Neither Erdogan’s victory, nor the Muslim Brotherhood’s protests are an Ottoman slap

Hurriyet Daily News ^ | Tuesday, April 15 2014 | Nervana Mahmoud

[Texas Fossil]

Following a trail of setbacks, Islamists in the Arab world have something to celebrate. Their hero, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has won in Turkey’s local elections, a victory Islamists in the Arab world are selling to their followers as their own.

The relationship between Erdoğan and his Arab Islamists is based on mutual exploitation. Erdoğan engineers more domestic popularity for himself by harping on the misfortunes of Islamists. At the same time, Arab Islamists market Erdoğan’s success as proof of the soundness of their ideology, and use his success as a tool to counter misgivings among their junior cadres and supporters.

The essence of this relationship is a mutual feed of victimhood that serves both sides’ interests. Despite the fact that most Arab Islamists acknowledge Erdoğan’s brand of political Islam (which does not promote Sharia) as being different to their own, they have lowered the bar and are willing to accept his “less than perfect ideology.”

[Texas Fossil]

There is a strong contrast between Egypt and Turkey in dealing with the Muslim Brotherhood. It appears Erdogan has distanced himself from the MB and won a "local" election victory.

He distanced himself from Sharia Law.

I have no confidence in Erdogan because of his involvement with Obozo in Syria and Libya.

I am more inclined to support the approach taken in Egypt in dealing with the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorists.

I thought this article did bring perspective to the difference in the path taken in Egypt and in Turkey.

I am always supportive of those who value freedom and liberty. Our perception of that is certainly not that of most of the Middle East.

[elcid1970]

Erdogan early on stated his intention to move Turkiye from what he called “Shariah Lite” to full-blown Shariah, while insisting “there is no moderate Islam, there is no radical Islam, there is only Islam”.

There is only cold peace with Israel, Erdogan has begun the demythologizing of Kemal Ataturk (who hated Islam) and he seeks to make the Turks of eastern Anatolia with its dark intolerant Islam, dominant over the excessively westernized cosmopolitan Turks of Istanbul.

This will of course permanently torpedo Turkiye’s attempted integration into the European Union, but having already gutted the Turkish army’s senior ranks, Erdogan has signaled `damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead’.

When the Muslim call to prayer goes forth from Hagia Sophia, then the Islamist juggernaut in Turkiye will have kicked into high gear.

[SunkenCiv]

The author is a self-described liberal, feminist Muslim blogger, here are a couple other samples of her work: Islamist Abul-Fotouh sits out Egypt’s election, and from 2012 Abu Mazen Pressured By New Hamas Alliances. Thanks Texas Fossil.