International10
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- Joined
- Jan 26, 2016
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- Political Leaning
- Slightly Liberal
From post WWI through about 2000 Turkey was for all intents and purposes as close as a non-europeon country has come to being a liberal western democracy; however, beginning with the ascendency of Recep Erdogan, around the year 2000, The Islamic AKP party, has radically changed the paradigm in Turkey. This is in large part due to the shifting demographics of the country. Modern western looking communities in the western part of the country were simply not as fertile as the more Islamic eastern part of the country. For lack of a better phrase, there are simply more conservative Muslims than there used to be.
Here are just a few examples to give you a picture of how Turkish society is changing:
So my question is whether this should be a warning to western Europe as the Muslim population is set to rise dramatically there over the next few decades (especially in France)? Is conservative Islam compatible with modern secular liberalism in the west? To put it another way, Can a majority Muslim country embrace modern liberal values?
Here are just a few examples to give you a picture of how Turkish society is changing:
- Islamic religious schools are replacing secular universities,
- a crack-down on the consumption of alcohol, bars, and nightclubs
- A revival of rampant homophobia in a country that was otherwise progressing along with Europe on this issue.
- the reinstatement of the Hijab in schools and government institutions
- and the general ostracization of essentially anyone involved in public life who doesn't play along with the rise of conservative Islamic AKP party in the country.
So my question is whether this should be a warning to western Europe as the Muslim population is set to rise dramatically there over the next few decades (especially in France)? Is conservative Islam compatible with modern secular liberalism in the west? To put it another way, Can a majority Muslim country embrace modern liberal values?