Turkish Forum

Tag: Islamophobia

  • Islamophobic Rhetoric by Mayor Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo

    Islamophobic Rhetoric by Mayor Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo

    Statement in Response to Islamophobic Rhetoric by Mayor Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo

    by Ibrahim Kurtulus Community Activist

    In recent days, deeply troubling comments have been made by Mayor Eric Adams and echoed by political surrogates and supporters of former Governor Andrew Cuomo remarks that irresponsibly conflate the peaceful faith of millions of Muslim Americans with extremism abroad. Such rhetoric is not only misleading and factually incorrect, but it also fuels a climate of suspicion, hostility, and division at a time when unity and understanding are urgently needed.

    Let us be clear and precise: Islam is not the cause of extremism. Muslims are not responsible for the acts of radicals.

    The Mayor Eric Adams reference to Nigeria, for example, is demonstrably inaccurate. Violence in Nigeria is not a simple case of “Islamic extremism burning churches.” Nigeria faces deeply complex internal challenges ranging from ethnopolitical conflicts, criminal banditry, resource competition, and armed insurgencies involving multiple actors. Communities of all religions, including Muslims, have both suffered from and opposed violence. To reduce such human tragedy into a political talking point is irresponsible and profoundly misleading.

    Yet what is even more alarming is the willingness of political actors to seize upon fear in order to divide New Yorkers for electoral gain. When public leaders speak carelessly, they legitimize the darkest impulses on our streets. And today we are witnessing a measurable rise in harassment, intimidation, and violence against Muslim Americans here in our own communities, in our own neighborhoods, on our own buses, sidewalks, and playgrounds.

    What is perhaps most painful is the silence of those who should know better. Silence from those who claim moral authority. Silence from those who claim to value civil rights. Silence from those who pledge inclusivity yet remain mute when Muslim Americans are targeted. This silence is not neutrality. It is complicity. As Turkish Americans as Muslim Americans, as New Yorkers, and as people of conscience from all faiths and backgrounds, we speak today with one united voice:

    Bigotry against any of us is a threat to all of us. An attack on you is an attack on me.

    This nation was built upon the foundational belief in the inherent dignity of all people. Our diversity is not a liability it is our greatest strength. When hatred is directed at any community Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, Black, Asian, immigrant, LGBTQ+, or any other our very democracy is diminished.

    We reject the use of religion as a political weapon. We reject rhetoric that dehumanizes. We reject fear as a tool of public leadership.

    Instead, we affirm the following: Every person has the right to practice their faith without intimidation or shame. Our city is strongest when we protect one another.

    We will not allow the peaceful religion of Islam to be defamed by those who seek division.

    New York has long stood as a symbol of hope etched in the Statue of Liberty, echoed in our neighborhoods, and lived daily in our shared lives. We will continue to uphold the values of cooperation, respect, and mutual understanding. We will challenge stereotypes, confront ignorance, and stand up together against the hatred that threatens our society.

    Hate leaves a scar on a city. But solidarity heals.

    Today, we reaffirm our commitment to a just, inclusive, and equitable New York where all children may grow without fear, where all families are respected, and where our leaders speak with responsibility and truth.

    We stand together. We speak together. And we will not be divided.

    Ibrahim Kurtulus

    Community Activist

  • Journalists to discuss Islamophobia in İstanbul

    Journalists to discuss Islamophobia in İstanbul

    Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports will bring young people and well-known journalists together in İstanbul to discuss Islamophobia over the weekend of Jan. 26-27, Trend news agency reported referring to Today`s Zaman newspaper.

    Istanbul_171212

    The event, hosted by Maltepe University at the Marma Congress Center, will include journalists from the BBC, the Guardian, The Huffington Post, the Daily Telegraph and The Independent as well as journalists and academics from Turkey.

    The deputy undersecretary of the Prime Ministry, Dr. İbrahim Kalın, will deliver the opening speech of the event, which is sponsored by the Media Association of Turkey (Medya Derneği).

    The event aims to create awareness of the Islamophobia that is on the rise as a result of the 9/11 attacks in the US and the financial crisis in Europe. Islamophobia, which is defined as “the lack of knowledge, negative thoughts and fears about Islam and prejudices against it,” finds wide coverage in the media due to events such as the Danish cartoon crisis. The discussion also targets finding ways to fight against the discrimination of Muslims that is fed by Western media.

