Over-stepping on Turkey

Friday, June 11, 2010

By Mowahid Hussain Shah | Published in The Nation: June 10, 2010

For years, Turkey had done what was expected from it to get accepted in the European community. It had cracked down on communism; it became the sheet-anchor of NATO; it contributed a brigade and lost nearly 900 troops during the US-led and UN-sanctioned war effort against Kim II-Sung’s Korea and China during the Korean conflict of 1950-53. It lent its Incirlik Air Base to the US-led coalition during the first Gulf War of 1990-91. It recognised Israel in 1949, the first Muslim majority state to do so, and had an extensive air force accord with the Jewish state. In 1999, it barred Merve Safa Kavakci, a hijab wearing woman elected to the Turkish Parliament, from taking the oath of office.

Now, the Israeli assault on the Turkish-led humanitarian aid flotilla to breach the Gaza blockade has been a game-changer. By doing so, Israel has helped create for itself a foe that may prove more deadly than Hamas and Hezbollah.

There is an old rural Punjab saying that a Tehsildar is not necessarily bad, but his bro-ther may be, because of the reflected arrogance of power, and also because of the vicarious perks he is prone to abuse.

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Raising children in non-Muslim societies

Raising children in an Islamic way in a non-Muslim society needs everyone’s effort with no exception, starting with the parents’ efforts, to the Mosque’s, to the community’s efforts. All of these roles are important. The stronger these roles are and the more mutually complementary to one another, the better the raising process will be.

The role of the Muslim community is important and is based on a number of factors, of which, the most important are:

1 – Supporting the Islamic center so that it keeps providing all the different services and programs and makes improvements.


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