Ertugrul Ozkok : Political Islam in Diyarbakir ahead of local elections

The place: Diyarbakir.

 

The date: February 26, 2008.   Â

 

In other words, this past Monday.    Â

 

The Democratic Society Party (DTP) held a rally in Diyarbakir.   

 

Politician Leyla Zana was set to make a speech.

 

But before she came to the podium, an imam was brought forward to speak.

 

On his head was a prayer cap, in his hands, a Koran.

 

With great anger in his voice, he waved the Koran in his hands downward at the crowds gathered there.

 

And this general photograph underscores the DTP's strategy in the coming municipality elections in Diyarbakir.

 

It is quite clear that the DTP is afraid that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) will win the coming Diyarbakir Municipality elections.

 

And it is also quite clear that their strategy is thus to grab the religion factor before the AKP can get to it.

 

And so we see once again that what this business comes down to is "political harvest."

 

In short: "Everything is legitimate when it comes to reaping the harvest."

And the name of the harvest these days is Islam.

 

The turban.

 

The Koran.

The religion invented by a 21st century Turkey is a summation of Machiavelism.

* * *

The first signal of this came when the Constitution was altered to make way for the turban in our universities.

 

The DTP supported these changes.

 

The second signal came in the public squares of Diyarbakir, when an imam came to the podium while we were still searching for the answer to the question of "Where did this support for the turban come from?"

Well, well, well, my poor Diyarbakir.

 

I guess the topic of getting good sewage systems has been left to another spring.

 

As have unemployment, child poverty, filth on the streets, and everything else not going well in this city.

 

Yes, these elections, the subject we are dealing with is religion.

 

The rightist parties gave a start to this exploitation of religion.

 

 

And the once-Marxist PKK and DTP have left the starting gates on this now too.

 

Whichever party can use religion more, can talk more of the turban, the mosque, the hodjas, and the imams; whichever party can be more effective in its religious oratory; whichever party can adopt an angrier tone in religious matters; this party will win.

 

Don't say you didn't hear; Diyarbakir is readying itself for its municipal elections.

 

And the people who will be leading this important city until 2015 are coming to power in these elections.

 

Yes, with a prayer cap on the head and a Koran in the hand.....

 

Just look and see where those who were angry with us when we talked about the "chaos" in this nation are really leading this country towards.....

* * *

Even though I am not filled with much hope, I would like to call out to my brothers and sisters in Diyarbakir: Do not allow religion to be exploited so terribly.

 

There are some very serious problems in Diyarbakir.

 

The current leaders, rather than dealing with these problems, carried out non-stop ethnic politics.

And so the past was lost due to this exploitation of ethnic politics.

 

And so don't allow the future to be lost too, though this time to religious exploitation.

Remind these politicians trying to use religion to gather you in the palms of their hands about the sewage lines, the trash that needs to be collected, the corruption, the unemployment in your city.

 

* * *

I am so disturbed as I watch this unfolding. The turban has become something which is used to cover over municipalities' corruption, or the basic inabilities of those in leadership positions to carry out their jobs.

 

And so we see that the exploitation of religion has infected every aspect of politics.

 

Don't you think it's high time for Muslims to rise up against this?