In Istanbul funeral prayers were held to honor Cherif and Said Kouachi, the Islamic-extremists brothers who killed 12 people in the Charlie Hebdo magazine attack in Paris. Estimates of 160 or more men – shouted "God is great!" They held a banner showing former al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden's picture on one side, and the Kouachi brothers superimposed over the Parisian skyline on the other side. Also seen were smaller posters with "We are all Cherif" and "We are all Said" as the men chanted in unison.
For some time now, at least since the U.S. led efforts to push Iraq out of Kuwait, there has been a growing anti-American/ anti-Western movement in Turkey. This movement has grown as the nation itself has moved away from a secular government and seems to be moving toward a theocracy (in practice even if not officially in name). So, it is no surprise that there are some in Turkey who would praise the killers who, in their minds, died as martyrs for Allah. The question becomes how pervasive has this sentiment become among the population of the only Muslim member of NATO. We know from experience that the loudest voices don’t always speak for the majority, but we in the west would be fools to ignore the swelling chorus of radical-Islamic hate come from the people of Turkey.
I’m not saying that it’s time to kick them out of NATO, some have been calling for that for many years now, nor am I saying that the people of Turkey have embraced a dark path of hate. What I am saying is that we should no longer turn a blind eye to these events. We need to know if this is still just a loud minority making as much noise as they can or a chosen few who are voicing the thoughts of an overwhelming majority. We need to know so that we may prepare for the challenges of a world where Turkey is no longer a bridge between the Western world and the Muslim world.
I do not know the hearts and minds of the people of one of the most beautiful and storied nations of the world so I say this as an alert, and I hope that it is an alert that is not necessary, but the spread of radical-Islam can not be denied so I will say it. Seeing so many participating in these “funeral prayers” must raise concerns about the mood of the people of Turkey. I must caution; we can‘t count on an ally who would honor jihadist nor can we call any group of people who would side with cold-blooded killers over free-speech our friend.
For some time now, at least since the U.S. led efforts to push Iraq out of Kuwait, there has been a growing anti-American/ anti-Western movement in Turkey. This movement has grown as the nation itself has moved away from a secular government and seems to be moving toward a theocracy (in practice even if not officially in name). So, it is no surprise that there are some in Turkey who would praise the killers who, in their minds, died as martyrs for Allah. The question becomes how pervasive has this sentiment become among the population of the only Muslim member of NATO. We know from experience that the loudest voices don’t always speak for the majority, but we in the west would be fools to ignore the swelling chorus of radical-Islamic hate come from the people of Turkey.
I’m not saying that it’s time to kick them out of NATO, some have been calling for that for many years now, nor am I saying that the people of Turkey have embraced a dark path of hate. What I am saying is that we should no longer turn a blind eye to these events. We need to know if this is still just a loud minority making as much noise as they can or a chosen few who are voicing the thoughts of an overwhelming majority. We need to know so that we may prepare for the challenges of a world where Turkey is no longer a bridge between the Western world and the Muslim world.
I do not know the hearts and minds of the people of one of the most beautiful and storied nations of the world so I say this as an alert, and I hope that it is an alert that is not necessary, but the spread of radical-Islam can not be denied so I will say it. Seeing so many participating in these “funeral prayers” must raise concerns about the mood of the people of Turkey. I must caution; we can‘t count on an ally who would honor jihadist nor can we call any group of people who would side with cold-blooded killers over free-speech our friend.
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