BY DAILY SABAH
ISTANBUL POLITICS FEB 06, 2021
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan speaks at the Ali Cami after a Friday prayer, Istanbul, Feb. 5, 2021. (AA Photo)
“Muslims are being taken under pressure with projects such as European Islam, French Islam, Austrian Islam,” Erdoğan said.
The president noted that attacks on Muslims’ sacred values have been disregarded by Western governments under the pretext of freedom of expression.
Erdoğan added that Turkish institutions should take action on issues related to Muslims and Turks in these countries.
Some European countries, particularly France, have embraced a hostile stance against Muslims in recent years.
In January, a special commission in the French National Assembly approved the “charter of republican values” of Islam that was introduced last year by President Emmanuel Macron as part of the fight against “separatism.”
The bill was announced on Oct. 2 by Macron, who claimed that law was needed in order to fight so-called Islamic “separatism,” prompting criticism and rejection from the Muslim community.
The bill is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly in February. The draft law is being criticized because it targets the Muslim community and imposes restrictions on almost every aspect of their lives. It provides for intervening in mosques and the associations responsible for the administration of mosques, as well as controlling the finances of associations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) belonging to Muslims.
France engaged in a bitter feud with Muslim countries last year, including Turkey, over the statements and policies made by top French officials following the republication of offensive caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims across the world denounced satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo’s decision to republish cartoons, citing disrespect toward Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad.
Austria tried to impose a similar bill; however, the government revised the controversial “anti-terror” law, using the phrase “religiously motivated extremism” instead of “political Islam,” after negative reactions from the public.
Categories: Asia, Europe, Europe and Australia, Turkey, Turks
This anti-Islam sentiment is rising because of people like Erdogan only, because he is rising extremism in the name of Islam and side effects of this extremism are faced by us the general people not by people like Erdogan.
I do not quite agree. For instance the Swiss anti-Minaret referendum predates Erdogan. In France also Erdogan is a minor influence. Equally the anti-burka initiatives are a strange thing, as there are no Muslims, including Erdogan, who are promoting the Burka (except may be the Taliban, but even those in Afghanistan only). The cause of the anti-Muslim sentiments run deeper. May be we even have to go back to the crusades. Honestly, many influences are in fact ‘deep under the skin’ and the conscious mind is not even aware of the connection.
If he thinks so much for Muslims then why Uyghurs are protesting in front of Chinese embassy in Istanbul and he is not even bothered. CCP is suppressing Uyghurs in China and detaining them and even not providing them basic human rights. Why Erdogan is silent? Its easy to blame somebody but first he has to look into himself.
right. and that goes for every one else too.