Muslims in trouble

D’Estaing says European patriotism needs to be based on a single European identity that is based on a classical Greek, old Rome and Christian heritage and rational and scientific thinking. He says the Turks did not contribute to the formulation of this identity and are not part of it and as a result cannot join the European Union.

Let’s start by saying that most Eastern European countries had nothing to do with the formulation of this identity, but they passed at least one test by being members of Orthodox Christian world.
This analysis by D’Estaing is more about perception and image than the real cultural differences between Turks and Europeans. It immediately becomes evident that he lacks any knowledge with which to assess Turkish and Islamic culture.
Classical Greek culture has become a part of Islamic culture to an extent unknown to a European and even an ordinary Turk. Even if we just ignore all the great Muslim philosophers, in particular Farabi, the Ottoman medreses taught classes on Aristotle, Plato, Galen, Hippocrates and Thales, even though the classes were scholastic, until the very end. The West learned about Greek culture from Sicily and Muslim Spain, which were a part of the Islamic world.

In mentioning old Rome, D’Estaing wants to separate it from the Byzantine Empire. For one thing, the Byzantines never called themselves Byzantines. This name was a European creation. The Ottomans, as the heirs to the second Rome, took many of its institutions from that source. Fuat Köprülü’s famous book is extremely informative on this subject.
D’Estaing’s forgetfulness about mentioning “Judeo” while citing Christianity is an interesting faux pas. Islam, just like all the other monotheistic religions, originated in the same region. Those listening to D’Estaing could not be blamed for thinking that France is in the Middle East. According to Maturidi, the religions of Moses, Christ and Muhammed come from the same god and monotheistic concept. Only their canonical law differs.

Children all over the world today are given enlightened, rational and scientific knowledge. This must be the cultural field in which differences in identity have the least influence. In other words, is France more “enlightened” than Shintoist and Buddhist Japan? Rational-scientific thought is not under the monopoly of the West. Can anyone ignore the contributions made to classical Greek philosophy by Indian, Chinese and Muslim scientists?
However, what is most interesting is D’Estaing failing to mention the contribution of Romanticism on Europe’s identity. This movement resulted in many tragedies such as bloody revolutions, communism, chauvinism and fascism. Even the Holocaust was an offshoot. Turkey and the rest of the world can’t be unhappy about failing to contribute to this movement. Actually, the EU was founded in order to eliminate the consequences of this evil twin of enlightenment. So isn’t it a contradiction to segregate Turkey, which took no part in this movement?

Enlightenment is criticized for not knowing the limits of pure thought, for resulting in social Darwinism, moving towards the extremes of Positivism and removing religion-based morality and failing to replace it with a morality based on secularism.
Despite all these facts, Islam and the Turks, who are Muslims, can still be seen as a counterforce to the European identity. The religion of Islam in particular is considered barbarous because of the claims of discrimination against women that are openly voiced. Since Sept. 11, the world has been more receptive to such ideas.

Turkey’s EU membership has definitely shaken the way Europe defines itself and has made it an issue open to debate. However, the identity of Islam and being a Muslim have also became issues open to debate. It is impossible to stop missionaries from freely going about their business when there is freedom of religion. Knowing this fact, Muslims need to put their house in order. Mended fences and harmonization of the republic and religion are no longer enough. Failing to adapt to modernization is an issue. “Moderate Islam” is not enough. We need to assess our past and find the most appropriate system of belief. The Turks did this once. They can do it again.