Turkey Relies on the Determination of the Muslims to Defend its Interests

The Court of Justice of the European Union has sparked outrage among Muslim communities after it ruled on two separate appeals made by Belgium and France over the headscarf ban, saying that companies could bar staff from “visible wearing of any political, philosophical or religious signs”. The EU Court further said the decision to ban such symbols at workplaces was not discriminatory. Turkish President Erdogan called this ruling as the start of a “crusade” by Europe, saying, “a battle has started between the cross and the half moon. There can be no other explanation!” (Agencies)

Comment:

Muslims across the world describe this ruling straight away – and correctly – as a “Muslim ban”. And just as Erdogan stated, there is a “crusade” against Islam and the Muslims. There has started “a battle between the cross and the half moon”. There is “Nazi-like” behavior and a “spirit of fascism” growing faster and faster in Europe. Muslims across the world as well as human rights organizations clearly see an open door for further discrimination of Muslim women in Europe in this rule, and additionally a further restriction of legal options for objecting such discriminatory measures. This ruling is in blatant contradiction with the basic freedoms guaranteed under the major European conventions on human rights – which is the bible of secular states. It is an indisputable violation of human rights, freedom of thought and faith, as well as the right to work – which are all the pillars of capitalist ideology.

It is nothing new to the capitalist countries and their laws to dump their own principles and values when it comes to fight the rights and even existence of Muslims. The European Court of Human Rights and European Law, already upheld bans on the wearing of Islamic headscarves in Turkey, Switzerland and France in the past. And it used simple reasoning like that the Shariah law is incompatible with democratic principles and secularism, and protecting secularism must be regarded as vital, which if necessary must enforce the ban of religious symbols like the headscarf. Also “The War Against Terror” and thus the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq were conducted by the USA through ignoring the own values, international conventions and agreements set up by the West. And all the massacres in these lands, the opening of Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, and other atrocities, until today’s Syria, Myanmar, Palestine and the like issues are since and still accepted, supported and upheld also by Europe.

Fact is that the crusade against Islam has never stopped, had never a break or pause. It was only retitled, under freeing women in Islamic lands from oppression, removing extremist, terrorist elements from Islamic soils, or simply integration of Muslims living in the West into Western values and norms. The “crusade terminology” and “crusade actions” were never laid aside in the West. They were simply reformulated according to the times materialistic and political interests. The West was in need of cheap labour force in Europe in order to rebuild its lands after the destructions of World War II, so it allowed, furthermore invited Muslims to enter its soils as an economic necessity and tolerated them till today. However; today there is no such interest existent anymore thus there is no need for the second-class people of Muslim lands. In addition there is no force, no power, no authority or threat that prevents them from openly expressing their xenophobic, racist and Islamophobic thoughts and ideas. So comes that politicians in the West openly state their stance against Islam, like the Belgium’s Secretary of State for Poverty Reduction and Equal Opportunities, Zuhal Demir, whose parents are of Alevi Kurdish origin and immigrated from Turkey. Speaking to Belgium’s De Tijd daily on Monday, she said, “Muslims should adopt our values. But [most] would not do it on their own initiative. Some require help or force.” She defended the European Union’s top court’s ruling calling it “a game changer.”

So, what next? What is the next step that Turkey, its politicians and organizations are going to take? Muslims expect steps to be taken in particular from Turkey! Turkey’s Justice Ministry promised to provide legal support to Turkish citizens living in France and Belgium by assigning a lawyer free of charge if a person is fired as a result of wearing a headscarf. And again Turkey ensures its trust in these rotten Western laws and courts, instead taking true actions against the violation of the rights of Muslims and in particular Muslim women. It proves its inability to act against the rules and margins of the West. This has been clear especially after its Minister of Family and Social Affairs, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, had been blocked from entering the “Turkish Consulate” in Rotterdam on March 11. She is not simply a woman, not simply a female politician. She is a MINISTER of the Turkish Republic. Still she was humiliated, her guards were arrested, and she was deported from the Netherlands. Without doubt, she was brave! The same cannot be said about Turkey as a state!!! And we can all expect reconciliation with the West as soon as the referendum in April is over.

As long as Turkey sticks to its Western imposed values and system, it will not be able to defend or protect any of the rights of the Muslims, be they its own citizens or not! It will continue to shower ridiculous hot words, and empty rhetoric, and cheap and meaningless actions like deporting imported cattle from the Netherlands… For now, Turkey relies on the power, resistance and determination of the Muslims to protect the leaders of the Turkish State. The question is: for how long???

Zehra Malik