    Some of the titles of the panels include “What is Islamophobia?” “Islamophobia in the Western Media,” “Suggestions for Solutions to Islamophobia” and “Islamophobia and Journalism.” The two-day event will also include a photo exhibition.

    Ahmet Boken (TRT), Bulent Kenesh (Today’s Zaman), Gema Martin-Munoz (University of Madrid), Jarome Taylor (The Independent), Mehdi Hasan (The Huffington Post UK, Al Jazeera English), Sandeep Hundal (the Guardian, The Times of London, the Financial Times), Mohamed Madi (BBC News Channel), Wajahat Ali (the Guardian, Salon, The Huffington Post and The Washington Post) are among the expected participants.

    via Journalists to discuss Islamophobia in İstanbul – AzerNews.

  • Why Turkey can’t lead a ban on Islamophobia?

    Why Turkey can’t lead a ban on Islamophobia?

    Before Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided to cancel his visit to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, he was planning to talk about adopting international legislation on insults to religion. He confirmed that he would while commenting on the 14-minute trailer mocking the Prophet Muhammad, which sparked violent riots across the Muslim world. He said Turkey could lead on this issue.

    This betrays the typical Turkish mentality of “banning.” We don’t like something? Then ban and get rid of it!

    Well, things just don’t work like that in the “Western hemisphere” – the democratic standards of which Turkey has been aspiring to reach.

    Now Erdoğan is not going to New York, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu will no doubt talk about the issue when he speaks at the U.N. However, introducing international legislation for insulting religion is basically mission impossible.

    I am guessing that Turkish diplomats would remind him of the experience in 2006 when a similar crisis broke out over the Danish cartoons.

    At that time – already extremely concerned about the rise in “anti-immigrant,” Islamophobic” and “racist” rhetoric in Europe – Turkish diplomats tried to raise awareness of this issue. They simply tried to convey the message that there should not be a hierarchical relationship between freedom of expression and freedom of religion, as Europeans tended always to put the former above everything else. Every time Turks tried to talk about freedom of expression being abused against Muslims, they hit the wall as Europeans told them: “freedom of expression is a core right!”

    It took several months of intense negotiations to have a resolution adopted in the 2006 ministerial meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The decision underlined the importance of states enacting a sound legal framework “ensuring equality before the law and adequate judicial protection” and called on political leaders to speak out against hate-motivated acts and incidents. This is as far as the OSCE went, but even that made the Germans and the Americans quite nervous.

    There is a limit to freedom of expression also when it comes to insulting religion, according to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which decided in favor of the Austrian government that confiscated a film about Christianity in the Otto Preminger vs. Austria case. But the ECHR leaves a wide margin of oppreciation to the governments and national courts to resolve cases of conflict between freedom of expression and the “rights of others,” in particular the right to respect for one’s religious feelings.

    Most Western countries do have the necessary legal framework that regulates hate crime. But they need to strike a balance between freedom of expression and respect for religious feelings. The problem is, more often than not, the prosecutors and the judges tend to favor the principle of freedom of expression, underestimating the consequences of a discourse that borders on the incitement of hatred. Turkey should therefore spend its energies devising a strategy that encourages member countries to use the legal tools at their disposal.

    Finally, as a country that has a bad international reputation for limiting freedom of expression, Turkey could indeed be the champion of the “censorious” cause. But it cannot lead any attempt to have an international legislation to ban Islamophobia, and at any rate that would be a futile attempt.

    via BARÇIN YİNANÇ – Why Turkey can’t lead a ban on Islamophobia?.

  • Turkey Concerned on Islamophobic Poster

    Turkey Concerned on Islamophobic Poster

    Turkey Concerned on Islamophobic Poster

    Tuesday, 11 September 2012

    A poster campaign by Germany’s Interior Ministry to advertise a hotline for those worried that a friend or family member may be turning to radical Islam has met with strong criticism from Turkish officials.

    Citing German Prime Minister Angela Merkel’s decision to disable a court decision prohibiting circumcision, the Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ has called on her to again take steps against her interior ministry’s latest initiative. “I hope she will not let this campaign be launched,” Bozdağ told reporters yesterday, adding that the law of the state should stand against real criminals and terrorists, “instead of incriminating innocent people.” The campaign has been founded under the “Security Partnership Initiative” by Germany’s Interior Ministry. Bozdağ said the campaign was an affront to Muslims “since it sees Muslim people as a security concern.”

