Electoral campaigns in Turkey are continuing with full speed. The Turkish people will cast their vote for the current political parties, their representatives and leaders in order to determine their future and to resolve the existing problems… In this year’s elections; more than ever before, the most effective factor in increasing democratisation and thus accelerating improvement of society is the ‘woman’ factor…

Before leading into the subject of women, we need to mention the general terms of the election campaigns: The general terms of these election campaigns consist of main titles like the resolution process, economic development, taxes, minimum wages, better education and dormitories for students. Also as to the biggest wounds of this society over the recent years, a special emphasis is made on the necessity of finding solutions through ‘female sensitivity’ for issues like violence against women, increasing women’s participation in employment and politics. For this reason, the number of female parliamentary candidates was almost doubled to 531 during these elections. In particular the ostensible Islamist Government – in seeking to create the perception of a functioning democracy at last and even more effective democracy after the elections – has put famous Muslim women’s names as February 28 post-modern coup victims on its list. Having a look at the work during the election campaigns, it becomes clear that expressions related to women’s issues like women’s participation in employment and politics and talks of ‘the country’s development’ through ’empowerment of women’ are nothing more than numbers compared to OECD data that only have to be increased, and thus nothing more than empty words.

As mentioned before, during this election period, politics is made in particular over and through women. However, bringing a solution to the problems of the people through having more women in the politics of the current/existing system is ‘beating a dead horse’, since there have always been women in Turkey’s politics. Furthermore this country even had a female Prime Minister, Tansu Çiller. As a matter of fact, since the foundation of this secular democratic Republic till today, the people in Turkey continued to suffer all kinds of problems that could be experienced in a country in a continuously increasing dosage. From economic troubles to degeneration in society, the diversity of visible and tangible social problems has increased and its rate has reached gigantic proportions. Moral collapse and degeneration have completely besieged the society. But always, these have declined according to the descriptions of those in ruling. And those in opposition and of counter-views have provided evidences of the opposite. Unfortunately, the situation is not different today.

A deep-rooted solution for the society’s problems and an immediate effect of the solid solutions are not under consideration by no means. This is because the Government’s main problem during the electoral period is the fight against the ‘parallel structure’ and the problems caused to Turkey’s people by the other parties, and in particular the CHP; whereas the other parties try to respond using empty demagoguery. Additionally with the headscarf bans on top, the days where Arabic Azan was prohibited, queues for gas cylinder, for oil, at hospitals (it is another discussion of how content people are today), water shortages, trash problems, censors and many other prohibitions are being brought back to the memory of the public via various documentaries and history programs. Thus, through using literature of fear, it is sought to direct particularly the 6.5 million above 18 years old university and high school students, who are unaware of those days.

And if dismaying the people remains inadequate, then discouraging, threatening the opposition, when necessary decrying it are the basic styles of secular democratic electoral politics. Especially since electoral time is the time to expose the dirty laundry… The electoral process is a period where more than ever all secular parties – both the seemingly conservative and those who consider themselves as Republican – accuse each other with ignobleness, treachery, and even a number of adjectives which are neither humane nor moral. Just like those who are the possessors of this secular capitalist ideology, they make use of the same methods and styles as they do – and from time to time, they even surpass them. As a result, the ultimate aim of politics in these elections – as it is the aim of every secular democratic election which is the product of capitalist ideology – is to increase the votes of those parties and politicians who seek to reach power; or to maintain those in power who already possess it.

Indeed, this week two pro-government journalists in their eagerness to ‘slap’ one oppositional party due to its politics have exceeded the boundaries of both of humanity and – as a Muslim – of morality. They made use of expressions tarnishing the name of a female member of that respective party, though she toiled in order to strengthen and to protect the essence of this state, namely its secularity and democracy, for years – just as they themselves did. In an environment where political interests are valued more than moral values and solving people’s problems such outbursts are very normal. The response to this slander against herself given by this deputy Lady who served for so many years for this secular system is more than sufficient in order to summarize the failure, the fiasco and unreliability of this system: “As much as I know, it is up to those who rule the state to protect the honour, the dignity and lives of the women in that country. The rest is upon those who rule this country. And if these two sides (meaning state and courts) do not provide anything, than (I say that) one of those persons claims to be a Muslim. That means; that between him and me, the Islamic law will be involved. And I, as a Muslim Turkish woman, will have the right for retaliation (Qisas). The traducers will receive 80 lashes with a stick.”

