[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News, with readers' comments]
“I prayed to God,” wrote Anders Behring Breivik, in his 1,500-page manifesto, to “ensure that the warriors fighting for the preservation of European Christendom prevail.” Soon, he went on his terrorist mission, which ended with the ruthless murder of more than 70 innocent souls.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News, with readers' comments]
I spent a couple of hours writing and reading messages on Twitter last Sunday night. And it turned out to be one of the most educating discussions that I recently had.
The topic was Libya and the air strikes on Gadhafi forces. Right after this operation began, under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council, I received an email in Turkish that denounced “this latest imperialist war against Libya.” With a few dozen signatories, the manifesto-like text condemned the NATO, and the West in general, for its “new Crusade” on the North African nation.
[Originally published in Hürriyet Daily News, with readers' comments]
A horrendous massacre took place in Itamar, occupied Palestine, a week ago. A terrorist broke into a house of a Jewish settler family and killed five of its members mercilessly. The victims include a 3-month-old whose throat was slit, a 3-year-old who was stabbed in the heart and an 11-year-old who was butchered and killed by a knife.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News, with readers' comments]
I was at Istanbul’s Neve Şalom synagogue the other night, in the midst of almost a thousand people. Some were Jews, some were not. But at that particular moment, we were all Jews – for we all shared the sorrow for the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
Click to continue »
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
Something terrible happened in Istanbul last Saturday. A newly married couple was shot dead in a car, only 10 days after their wedding. The police arrested the bride’s older brother as the suspect. The man confessed the crime and said that he had to kill his sister and her husband for her treason to the community – for this was a Christian-Muslim marriage the bride’s family strongly opposed.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
So, who said government officials are dull, dry and boring people whose prose would only make you wish to sleep? Some American ones, at least, can be quite sharp, witty, and slangy – as the whole world have learnt by now thanks to the WikiLeaks exposé.
[Published in the Foreign Affairs magazine]
In his new book, Reset, Stephen Kinzer argues that the United States should partner with Iran and Turkey to promote democracy and combat extremism in the Middle East. Although it is hard to imagine Iran as a friend of Washington, Turkey is ready to play that role.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
There are many things I love about America – from maple-syrup-soaked pancakes to noisy rock bands. I even like its frantically air-conditioned spaces that almost freeze you to death, or its drinks that have more ice than liquid. But these days, I am a little put off by the hype that some Americans have raised around the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque.”
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
I have been a fan of many names that are British — from John Locke to Adam Smith, from Dire Straits to Pink Floyd. And now, if he stays the course, it seems that I might also add David Cameron to the list.
The new British Prime Minister spent just less than an hour last Tuesday to win me over. His speech in Ankara, where he paid an official visit, was just brilliant. Some critics argued that he “pampered” us Turks, and “said what his hosts want to hear.” But so be it. He could have been rude and arrogant, as politicians from some other countries of the EU have been. Click to continue »
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
I spent the past two weeks in the United States, flying from one city to another for a series of meetings – including lectures on “Islam and liberty” at the Michigan-based Acton Institute. This great country, as usual, was welcoming, entertaining and inspiring. But it also was quite tiring – especially in my very last night there, which turned out to be a small nightmare. Click to continue »
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
I once read a comment by an Israeli author that most people in his country do not want to recall the historic significance of the Horns of Hattin. That place, which is in modern-day Israel, takes its interesting name from the twin peaks that overlook the lower Galilee. But its real fame comes from the 1187 Battle of Hattin, in which the Islamic army led by the legendary Saladin crushed the Crusaders, opening the way to the Muslim re-conquest of Jerusalem.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
Two days ago, Israeli forces attacked a humanitarian aid flotilla in international waters. The whole purpose of the activists on the raided Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, and several others around it, were to bring aid and supplies, including playgrounds for children, to Gaza. They paid the price by being the targets of Israeli machine guns.
At least 10 unarmed civilians, most of whom are Turks, were killed. Dozens of others were injured. Click to continue »
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
Turkish diplomacy just had one of its most mind-boggling weeks. First, on Monday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu showed up in Tehran with their Brazilian counterparts, for a “historic” deal with their Iranian hosts. After an 18-hour-long negotiation, they held hands with Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and smiled for the cameras.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
Greece, our dear neighbor, is in the middle of a tragic economic crisis these days. The doom was impending for a long time, but the real blow came when the government, in order to deal with the jaw-dropping amounts of debt, took some “austerity measures.” In a country where one out of three people is employed in the civil service, this meant less money for millions of people.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
I had coffee the other day with a colleague who told me why he had recently declined a job offer from a French media company. In fact, he was initially quite interested. The salary looked pretty decent, and the city where he would have to live, Lyon, seemed appealing. He even found a few nice possible schools there for his 10-year-old son.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
This week, an interesting debate on an interesting topic took place in Turkey.
First, Selma Aliye Kavaf, the minister who is responsible for “women’s and family affairs,” said something pretty tough about gays. “Homosexuality,” she argued, “is a biological disorder and a disease that needs treatment.”
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
LONDON – Every time I come to this magnificent city, I admire the way the British honor their past. This time, I was impressed even more, for I had a chance to spend a whole morning in the House of Lords, at which a conference about Turkey’s emerging role in the world was held. While walking in the corridors of the splendid building, I could not count the number of statues of former statesmen that I saw. But I could well feel how tradition keeps the British proud and dignified.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
It happens toward every year’s end. The more Westernized part of Turkish society warms up for New Year’s Eve. Decorations are put up, parties are organized, and restaurants advertise eat-and-dance-all-night-long programs. Santa Clauses and pine trees show up in upscale malls.
The Turks who embrace these Christmas symbols often have no idea about Christ. They just like the lifestyle of the wealthy, happy and joyful people they see in Hollywood movies.
Yet another belated post: My book review of Islam and The Secular State by Prof. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im. It was published in the December 2008 issue of First Things, a monthly theology magazine.
[Originally published in Hurriyet Daily News]
The recent Swiss ban on minarets has the bad potential of being a watershed event in terms of Western-Muslim relations. Therefore, there is a lot to say about it.
First, the ban is clearly a violation of religious freedom. It would be a violation of religious freedom, too, if crosses were banned from church roofs or Magen Davids from those of synagogues. That’s why the whole affair is simply a “disgrace,” as a recent New York Times editorial aptly defined it.
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