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Printer-Friendly ModeIslam, modernity can coexist
April 9, 2007 —
Last Thursday, Turkish legislators passed a proposal that will, if passed as a bill, make it illegal for Turkish citizens to say anything offensive about the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on the Internet, as it is already illegal for Turks to insult him offline.
It goes without saying that this is another huge step in the wrong diretion for Turkey, a nation that has been pursuing reforms vigorously in hopes of one day joining the European Union and continuing down a path of modernization.
Perhaps a bill such as this reflects the discomfort that Turks feel towards Western-style freedom of expression. Perhaps it reflects the deep-rooted conservatism of the Turkish people, the social glue of Islam that has held the secular state together during its turbulent history, which includes a number of attempted military coups.
But Islam can coexist with modernity. Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates have done their part to prove that skyscrapers can occupy the same block as mosques. In fact, upon completion, the Burj al-Arab in Dubai will be the tallest skyscraper in the world, by a comfortable amount.
The Turkish government should understand that, for the benefit of its own people, Turkey must become an even more secular democracy, with a free press and freedom of expression. The administration wisely lifted a ban on YouTube just days after the Web site was banned by officials, realizing that videos are indeed protected by free speech.
It is understandable why some Turks hold Ataturk very dear to their hearts. The man built a secular republic from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire, which was all but evaporated following the conclusion of World War I in 1918. He helped to prevent the partition of Turkey by the Allies and led his people to victory in the Turkish War of Independence. So he's a bit like a George Washington figure in Turkey, only much more revered.
But Americans can (and often do) make fun of George Washington. Publicly. Repeatedly. Just like the Dutch are allowed to hate Rembrandt or William II. Just like the Russians are allowed to curse or praise Lenin.
Modern states are, overhwhelmingly, free states with free people. Free speech works hand-in-hand with the economy: the more people are allowed to say, the more they will say. The more people are allowed to say, the more people are allowed to buy. Free countries don't burn or ban books, and in the 21st century, free countries don't ban Web sites or videos.
This is a lesson Turkey is going to learn the hard way, if the proposed legislation passes. The European Union is not going to induct a member state that doesn't allow its citizens to talk about sensitive issues. Problems don't get resolved in states that demonize conversation. How do people learn from history when they can't question it? They don't.
Just as we know George Washington was not a perfect individual, neither was Ataturk. Modern countries are built upon free speech; if Turkey wishes to modernize, its people must come to understand this. Free speech is precious: Turkey must protect it.