbaijani stances. The Kurdish minority’s identity and cultural needs are largely neglected. The 1955 pogrom against the Greeks is ignored.
- Religious studies are dramatically enhanced via the Imam Hatip vocational-religious schools and system of “mandatory elective” courses. The theory of evolution has been removed.
- Subtle anti-democratic messaging is conveyed (e.g., the Gezi Park protests).
- Christians and Jews are characterised as infidels instead of People of the Book.
- The curriculum demonises Zionism and verges on antisemitic messaging by describing some post-WWI Jewish schools as hostile to Turkey’s independence. Conversely, the curriculum continues to show respect for the Jewish civilisation and the Hebrew language.
- For the first time, the Holocaust is specifically mentioned (briefly).
Wellington says
Turkish World Domination? A monumentally atrocious idea and demonstrative again of how so very often the human species is woeful beyond all measure.
Even Turkey under the full Ataturk model, which is far better than Turkey under the full Erdogan model, should never serve as an example to the world at large. In brief, the Ataturk paradigm is the best the Islamic world can do, i.e., reducing Islam to a minimum amount while installing and maintaining significant secularization—and of course forget real freedom in such a paradigm. Yes, the Ataturk way of running an Islamic nation is the BEST that can be achieved anywhere in the Islamic world and thus itself serves as a monumental indictment of Islam in toto.
Infidel says
This is why the idea that Iran is the greatest enemy of either Israel or the US is ridiculous! While Iran has been crippled by not just sanctions but lost a lot of the soft power it had in the form of shi’a Arabs willing to do its bidding, Turkey has been flexing its muscles across the region – from Libya to Greece to the Levant to Azerbaijan. Since they’re in NATO, the idea of sanctioning them is out of the question, even if their schools are recruiting grounds for ISIS. As is the idea of withholding any weaponry from them – only reason they lost the F-35 was their deal w/ Russia on the S-400s. Oh, and then there’s the joint military exercises they’re doing w/ Pakistan
Yeah, our foreign policy sleuths are really tough on Iran, while letting Turkey and Qatar get away w/ murder
Wellington says
Under Biden, the dimwit Caesar, Infidel, I fear that the entire Islamic world will get away with a great deal. Those controlling Biden, who is failing and fading fast, don’t want to get “tough” on any Islamic regime for the long term.
Echoing your “greatest enemy meme,” the greatest enemy of Israel and America will not be found in Tehran, nor Riyadh, nor Damascus, nor Kuala Lumpur, et al. The greatest enemy of America can now be found in that fetid Swamp known as Washington DC.
This is my take. Your turn if you care.
GreekEmpress says
+1 Wellington and Infidel
James Lincoln says
Seconded.
Infidel says
Wellington
Both can be – and are – true at the same time
LB says
This is what I’ve been saying from the start. Not only is Turkey the biggest islamic threat at the moment, it has historically–since Seljuks first started moving westward–always been the absolute #1 most evil and vile entity bar none other in the history of the world. Genocide and warfare is in their blood, as is evident today by the ever-growing Erdogan’s support.
While putting Iran in the dumpster is all well and good, my biggest gripe with Trump was his unchanging stance on Turkey. Turkey is about as much of an ally to the USA like a pack of muslims are to a white un-hijabbed woman walking alone at night.
gregbeetham says
Turkish world domination, kaf kaf, what has Erdogan been smoking? Turkey will become less relevant by regressing to more fundamental Islamic traditions, getting stupider isn’t usually a plus if you intend to dominate the world.
SAFI says
Lucky for them however their enemy, the West, is also getting dumber by the day
tim gallagher says
Turkey, under this megalomaniac scumbag, with delusions of grandeur, Erdogan, seems to be going to hell. But that seems to happen to Muslim countries with great regularity. Instead of making some progress in the right direction and becoming more enlightened and modern types of societies, Muslim nations often seem to head in the other direction and become even more primitive and barbaric. That saying, “Hell Sucks”, which I seem to remember reading was a saying that American troops in the Vietnam War came up with, relating to how things were going in that war, applies to many Muslim countries. Turkey does seem like a serious danger to world peace these days and definitely a menace to Europe..
Peter Buckley says
https://www.raymondibrahim.com/2021/03/08/video-raymond-ibrahim-on-turkeys-terroristic-role-against-armenia/
BlackSabbath says
Why is this a surprise? What were you expecting from Turkey? Easter Eggs?
The Political Oracle says
This is a stealthy encroachment upon the liberties and freedoms of all Turkish people and their faith. Of course Erdogan obliges ISIS since they are the enemy’s enemy. In repayment for ISIS’s service to Turkey, ISIS and AL-Qaeda are allowed to gently molest the minds of the youth with PA Jihadi-styled misinformation and to spread Waring Islam through a military-style psyop. I predicted, in 2015, that the uprising in Turkey would take place approximately one year later. In 2016, this uprising came to pass. NATO is run by closet sympathizers of Jihad terror. The United States is holding Taliban’s hand while the Taliban contemplate the theft of freedoms won by death and destruction. Another uprising is coming to Afghanistan and the people know it. This is a sad reality, but one that has to be understood. Turkey also has to be understood before it is too late!