Speaking at a United Nations conference in Vienna, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan declared, “It is necessary that we must consider — just like Zionism or anti-Semitism or fascism — Islamophobia as a crime against humanity.”
Let’s put aside the fact that, when they argue for the criminalization of “Islamophobia,” Erdoğan and his fellow travelers seek to ban not discrimination against Muslims, but rather criticism of the more radical outliers of radical Islamism. Hence, pointing out that under Erdoğan, the murder rate of women in Turkey has increased 1,400 percent would be considered a hate crime. Erdoğan makes no secret of his antipathy of free speech: That is why the Turkish media has descended from relative openness to somewhere below Russia, Venezuela, Iraq, Burma, and Zimbabwe in terms of free press.
Zionism is, simply put, a belief that the Jewish people have the right to an independent homeland in what is now Israel. One doesn’t need to like the Israeli government to be a Zionist, nor does Zionism have anything to do with supporting or opposing a two-state solution. (I am a Zionist who supports a two-state solution, for example, and I have little opinion on Israeli politicians or diplomats, as I neither study them nor interact with them). To be anti-Zionist, however, is to believe that Israel should cease to exist, to be eradicated. Declaring Israel and the Israeli people to be illegitimate is, simply put, the same as declaring that they should be expunged. This isn’t like Saddam Hussein invading Kuwait in 1990 and denying Kuwaitis an independent state because Saddam had declared Kuwait an Iraqi province, and therefore Kuwaitis to be Iraqis. He did not question their right to exist like Erdoğan does the Israelis.
Perhaps this explains Erdoğan’s embrace not of Palestinian statehood, but of Hamas—an organization dedicated to the eradication not only of Israel but also of Jews. It is why Erdoğan defended an aid who donated money to an al-Qaeda charity. It is why the new generation of Turkish diplomats who have arisen from religious seminaries, rather than the secular system which Erdoğan has tried to dismantle, have gone so far as to endorse al-Qaeda openly. Anti-Semitism runs deep in Turkey’s government and, increasingly, its diplomatic corps.
What does Erdoğan’s outburst mean for the United States? Given the UN secretary general’s silence in the face of Erdoğan’s attempts to take the United Nations back to its “Zionism is Racism” days, perhaps it’s time for President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to question their uncritical embrace of the United Nations. Obama has also listed Erdoğan as one of his top foreign friends. Perhaps the White House would care to explain that endorsement and upon what it is based? Kerry will be in Turkey tomorrow. It will be interesting to see whether he bothers to bring up incitement to genocide with his host. Most shameful, however, is the behavior of the U.S. Congress. As Erdoğan embraces Hamas and spews anti-Semitism, and as Turkish diplomats defend al-Qaeda, where are our congressmen? At the Turkish embassy, enjoying free food and giving the Turkish government a photo-op about which Namik Tan, Turkey’s ambassador to the United States, can brag on his twitter account.
It is very important that the honorable men and women of the U.S. Congress know for what they are lending their names when they join groups like the Congressional Turkey Caucus.
Erdogan is like the pot calling the kettle black. Islamic fundamentalism is a REAL crime against humanity.
Kerry has more important things to talk about, lie apologizing that the US allows people to hurt Muslim feelings, and calling attention to the imminent extinction of life on earth due to global warming.
Idiots such as Kerry and the other deniers of the atrocities of militant Islam truly believe that when the Caliphate is re-established, The Prophet's Crocodile will eat him last.
GangofOne, that would be bad enough, but these geniuses sincerely believe that no one is working to establish the Caliphate and besides if it were re-established, it would be vegan, pacificist, tolerant, non-misogynist, diverse, warm, cuddly and eco-friendly.
he's just pushing Barry's dream of a 'new' middle east where diplomacy and hard work soothe muslim/arab 'anger' and learn to cooperate with Israel. right. still-to be fair-obama was not elected by the 'carry a big stick' crowd. especially in another ME nation.-as short-sited and naive as this may be i would expect this policy from him if i had voted for him.
Obama gambled big on the Turkish(Hamas-al-Q) alliance in his quest to try and break the fascist mullah Tehran-Assad-Nasrallah-Putin 'strongmen' block and essentially …lost. Erdogan has been reduced to a screaming ninny and has very little cards left to play. He is naturally falling back on his 'go-to' position as 'protector' of so-called downtrodden Muslins with his number one scapegoat being ZIonism which of course means the Jews and Israel. The so many modern Turks can fall for this old ruse is not really shocking as much as its disappointing. The upside? Watching little Erdi's face while he eats cake and is forced to continue to deal with Israel on the down-low since he lost so many good 'friends' in his last ploy to be the big chief Muslim of the world. But I suspect by 2015-Turkey will be again making secret overtures to the Assads and the Larjani/Khameini crowds.
Recip Erdogan does not mention the massacre of the Armenians by the Turkish government in 1915.
Turkey is a fallen state. They once stood shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. against the Soviet Union, and now look at them–craven Islamo-fascists, parroting the anti-Semitism of the Nazis and the Soviets while joining forces with the most nefarious regimes such as Iran and Hamas. n nThe U.S. today owes Turkey nothing. No good will come out of sharing our military technologies and operational protocols with them. The U.S. should withhold further aid and military cooperation until Turkey emerges from the Islamic darkness into which it has withdrawn.
