CONSULTANT’S CORNER: The Social Fabric of Turkey
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Gary Lachman
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 06, 2009 00:00
Turkey, Istanbul in particular, has long been known as a crossroads of religions and cultures. However, this article will not be a historical essay. Rather, I will focus on today’s climate of tolerance and the threats to its continuance that may or may not exist.
Over the past two weeks I’ve had the pleasure of attending three joyous events; a Muslim wedding, a Christian wedding, and last weekend I attended the Bar Mitzvah of the son of one of my best friends in the entire world. I have known the boy since he was 3 years old, and watched him grow into an intelligent and handsome young man. But what impressed me most was not his outstanding recitation of the ancient prayers and his poise giving the traditional speech thanking his parents, friends and family. It was the extraordinary heterogeneity of the guests - Muslims, Christians, and of course, Jews. Some rich, some not. All ages and levels of education. All well-integrated members of the social mosaic that has existed for over five centuries in Istanbul.
In a political climate that has become hyper-sensitized to religious fundamentalism, concerns about an erosion of the Laic state, and claims and counterclaims of those alleging an anti-Kemalist agenda of the current administration, last weekend’s event restored my faith that Turkey remains a unique place in the world. A land where believers in three major religions can come together to appreciate the milestone reached by a young man.
Laicism and religious freedom - hand in glove
For those expats who aren’t familiar with the term, Laicism is generally defined as the separation or mutual exclusivity of religion and politics. In other words, a "mind your own business" when it comes to mosque and government.
It has been said that the Kemalist model of Laicism has unintentionally resulted in the politicization of Islam by political and social groups. Some say the aim of such groups is not for the primary purpose of transforming Turkey back into a fundamentalist Islamic state, but to dilute the Kemalist monopoly on the official interpretation of religion as it pertains to everyday business and administrative affairs. Others claim that tangential purposes are to exploit anti-Western sentiments, capture votes from the Kurdish electorate, or to end all vestiges of restriction on religious freedom.
I love my adopted country, and I truly appreciate the way the people of Istanbul have adopted me. God forbid that I offend anybody with the thoughts I offer in this column. Being from a democracy that was founded upon the concept of the division of church and state, I have observed the political controversies of the past two years with fascination. It is my strong belief that a Laic state must be maintained if Turkey wishes to be assimilated into the EU, if that is what its people want. As with everything in politics and religion, there are degrees of reason for both the concepts of religious freedom and Laicism. To preserve Turkey as the special place that it is, all citizens must be vigilant to keep the balance between these two important concepts and always remember that religious freedom and Laicism are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they fit together like hand and glove.
Please pardon my typically American naiveté, but at least here along the shores of the Bosphorus on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I couldn’t find any restrictions on religious freedom. Secular as well as religious Muslims and Jews enjoyed the ceremony and the party with Syriac and Armenian Orthodox Christians. Music and good food were common denominators enjoyed among family members and good friends. Earlier in the day, these same Muslims, Christians, and Jews shared the coming of age of the Bar Mitzvah boy, and neither the unique Jewish traditions, nor the chanted prayers in a language completely foreign to the great majority of the audience made one tiny bit of difference to anyone. This was the day a boy became a man, and everyone shared equally in the sanctity, joy, and significance of this momentous and symbolic occasion. © 2009 Gary S. Lachman
Gary Lachman is an international lawyer formerly with the U.S. Department of State, real estate developer, and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University with a consulting practice in Istanbul. He can be contacted at glachman@lachmanyeniaras.com.
In a political climate that has become hyper-sensitized to religious fundamentalism, concerns about an erosion of the Laic state, and claims and counterclaims of those alleging an anti-Kemalist agenda of the current administration, last weekend’s event restored my faith that Turkey remains a unique place in the world. A land where believers in three major religions can come together to appreciate the milestone reached by a young man.
Laicism and religious freedom - hand in glove
For those expats who aren’t familiar with the term, Laicism is generally defined as the separation or mutual exclusivity of religion and politics. In other words, a "mind your own business" when it comes to mosque and government.
It has been said that the Kemalist model of Laicism has unintentionally resulted in the politicization of Islam by political and social groups. Some say the aim of such groups is not for the primary purpose of transforming Turkey back into a fundamentalist Islamic state, but to dilute the Kemalist monopoly on the official interpretation of religion as it pertains to everyday business and administrative affairs. Others claim that tangential purposes are to exploit anti-Western sentiments, capture votes from the Kurdish electorate, or to end all vestiges of restriction on religious freedom.
I love my adopted country, and I truly appreciate the way the people of Istanbul have adopted me. God forbid that I offend anybody with the thoughts I offer in this column. Being from a democracy that was founded upon the concept of the division of church and state, I have observed the political controversies of the past two years with fascination. It is my strong belief that a Laic state must be maintained if Turkey wishes to be assimilated into the EU, if that is what its people want. As with everything in politics and religion, there are degrees of reason for both the concepts of religious freedom and Laicism. To preserve Turkey as the special place that it is, all citizens must be vigilant to keep the balance between these two important concepts and always remember that religious freedom and Laicism are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they fit together like hand and glove.
Please pardon my typically American naiveté, but at least here along the shores of the Bosphorus on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I couldn’t find any restrictions on religious freedom. Secular as well as religious Muslims and Jews enjoyed the ceremony and the party with Syriac and Armenian Orthodox Christians. Music and good food were common denominators enjoyed among family members and good friends. Earlier in the day, these same Muslims, Christians, and Jews shared the coming of age of the Bar Mitzvah boy, and neither the unique Jewish traditions, nor the chanted prayers in a language completely foreign to the great majority of the audience made one tiny bit of difference to anyone. This was the day a boy became a man, and everyone shared equally in the sanctity, joy, and significance of this momentous and symbolic occasion. © 2009 Gary S. Lachman
Gary Lachman is an international lawyer formerly with the U.S. Department of State, real estate developer, and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University with a consulting practice in Istanbul. He can be contacted at glachman@lachmanyeniaras.com.