In these elections, as in every election held in Turkey, there is only one successful policy; and that is propagating colonial Western culture and gathering support for its systems and rulers appointed by it. And also in Turkey, it is the secular democratic politics based upon capitalist ideology that is influencing the people and managing them; and also power and resources are managed according these political principles. “Democracy”; in fact is “the rule of the people for the people.” This term originates from Greek (dēmokratía) “rule of the people”, derived from the words (dêmos) “people” and (krátos) “power” or “rule”. In other words, it was generated by man for man, and means that people are their own masters, setting up laws and the government. In practice however, the people do not more than casting their votes, whereas the president or the government is the one who carries out all the work. A look at only Turkey’s history of Republic alone lays open that since the abolishment of the Khilafah and its replacement by democracy; this people have never been ruled by what they desired. During periods of its highest Islamic sensitivities and desires, it has witnessed the greatest tyranny, the torture and execution of its scholars and Muslim youth, the prohibition of Qur’an and Azan, the humiliation and even imprisonment of its women for wearing their head scarves. However, together with the changing global political environment and under the impact of American politics, many of these prohibitions were removed after the AKP came to power. But this did not happen at a time and in a way that the people demanded. No rather, it took place when it deemed appropriate for the government and its rulers. In this process, Muslims were made familiar and accustomed to democracy. And whenever they felt an iota of doubt, politics of fear refreshed their commitment to moderate-Islamic-democracy.

Today the entire world witnesses the continuous failure, change and abuse of man-made policies and of the laws generated by these policies. However, Allah سبحانه وتعالى never makes mistakes! Therefore, only the system revealed by Allah The Almighty is the correct system and the one that should be taken. And the system made by man should be rejected. And this is why are struggling for prosperity under democracy through neglecting the system of Allah سبحانه وتعالى is ‘flogging a dead horse’. Unfortunately today, Muslims are taught the impossibility of being ruled by a system according to their concepts and feelings. Instead they are imposed with the Western culture’s product called ‘democracy’. And the failure, fiascos and betrayals of this style of rule are dished out as the failures, incompetence and betrayal of a few. For example; a few days ago, Minister of Family and Social Policies, Ayşenur Islam, stated that “there was no decline in the number of femicides. However the problem lies not in the related laws, but in the authorities who implement these laws.”

Within this environment of mischief and malice, Muslims have to have even more political vigilance and to be more active than usual. This is, because it is a necessity of their Islamic creed (Aqeedah). The Islamic Aqeedah contains concepts and provisions regarding the human, all affairs of live, and the relationships between people as well as how to implement those concepts and provisions. This means, that it provides laws regarding ruling, economics, and social life, as well as education, internal and external politics. At the same time these concepts and provisions regulate the relationships/affairs between the rulers and ruled, and between the state and other states, nations and people.

Consequently this Ummah, in particular its women, who desire to solve all the issues in Turkey and the entire Muslim world in a subtle, rooted and comprehensive way have to search for the solution and the necessarily required method for this solution in their Aqeedah, and then to hold tight on this method. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ

“And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things.”

(an-Nahl: 89)

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِينًا

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favour upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion.”

(Al-Mā’idah: 3)

إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلّهِ

“Legislation is not but for Allah”

(Yūsuf: 40)

أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

“Then is it the judgement of [the time of] ignorance they desire? But who is better than Allah in judgement for a people who are certain [in faith].”

(Al-Mā’idah: 50)

And Rasulallah ﷺ has said,

«الإسـلام يعلو ولا يعلى عليه»

“Islam is supreme and there is no one to be over it!”

 

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir

Zehra Malik