Everything Erdogan says is true. There, the usual suspects have been saved the half minute of typing and posting. You know who you are.
Islam is the Religion of Peace. n nAnd women's rights.
besht, I think your sardonic quip went over the heads of the usual suspects.
Erdogan's bigoted speech in Vienna was a delicious irony for two reasons. First, it was reported on the same day Israeli newspapers triumphantly announced that Ethiopian beauty, Yityish Aynaw, was crowned Miss Israel and will represent Israel at the 2013 Miss World pageant in Indonesia. So much for the racist Zionists. I wonder if a Turkish Kurd has ever been crowned Miss Turkey. n nSecond, according to Erdogan, the 1915 Turkish massacre of 1.5 million Armenians was not a crime against humanity, but it is a crime to suggest otherwise under Turkey's Islamist regime which refuses to acknowledge the massacre and punishes anyone who does.
Mr. Rubin, n nYour definitions of Zionists, anti Zionists, Zionism and anti Zionism, are incorrect. Zionism is the belief that the Holy lands, for many years called Palestine, among other things, are the exclusive territorial domain of Jews for a homeland; that others who would live there are in fact the invaders, who do not belong, and have to be kept out. And some 60 years of recent history have demonstrated this graphically. n nAn anti Zionist is not one who insists that Israel not exist; an anti Zionist is one who believes that Israel does not get to displace people who are historically part of the land, and who should not be disconnected from the land. n nWhether Erdogan is a bad leader or whether Turkey is a good or bad place for women, Erdogan is not wrong to say that the Palestinians should not be kept permanently out of their ancestral homeland, as has been the case since the 1940s. n nTo this point, Israelis have not figured out a way for Zionism not to be racism. There has been no evidence that this formulation has even been attempted. But President Carter, and a number of other respected figures over a period of years know what racism and apartheid look like when they see it. And this is the fruit of Zionism. n nI happen to believe that there is room in the Holy Land for everybody, with nobody going into the sea except in a bathing suit, for a swim. The Zionists, however, would not think of it. n n
If my representative were a member of the Congressional Turkey Caucus, especially a Henry Waxman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Steve Cohen, or Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, I would demand that they publicly object, and loudly, to that outrage. (Cute how Erdogan denounces both "Zionism" and "antisemitism" at the same time so he can claim his isn't an expression of bigotry, which it certainly is.) I'd even demand it of a Keith Ellison, though I wouldn't expect his to do the right thing. And at every public forum and other opportunity, I would demand to know of them how they could remain members of that Congressional caucus in the face of such outrageousness on the part of that government. n n(BTW, have these same people been blockers of votes to acknowledge the Armenian Holocaust, which the Turks insist didn't happen? Do they carry Turkey's water on other things? Have any of them publicly remarked on the direction Turkey has taken toward Islamization and away from secularism and pluralism under Erdogan?)
Remember, Obama says Erdogan is the foreign leader he is closest to. LoL!!!
What gives with posts to these threads? I put one up before, it appeared to post, and now I don't see it. Will it "re-appear" tomorrow, as they sometimes do? And why do I sometimes see a message informing me that a post awaits moderation? Who censors these threads, deciding what should and shouldn't stay, and what are their criteria?
I think it's a guy named Winston Smith down at the Ministry of Truth.
That was back in 1984, almost 30 years ago. It's a brave new world now, isn't it?
Well, he wasn't SURE it was 1984; as I recall, he was trying to figure out what year it was and 1984 was his working conclusion.
I thought GangofOne's Winston Smith thing was cute, so I tried to be cute with the "brave new world" response, nothing more. n nNow, if you have a copy of The Finkler Question nearby, can you tell me on what page (or how far in) to find the wife's letter? I think I must read that for myself.
Sorry, I returned Finkler Question to the library some time ago.—
dcdoc, I am equally puzzled. You mentioned that some posts of ours had disappeared from another thread, but I checked the thread not long after I got your message and the posts were there.
And I remain puzzled. For instance, 16 hours ago (terrible way of "timekeeping," why not actual date or time for ease of reference), I posted to say that those members of the Turkish caucus should be called upon to speak out against this outrage, I saw it go up, then a short time later it was gone, and today it is there. I simply don't get what is going on. Am I the only one to experience quirks like this. n nAlso, why the occasional advice that a post awaits moderation? Shouldn't it be the all posts must be moderated before they go up or no posts should be moderated before going up, or only posts by those who are new here or have been previously "problematic" get moderated before going up? n nAs for those earlier ones I said had "disappeared," I don't know about those either, and now I don't remember the thread, so can't go back to check for myself. I don't know how I could have missed them if they were never taken down.
"terrible way of "timekeeping," why not actual date or time for ease of reference" n nHear, hear. A question I've often asked myself but never posted.
Muslim Islamists like Erdo want to bring back humanity into Islamic bondage. He is fanatically jealous of the Jews and aspires to no less than IL destruction. Jews should not be entitled to self-protection or defense. They should be the slaves of the Muslims and the West. If given a chance he would not hesitated to create a new holocaust with the Kurds. He is a FANATIC and Obama Islamophilia misguides his judgment. Turkey under fanatics like Erdo will be a Trojan horse for the EU.