"Political Islam" and Religious-Oriented Parties
I'm very curious about several things. Europe has Christian Democrat political parties, which are legal and don't cause conflict like ours do. What is the reason for the conflict in Turkey over religious-oriented parties? Is there is a mistake in their positions, or is political organization in Islam different from that in the West?
First of all, I think that as Muslims we don't know Islam with all its aspects. When we adopt it as an ideology rather than a religion, we are eager to quarrel about how Islam should be understood and lived. And so we are not open to dialogue. Second, Turkey has some people who are extremely apprehensive of even the least manifestation of Islam. It seems to me that in this new era of Turkish history, some of us have not yet learned how to live together in a society. Actually there's nothing to fight about. As was mentioned a little earlier, the basis of being a Muslim, as Prophet Muhammad demonstrated, is love, forgiveness, and generosity to others.
On the other hand, some tend to show Islam as something frightful. Regardless of whether they do so for their own security or to protect their position in the world balance, some powers present Islam as a religion and a governmental system that usurps, occupies, and operates by force. Unfortunately, some so-called Muslims engage in movements that support this image. Actually, these movements are derived from the understanding and interpretation of certain people, who them cloak them in the name of Islam. Ertugrul Ozkok, Hurriyet daily, 1/23-30/95
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