European countries are struggling to contain tensions within the Turkish diaspora community after the failed coup in Turkey widened the gulf between supporters of the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Fethullah Gülen who he accuses of orchestrating the coup. Recent days have seen mainly peaceful demonstrations outside Turkish embassies in Europe. However, there have been violent incidents as well. In Gelsenkirchen, Germany, about 150 supporters of the Turkish president attacked a youth centre with ties to Gülen’s Hizmet movement, smashing windows. In Beringen, Belgium, a building used for meetings by leading members of the Belgian branch of the Gülen movement was attacked and covered in graffiti. A cultural centre in Rotterdam run by the Nida Foundation, which is affiliated to the Gülen movement, was pelted with stones for two nights in a row and boycott lists are circulating on social media urging people not to buy goods from alleged Gülen supporters.

Comment:

The fallout from the Turkey coup attempt and the ongoing crackdown by Erdogan’s government is having an effect amongst the millions of Turks living in Europe leading to open acrimony between some supporters and critics of the Turkish president and those he accuses of orchestrating the coup attempt. It is unacceptable for a Muslim to attack a person or their business or their centre or their Mosque due to an accusation regarding events thousands of miles away in Turkey. Calls for business boycotts are also wrong. It must be Islam that guides our reaction to events, not just our emotions. After all, we are people who believe that every action and word we utter will be judged by Allah (swt) on the last day.

Many questions remain regarding the nature of the coup attempt, who was behind it, the role of foreign powers, the resulting government crackdown and other matters. There have been accusations and denials on both sides and blind allegiance to a party, president or group must not lead us to commit acts of injustice against one another.

All Muslims should support the brave stance of our Ummah in Turkey against the attempted coup which they saw as being against Islam and seeking to further impose secularism. That does not mean we must blindly support any group, president or politician and attack those who differ with us. At the end of the day, as Muslims, we must be united by looking to Islam and wanting a better future for Turkey; united, strong, prosperous and free from the interference of foreign powers – and it was only under the Uthmani Khilafah that Turkey ever achieved that. The return of Islamic governance that does not favour any group, party or school of thought but unites and rules all of society under the justice of the Islamic Khilafah system is a goal that should unite all Muslims in Turkey and beyond – regardless of what Islamic party or movement we belong to.

إِنَّ هَٰذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ

“Indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.”

(Al-Anbiya 21:92)

Taji Mustafa

Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in Britain