Will the bemused Mr. Cameron stop to ponder why what he is so very certain is a misunderstanding of Islam is so very widespread among “Britons”? Almost certainly not. “Nine Britons including four children are arrested by Turkish police as they try to illegally enter Syria,” by Sara Malm, MailOnline, April 1, 2015 (thanks to […]
Assad: Turkey “logistically and militarily” supporting Islamic State fighters
There is nothing farfetched about this claim: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has his own designs on the caliphate. If the Islamic State can fight against some of his enemies, such as Assad and the Kurds, he has no problem with that — he hopes to move in later and reap the benefits. “Assad: Turkey […]
Turkey: Armenian church daubed with pro-genocide graffiti
The position of all too many Turks regarding the Armenian Genocide is that it never happened, and they’re glad it did. “İstanbul-based Armenian church daubed with hate messages,” Today’s Zaman, March 25, 2015 (thanks to The Religion of Peace): The Surp Astuanzazh Armenian Church in İstanbul’s Bakırköy neighborhood was daubed with hate speech on Tuesday […]
Three sons of Turkish professor join the Islamic State
Now wait a minute. Didn’t their professor father explain to them about how the Islamic State was misunderstanding Islam? Didn’t he provide his sons with enough education and economic opportunity to enable them to stave off “radicalization”? Something has gone wrong! Marie Harf, call your office! “Three sons of Turkish professor join ISIL,” by Fevzi […]
Turkey’s EU minister: using terms “Islamic State” & “Islamic terrorism” offends Muslims
Of course, it is Islamic jihadists, not “Islamophobes,” who are responsible for creating the concept of “Islamic terrorism” by referring to Islamic texts and teachings to justify their acts of violence. And it is the Islamic State, not “Islamophobes,” who named it “the Islamic State.” Volkan Bozkir knows this. He just doesn’t want you to […]
Get ready for Erdoğan’s caliphate, Turkey’s ruling party official says
Fuat Özgür Çalapkulu has come under some fire for saying this, but in reality, many (both for and against) have remarked upon Erdoğan’s desire to restore the Ottoman caliphate. That desire also explains why Erdoğan has been slow to move against the Islamic State in any really effective way, despite cajoling from John Kerry and others: […]
Turkey: Teacher tells girls they “deserve to be raped” for not wearing hijab
This actually reflects the assumption, deeply rooted in Islam, that women are responsible for the self-control of men, and if a woman gets raped, it is because she provoked the rapist, and the fault lies entirely with her. L.Y.İ. didn’t originate this idea, and many many others hold the same views. “Teacher sparks backlash after […]
Turkish PM urges US Muslims to unite against “Islamophobia”
“Islamophobia” is a neologism designed to intimidate people into thinking it is wrong to oppose jihad terror. That Davutoglu would be trafficking in it is no surprise. “Turkish PM urges US Muslims to unite against Islamophobia,” Anadolu Agency, March 5, 2015: Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Wednesday called on U.S. Muslims to make common […]
Turkey: Police use water cannon on anti-Islamization protesters
“Education is the latest flashpoint between the administration of President Tayyip Erdogan, and secularist Turks who accuse him of overseeing creeping ‘Islamisation’ in the NATO member state.” What? They oppose Islamization? But…but…we’re constantly told in the U.S. that only racist, bigoted Islamophobes oppose Islamization. How did Turkey get so full of racist, bigoted Islamophobes? Kemalism […]
One in five Turks think Charlie Hebdo cartoonists got what they deserved
That Tiny Minority of Extremists just keeps growing. “Poll’s finding on Islam and violence should ring alarm bells,” by Barçin Yinanç, Hürriyet Daily News, February 3, 2015: “We have been following with great concern what is happening at the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul,” a Western diplomat told me, in reference to demonstrations of support of […]