    “On the one hand you say you will fight against Islamophobia, on the other hand you take steps that result in Islamophobia capturing all parts of society,” he added. The posters read “Missing” above a portrait of a young man or woman, and read: “This is our son Ahmad. We miss him, because we don’t recognize him anymore. He is withdrawing more and more, becoming more radical every day. We are afraid of losing him altogether to religious fanatics and terrorist groups. If you think like us, get in contact with the radicalization counseling centers.”

    Meanwhile, officials from Turkey’s Turks Abroad and Relative Communities Directorate, the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the European Union Ministry, and the Directorate-General for Religious Affairs (Diyanet) held a meeting yesterday in order to discuss precautions related to the negative repercussions of such a campaign.

    Report on Possible Attacks

    In a separate development, German law enforcement agencies have warned in a secret report that attacks by neo-Nazi elements “should be expected” against foreigners, Jewish institutions and state representatives, “such as politicians, public figures, and police officers,” Der Spiegel reported Sept. 9.
    A secret report issued by the Federal Office of Criminal Investigation in July warned that the attacks could come from neo-Nazi individuals or groups and may include arson attacks, possibly on refugee hostels and Jewish community buildings.
  • Turkey Warns Against Rising Racism In Europe

    Turkey Warns Against Rising Racism In Europe

    5/9/2012 2:18 AM ET

    (RTTNews) – Turkish President Abdullah Gül has warned that xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia are threatening Europe’s own values and advised the 27-member European Union bloc to continue with an open vision.

    “It’s my sincere wish that this threat will be prevented from gaining more ground that will lead the EU to turn further in on itself and to harm the universal values that it pioneers,” Gül said in a statement on the occasion of ‘Europe Day’ on Tuesday.

    He urged EU countries to free themselves of “baseless worries” about Turkey’s EU negotiations and to remove “the artificial barriers” raised on its road to accession as he reaffirmed Turkey’s objective of full membership.

    Describing Turkey’s aspirations to join the EU as part of the country’s strategic vision, Gül said it was for both sides to crown Turkey’s half-century long journey with this end. A potential Turkish membership in the EU will strengthen the bloc’s global position in the fields of energy, economy, foreign policy and security, Gül was quoted by Turkish media as saying.

    Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also issued a statement saying that the government’s efforts at raising democratic norms through a set of reform packages were evidence of its will to join the EU.

    by RTT Staff Writer

    via Turkey Warns Against Rising Racism In Europe.

  • Should Europe fear Islamic extremists?

    Should Europe fear Islamic extremists?

    Should Europe fear Islamic extremists?

    With EYP – the European Youth Parliament

    Masha from France:

    I’d like to know if Muslim extremism is a real issue in Europe.

    Michaël Privot, Director of the European Network Against Racism, responds:

    Reports from Europol on terrorism threats since 2006 show that, out of roughly 2,150 attacks in Europe, half of one percent were carried out by Muslim extremists, which is to say precisely 10. It’s important, in relation to that, to see the resources devoted to controlling this threat.

    In reality, 50% of Europe’s counter-terrorism resources have been used just for the 0.5 percent of terrorism called ‘Islamic’.

    So, how can this outright disproportion between the real threat and the means used be justified? You have to look at the political context. Since the attacks in London and Madrid especially, politicians have lived with a dread that an attack might take place in their voting area and therefore they do not scrimp on means, in order to show that they are taking things in hand.

    And then there’s the economic context today. Counter-terrorism, especially against Islamic terrorism, involves hundreds of thousands of jobs in Europe, whether it’s in the public sectors of law and order, security services — but also smaller private offices that draw ample benefit from this — all, obviously, in a context where the Muslim is seen as the absolutely different ‘other’, as the threat for our civilisation and our values.

    What we are especially interested in now is to see the impact on communities. Today we can say that minorities, Muslims in particular, are victims of this situation in three ways.

    Firstly because they are singled out as the scapegoat within the social majority — these minorities all the problems come through. The second thing is that with such a disproportionate attribution of means Muslims, notably young men, are often the victims of extra sharp scrutiny by the forces of order. And thirdly, given that the forces of order concentrate half their personnel on the fight against the Islamist terrorist who represents almost nothing, they do not take care of the much worse threats such as the terrorism of the extreme right such as we see in Germany, or recently in Italy, where there are certainly Muslim communities who are victims, along with black people, Roma and Jewish communities.

    Here I think it’s time we might learn some lessons from this, and return to our common sense and change radically, if we can say that, the policy being followed at European level and in the EU member states.

    Video: