Many examples of conspiracy theories, inshallah-fatalism, and sheer craziness have been on display in the Muslim Middle East, as it tries to make sense of the coronavirus. A recent roundup of voices from Turkey at Memri.org offers views often contradicting one another. Here is Memri’s summary of what the Turkish press and public have been […]
Turkey: Columnist says that Erdogan has earned the title of caliph
Erdogan’s desire to restore the Ottoman caliphate has long been clear, and now it is becoming increasingly open. This is why he never strongly opposed the Islamic State: he had hoped to incorporate its caliphate into his own. The Islamic State caliphate is gone, but Erdogan’s caliphate dreams are undimmed. “Caliphate is Erdoğan’s, Islamist columnist […]
Turkey: Muslim columnist says he opposes education, sports, culture, and enlightenment
He said it. His anti-intellectualism follows in the footsteps of the caliph Umar, who is supposed to have said when ordering the ancient, fabled library of Alexandria to be burned: “If the books agree with the Qur’an, they are superfluous. If they disagree with it, they are heretical.” “I am against education, sports, culture, and […]