From: ertas@athena.mit.edu (Mehmet D Ertas)
Subject: Re: Ata-Turk - Trator or Ok dude?
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 18:10:55 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.142643.6344@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, frasyid@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Fuadi Rasyid) writes:
|> 
|> <1992Nov7.084920.182030@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> mas@Cadence.COM (Masud
|> Khan) writes;
|> 
|> > Is Ata-Turk considered a hero amongst Turks? and what about
|> > amongst practising Muslim Turks? The reason I ask is
|> 
|> Not at all.
|> 
|> > that all the rest of the Islamic world see him as an
|> > evil trator who compromised Islam and turned Turkey
|> > into a secular state.
|> 
|> That is correct.
|> 
|> > Is there a resurgence of Islamic identity amongst Turks
|> > young/old?
|> 
|> Yes, most of the honest young Turks have been trying to find their
|> original identity again, though there is an intensive discouraging
|> campaigns against it.
|> 
|> He has destroyed not only his nation but also islamic world.
|> Some of his believers probably will tell that he saved the country
|> but it is questionable. There was so many capable people to do that
|> mission but they were eleminated by colonialist at that time. He
|> was imposed as only savior.

These are personal opinions of the writer and should not be given any 
more credit than that. 

|> 
|> How? Let's elaborate what he had done;
|> 
|> 1- He abolished the khilafe.

That was a neceesay move at that time to open way for the revolutions he had
in mind. Remember how long it took the Christian world to break free from
the tight grip of Vatican. There was no such time for Turkey to wait for
centuries.

|> 2- He disconnected all the relationships between muslims around the
|>    world and Turkey.

That is simply false. See the CENTO pact signed with other muslim nations.
 
|> 3- He advocated corrupted western culture to settle in Turkey.
                   ^^^^^^^^^^

That is your opinion.

|> 4- He nullified the islamic script and brought latin alphabet.
|>    Indeed it was a stupid mistake that he did which made all of the
|>    people illitera in one night. No one honest people can deny this
|>    fact.

Well, a year later, there were more literate people than before, though.
With the added benefit of easily improving that number.
Changing the alphabet was one of the best things that have happened,
in my opinion.

|> 5- Most of the children raised in Turkish schools have been
|>    brainwashed against their islamic identity but pro-western.
|>    Also, most of the Turks who are ignorant knows him as a hero
|>    since they were thaught official history in the schools. They
|>    believe that Turkish history started just 70 years ago, as if
|>    they were dropped from moon!

On the contrary, he established TTK (Turkish historical society)
to further research origins of the Turkish people even BEFORE islam.
It is true that he had a racist approach, but that's another story.

|> 6- He abolished all of the islamic school system, no one was able
|>    to teach Kur'an even openly read it.

I don't know much about this, so I won't elaborate.

|> 7- He murdered thousands of muslim people for just not wearing a
|>    western hat.

This is an outrageus lie! let's see: These murders could have happened
1- if the law stated that the punishment for not complying with the 
law is execution,
2- or if people were murdered without even prosecuted.

You must show evidence for these to make such a claim. I'm not excluding the
possiblity of some executions, but those were definitely not just for refusing to wear
a hat. 

|> 8- After getting the power, he always tried to discredit islam
|>    although he had known a good muslim during the independence war.
|>    (This helps to explain some claims made against him)

I agree thart he tried to appeal more to islamic leaders during the
independence war, but he had no other option to accomplish what he
set out for.

|> 9- He left the turkish and other muslims helpless who lived outside
|>    of the borders saying peace in nation- peace in the world. Does not
|> matter they assault, humiliate or kill you, just peace cowardly.
|> Currently, it is against the law to talk against him or his
|> principles. If somebody says that there is democracy in Turkey, I
|> could say, if so why there is a restriction to question his deeds.
|> There is a claim that he was a british spy and
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
|> trained for this special purpose. Not true muslim or honest turk 
|> would say that what he did was right.
|> F.R.

Must be another one of your "claims".

I recommend you to read a recent article in the Economist , called "The Star Of Islam".

I don't think that Ataturk is the perfect person, undebatable character that
is the only beacon for the future of our country. He was human, he made mistakes.
But no one at his time could've accomplished anything close to what he did.
He has done wonderful things to our country, and I am deeply grateful for it.
I will be a follower of his principles as much as I can. And I am saying that what
he was right. Now if you challenge that I'm not an honest Turk, speak up.
Otherwise, shut up.

Deniz Ertas
Xref: sparky soc.culture.turkish:11746 talk.politics.soviet:8996 soc.culture.greek:10686 soc.culture.europe:9640 soc.rights.human:4238 soc.culture.soviet:10070 talk.politics.cis:44