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So I began to carefully read readers’ comments in what some of us would tag as Islamist and the others as "conservative" newspapers. I was not wrong: my protesting readers were just too innocent and less eccentric in comparison with the supportive readers of the Islamist/conservative press, despite the often vulgar language I find in my inbox.
No matter how eccentric those views may look, they do not necessarily reflect the marginal views of a negligible minority. We understand that from what different views have in common: an unconditional support for Turkey’s ruling elite who are supported by a majority of "our enlightened nation." The only difference between the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, and the commenting readers of the newspapers that wholeheartedly support the AKP is that the readers do not need to hide their true feelings as they are not politicians.
In any given electronic copy of what would make the Islamic press one can read thousands of readers’ comments with different exclamations: approval, disapproval, incredibility, anger, delight, all depending on the chosen ideology. I am often appalled, then calmer, then appalled again because I had been appalled. What else could anyone have expected to read?
Tuesday’s search in the "holy press" gave no more or less entertaining bouquet of news/comments/readers’ comments than on any other given day. For example, a news article was criticizing the military because it did not cite the "fight against Islamic fundamentalism" when defending its budget during a parliamentary debate. Where is the Islamic fundamentalism you always say there is, asked the article/comment. Fair enough. In response, a reader suggested that the military should draft the "seculars and atheists only." It would have been fun to see by how many sizes the Turkish military would slim if it drafted seculars and atheists only.
Meanwhile, an article referred to the recently highlighted demands of Turkey’s Alevi community as "building a new religion." Either we shall respect that for the sake of religious freedoms like our naive intellectuals do, the article commented, or we shall not allow our faith to be stolen from us. It ended, "A new religion (Alevi Islam) is being built, and we are expected to remain silent for the sake of democracy. Let’s not remain silent!" That wish was immediately heard by a reader, "When one walks out of the sphere of Islamic rules one cannot be even a piece of wood, let alone a Muslim!"
Another article claimed that "5 Towns Jewish Times," a newspaper published by the New York City’s Jewish community according to the newspaper, had called for "a massacre of Muslims." One reader commented, "It is no surprise that the Koran tells us how mean and ungrateful this damned nation is." Another took the call more seriously. S/he proposed to exterminate Istanbul’s Jews "one by one." "We should start in Istanbul and go all the way to Israel," s/he commented.
We can always think the Turks are prone to conspiracy theories and ignore that one reader claimed "the Sufi prayer houses (or dervish lodges) have been occupied for the past 85 years (read: since the beginning of the Republic)." That was a response to a columnist who had claimed that the (Turkish) atheists were in a plot to split Turkey.
When a news article announced that the European Court of Human Rights, or ECHR, found Turkey guilty of violating the property rights of non-Muslim (Armenian, in this case) foundations, one reader noted that the title deeds of Israel and Palestine belonged to Turkey (by inheritance from the Ottoman Empire), and suggested that "we should at once sue them." Another reader reminded everyone that the ECHR was "a slave to the United States."
But my favorite from "Tuesday’s catch" was a columnist who, in praise of the government, claimed that the AKP was Turkey’s only "socialist party," and a reader, also an AKP supporter, missing the columnist’s credit because it was masked behind the word "socialist." The reader’s comment/warning to the columnist who is a heavyweight of the Islamic press, "Hodja, sit where you are and enjoy your tespih (prayer beads). Stop talking about communism, socialism and atheism!" But the Hodja had not talked about communism or atheism. For many "conservatives" they are the same thing.
Read readers’ comments, and you won’t regret it. They are always amusing, either in the electronic pages of secular newspapers or of Islamic ones.
In any given electronic copy of what would make the Islamic press one can read thousands of readers’ comments with different exclamations: approval, disapproval, incredibility, anger, delight, all depending on the chosen ideology. I am often appalled, then calmer, then appalled again because I had been appalled. What else could anyone have expected to read?
Tuesday’s search in the "holy press" gave no more or less entertaining bouquet of news/comments/readers’ comments than on any other given day. For example, a news article was criticizing the military because it did not cite the "fight against Islamic fundamentalism" when defending its budget during a parliamentary debate. Where is the Islamic fundamentalism you always say there is, asked the article/comment. Fair enough. In response, a reader suggested that the military should draft the "seculars and atheists only." It would have been fun to see by how many sizes the Turkish military would slim if it drafted seculars and atheists only.
Meanwhile, an article referred to the recently highlighted demands of Turkey’s Alevi community as "building a new religion." Either we shall respect that for the sake of religious freedoms like our naive intellectuals do, the article commented, or we shall not allow our faith to be stolen from us. It ended, "A new religion (Alevi Islam) is being built, and we are expected to remain silent for the sake of democracy. Let’s not remain silent!" That wish was immediately heard by a reader, "When one walks out of the sphere of Islamic rules one cannot be even a piece of wood, let alone a Muslim!"
Another article claimed that "5 Towns Jewish Times," a newspaper published by the New York City’s Jewish community according to the newspaper, had called for "a massacre of Muslims." One reader commented, "It is no surprise that the Koran tells us how mean and ungrateful this damned nation is." Another took the call more seriously. S/he proposed to exterminate Istanbul’s Jews "one by one." "We should start in Istanbul and go all the way to Israel," s/he commented.
We can always think the Turks are prone to conspiracy theories and ignore that one reader claimed "the Sufi prayer houses (or dervish lodges) have been occupied for the past 85 years (read: since the beginning of the Republic)." That was a response to a columnist who had claimed that the (Turkish) atheists were in a plot to split Turkey.
When a news article announced that the European Court of Human Rights, or ECHR, found Turkey guilty of violating the property rights of non-Muslim (Armenian, in this case) foundations, one reader noted that the title deeds of Israel and Palestine belonged to Turkey (by inheritance from the Ottoman Empire), and suggested that "we should at once sue them." Another reader reminded everyone that the ECHR was "a slave to the United States."
But my favorite from "Tuesday’s catch" was a columnist who, in praise of the government, claimed that the AKP was Turkey’s only "socialist party," and a reader, also an AKP supporter, missing the columnist’s credit because it was masked behind the word "socialist." The reader’s comment/warning to the columnist who is a heavyweight of the Islamic press, "Hodja, sit where you are and enjoy your tespih (prayer beads). Stop talking about communism, socialism and atheism!" But the Hodja had not talked about communism or atheism. For many "conservatives" they are the same thing.
Read readers’ comments, and you won’t regret it. They are always amusing, either in the electronic pages of secular newspapers or of Islamic ones.
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