I’m sure the throat-slitters of these Christians in Turkey are just misunderstood “band of youths”… like those who riot in France, fly planes into buildings, and blow-up their cars in Baghdad markets.
Knife-wielding attackers slit the throats of three people at a Christian publishing house in conservative eastern Turkey yesterday.
The Zirve publishing house, which the Turkish media says is owned by two South Africans, Gert Martinus de Lange and Stephen Smithdorf, had been the target of nationalist protests for allegedly distributing Bibles and proselytising.
Halil Ibrahim Dasoz, the Governor of Malatya, said the authorities were also investigating possible Islamist links, because the method of killing was reminiscent of attacks by the Turkish arm of the militant Islamist group Hezbollah.
Or perhaps the American Leftist Islamist Apologists (ALIA) will proclaim the murdering throat-slitters are misunderstood victims of Bushitler’s foreign policy.
The strange thing is…. I haven’t heard of “bands of Christian youths” going around slicing people’s throats, strapping on bomb vests, or hanging dead bodies from bridges.
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
You have, however, surely heard of huge demonstrations against Islamo-fascism in Turkey.
Now, imagine if this report came out of Iraq. “Bush invasion endangers Christians”. All the wanton murder and terrorism in Iraq is exactly the same as is happening in India, Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere. Somehow, the attacks in Iraq are the result of Bush imperialism while everywhere else is just the result of societal misunderstandings and lack of communication. I still believe the attacks in Iraq, as in all these countries, are just evidence of what Muslims do when they have enough numbers in a nation state to “express themselves”.
More importantly is did the murderers know about them?
I read about those demonstrations too. It gave me some hope because it does seem that Turkey’s secular culture is under great stress these days. No doubt partly due to secularism being enforced through police tactics for decades. To date, only Isreal has proven capable of having a real democracy in the Near East.
You gotta love those Believers in The Religion of Peace.
And another thing: Malatya is in Kurdistan, so it’s quite likely that the assassins are Kurds. As any liberal, secular, city-dwelling Turk will tell you, Kurds are a wretchedly conservative and profoundly devout people who are largely responsible for the Islamist resurgence in Turkey, as poverty has driven them from their homeland into the large western cities.
On the other hand, the Kurds in Iraq are among America’s strongest allies in the region — a fact that is profoundly threatening to the Turkish government, which despite its current Islamist leanings is not keen to see an independent Kurdistan on its southeastern border.
I see not much has changed in Turkey since the fall of Constantinople in 1453. Even today, Orthodox Christians are being denied the right to practiced their religion and Patriarch Bartholomew I is a virtual prisoner of the Turkish government.
And let’s not forget the catastrophe of Smyrna (Izmir) in the 1920s.
Regards,
Peter H.
What’s your point, Bruce? Do you enjoy demonizing Muslims? Or are you just trying to emphasize that Christianity is the “superior” religion?
Just come out and say what you think. Stop it with this cowardly religion-baiting.
“Do you enjoy demonizing Muslims?”
Speaking for myself, Dan, I think the radical Muslims do enough on their own to demonize themeselves, let alone what Bruce may or may not post.
If you don’t believe me, name the last Christian who hijacked an airplane or slit the throat of a non-believer.
Regards,
Peter H.
Yup – It’s absolutely that kind of mentality that’s gonna put a stop to this terror. After all, it’s the approach Dubya’s used – and look at how well that’s payed off!
Extremism knows no bounds. Look at Fred Phelps. Look at Timothy McVeigh. And, yes, look at Virginia Tech.
Islam isn’t the problem. Extremism is.
At least not in the last couple of centuries.
Not ever. (Name a time.)
11: Your comment reminds me of tsomething i learned years ago in a civics class: liberal / conservatism is not a striaght line with a left and right end. It’s actually a circle: at the bottom/center of the circle is a true moderate, with no leaning to either side. At the top center of the circle, it’s not quite closed. This part represents truly radical conservatives / radical liberals. This represents the people who are willing to go to any lengths to achieve their ends. The reason the line of the circle at the top doesn’t join is because the reasoning for their ends is different.
No one is better at demonizing Muslims than the islamo-fascists.
#7: Vaara, your insight is interesting. I will have to look into the issue further. Judging by the MSM, the Kurds are a liberal lot of entrepreneurs. As for the horrific murder of the Bible publishers, I wonder if Bruce would deign to comment on our Saudi “friends” for whom such publishing and distribution activities are apparently a capital offense.
You’re right. We shouldn’t be standing up and saying “enough is enough”. Remind me to pick up a 64 oz. bottle of Astroglide tomorrow.
No. Extremism isn’t the problem. Capitulation to it is.
Ian 16: What kind of comment are you looking for? Are you attacking the Saudis for being Muslim and following Islamic law, you hypocrite?
To an extent, Islam itself is the problem because the 20% of radical jihadists who comprise this so-called “religion of peace” is more vocal than the 80% which is not. And these “moderate” Muslims are allowing themselves to be defined by the radicals.
To put it into context, that’s like the Kosby Kids defining the DNC…oh, wait, bad example. No, it’s like the HuffPo people…nah, another bad example.
Moving on: it is also the MSM that is aiding and abetting the radical Muslims in suppressing any type of dissent within Islam.
Until “mainstream” Muslims isolate and destroy their radical wing, they will be just as liable as everyday German citizens were for the rise of the Nazi Party.
Regards,
Peter H.
My last comment got eaten. Bruce/Dan – please check the filter.
Regards,
Peter H.