The secular state of Turkey is booming. Attractive apartment building are sprouting everywhere and women in head scarves and without head scarves are entering the modern work place full of self confidence and hope. So, far the Islamist Erdogan government has walked the secularist and development line in the hope of securing through the EU courts religious rights contrary to the Turkish constitution. The EU court disappointed them by endorsing the country’s headscarf ban. Are they trying to get around the constitutional barrier by electing an Islamist president whose wife wears a head scarf? I must admit that this extraordinary focus on women’s head gear perplexes me but I assume Turks know better.

The president is the Turkish commander in chief and the Turkish army is the guardian of the secularist constitution. The president is the Turkish commander in chief and the Turkish army is the guardian of the secularist constitution. Would an Islamist president effectively prevent the army from continuing to guard jealously the secular constitution? Based on the number of people (700,000-1,000,000) who attended the rally, many Turks believe he might and they have too much to lose to acquiesce silently.

Jules Crittenden is right to note the difference between the secularist and Islamist demonstrations. He writes:

Jules Crittenden is right to note between the secularist and Islamist demonstrations. He writes:What is wrong with these people?  They reject traditional religious values.  They march for Godlessness!  So many!  And yet, they burn nothing.  No effigies.  No flags of the hated Crusader nations. No buildings. No cars.  No one  is even killed!  And they call this a political demonstration?  Do these people not know how to make provocative signs that make a mockery of silly Dhimmi laws of the free speech? So funny! No reports of arrests or violence at all! They sing songs, wave flags and … talk. Where is the rage?

Do they not know, that to influence politics, it is necessary to explode the car bomb, or perhaps the martyrdom belt? What is the matter with these people?

As I wrote, they have too much to lose.

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