Defending the secular 'faith'

[guyabano]

Why is the Turkish army so determined to defend secularism, the separation of religion and state?

Secularism is fundamental to Turkey's identity as a nation.
Turkey was founded in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a military general, in what had been the Ottoman Sultanate.
Ataturk was determined that this mainly Muslim nation would be a modern, secular country, and he introduced wide-ranging reforms, including the emancipation of women, the introduction of western dress, legal code and alphabet, and the abolition of Islamic institutions.
Turkey's ruling elite and the powerful military have seen it as their job to protect what Ataturk set up.
The army has not been afraid to intervene militarily whenever it sees fit - it has led three direct coups against elected governments in Ankara.
When, 10 years ago, Turkey elected its first pro-Islamic party to government - the Welfare Party - the military campaigned to force it out of office. The following year the party was banned by the courts.
But despite the efforts of the establishment, it seems that Islamic parties are popular in Turkey, and in 2002 the Justice and Development (AK) party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan won a landslide victory.
The party has its roots in political Islam, but insists it respects the secular principles of the constitution.
The army has tolerated its position in government, but the prospect of one of its members taking up the highest post in the land is causing it great concern.
The staunchly secular elite of Turkey believes a president whose wife wears an Islamic headscarf would have Ataturk turning in his grave.

Source

[Muezzin]

Isn't secularism about separating church and state such that religion does not directly influence politics and such that no one religion is put above another?

If so, this understanding of secularism such that it abolishes or restrictsreligious citizens' acts seems somewhat... misguided.

[guyabano]

Isn't secularism about separating church and state such that religion does not directly influence politics and such that no one religion is put above another?

If so, this understanding of secularism such that it abolishes or restrictsreligious citizens' acts seems somewhat... misguided.

Exactly, only the politics will rule and make the laws. I live in a place like that, but I never noticed, that any religious citizens would ever been misguided.

I just even heard in the local radio, that our government decided to 'hire' 1 Mufti and 4 Imam for the local Moshee, but that is now offtopic to Turkey !

[Amadeus85]

Isn't secularism about separating church and state such that religion does not directly influence politics and such that no one religion is put above another?

If so, this understanding of secularism such that it abolishes or restrictsreligious citizens' acts seems somewhat... misguided.

Secularism is( should be ) freedom of religion , not freedom from religion.

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[Bittersteel]

both actually.Secularism is more of an ideology than a faith.

[north_malaysian]

Secularism is( should be ) freedom of religion , not freedom from religion.

"freedom from religion" - atheism

[Trumble]

"freedom from religion" - atheism

That is not what 'atheism' means. It would be quite possible to be an atheist and still subject to religious persecution or oppression - outside of a secular state.

[guyabano]

"freedom from religion" - atheism

not at all, it's more the opposite. People are free to execercise the religion of their beliefs, go to a church, temple, mosque, or whatever withour the fear, somebody will blow them up. Since there might be a lot of religions cooperating peacefully together, it would not be possible for a religion to put its fingers in politic affairs, even though, the country is to 90% christian, the bischop has no say.

[rubiesand]

The staunchly secular elite of Turkey believes a president whose wife wears an Islamic headscarf would have Ataturk turning in his grave.

The staunchly secular elite of Turkey have a selective memory. Here is a pic of Ataturk with his wife in hijab. Why was it ok for her to wear one, but the sky would fall down if a modern first lady wears it?

Click Me

[Pygoscelis]

Secularism is( should be ) freedom of religion , not freedom from religion.

It should be both.

Separation of church and state runs both ways. The Church should never direct or influence the State in its lawmaking and enforcement. The State should never direct or influence the Church in its beliefs.

There are some exceptions, but not many. The Church DOES impart values upon people who then enact laws making things fuzzy. The State DOES enact laws that Church practices may violate (we don't allow animal sacrifice etc)