April 27, 2007
The news from Turkey is not good. Why should you care about Turkey? Because the nation’s ruling party this week chose a presidential candidate with an Islamic background. As the New York Times reported, this means the reach of the party and the emerging class of devout Muslims it represents will penetrate into the heart of Turkey’s secular establishment for the first time.
And then there is this sobering sentence: “The selection (of Abdullah Gul) has focused the worries of secular Turks who fear that sexual equality, as well as drinking alcohol and wearing miniskirts, could eventually be in danger.”
That’s not the half of it. Turkey has been a model of what a secular Muslim nation might look like with tolerance for all political and religious beliefs. Islamofascism believes in no such thing. If Turkey were to succumb to the mullahs, it would be further evidence of what the fanatics’ objectives. We hear a lot about moderate Muslims, but moderation appears to be in danger in Turkey, as it is all over the world. When will we wake-up to the world war before us?
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
