Turkish Urges Tolerance Toward Muslims

Yahoo ^ | June 28, 2006 | JAN SLIVA

[Dallas59]

STRASBOURG, France - Turkey's prime minister urged the West on Wednesday to make a concerted effort to lessen tensions with Muslim societies, saying more tolerance is needed to mend a deepening rift with the Islamic world.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last year's angry protests over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad reveal a need to discuss limits to free expression in some cases to keep extremists from exploiting growing polarization.

"Islamophobia and xenophobia are gaining ground in the West. In the Muslim world, on the other hand, there is a widening perception that it is besieged and its values are under attack. The combination of these trends threaten to turn the West and the Islamic world into adversaries," Erdogan said in a speech to the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights body.

"The way we see anti-Semitism as a crime against humanity, we need to see Islamophobia as a crime against humanity," he told the council's parliamentary assembly, made up of lawmakers from various European countries.

The 12 Prophet Muhammad cartoons, first published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten daily last September, were reprinted by dozens of newspapers and Web sites in Europe and elsewhere. Muslims worldwide denounced the drawings, one of which showed Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban.

Furious anti-Danish protests spread across the Muslim world, and rioters torched Danish embassies.

"All freedoms have a limit. You cannot have unlimited freedoms," Erdogan said. "We argue freedom of expression can be restricted, and this has to be defined."

He warned of a possible rise in terrorism if the West ignores cultural differences and does not respect Islamic values.

"Terrorism perpetrated in the name of religion will lead the world to a global crisis," he warned.

Turkey, a mostly Muslim country and U.S. ally that feels increasingly frustrated in its bid for European Union membership, is under pressure from the EU to enhance freedom of expression, religious freedoms and cultural rights for its Kurdish minority.

But Erdogan argued that freedom of expression can be curbed in order to prevent individuals from inciting terrorism and hatred for other cultures.

"There has never been unlimited freedom of expression in history," he said.

The Turkish leader said that while the size of Europe's Muslim population is increasing, Muslim communities are being marginalized, which causes problems in cities such as London and Paris.

He said integrating those communities requires efforts from both sides. European countries, he said, "need to show more affection to the people living in ghettos and integrate them into the society."

[Dallas59]

Uhhhh...yeah.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

"Discuss limits to free expression"?

---

I don't think so, Recep!

[Irishguy]

more of 'its the wests fault'


muppet alert number 1 of today...

[coconutt2000]

Islam's phobia of the West is the root of the problem.

[Pajamajan]

Here's a novel idea for Muslims everywhere:

CONTROL YOUR LUNATICS!

You know who your fanatics are. You know where they are. If you don't know-then find out. They live among you. Find them. Take care of them. Do this first-THEN we'll talk about "tolerance".

Sincerely,

The West

[ModelBreaker]

The problem is, we would have to change into something completely different than what we are to appease them. And they will have to turn into something completely different than they are to stop hating us for destroying their culture and to stop spitting out terrorists like clockwork.

It's nothing we do intentionally. It is our mere existence that makes it impossible for them to maintain a 14th century culture in the middle east. We don't even notice that we are destroying their culture. In fact, until 911, we didn't even notice them. And that makes them hate us even more because they see just how unimportant and impotent they are. Until 911, how many Americans could find Afghanistan on a map?

The ground is set for a clash of civilizations because of the complete lack of a middle ground. It is even worse because the Chinese will be doing their best to stir the pot. I really don't see anything that will avert it. The only control we have is to choose when we actually make our stand. The sooner the better. But it will have to be fought out to complete defeat and humiliation of Islam. At that point, Islam may be able to change into an acceptable member of the world community.

[dmeara]

.. and this is all they will ever do about it.

[mrsmel]

They have an interesting argument-"give us our way and let us take over Europe,or our terrorists will make you let us take over Europe"(and they have a weather eye on America,aided by the traitors-like The New York Slimes-in our midst).

[Stormcrow]

"Turkey's prime minister urged the West on Wednesday to get on your knees and take it, dhimmis."

Fixed it.

[Jaysun]

I predict that it will be India, China (oddly enough), and America -vs- the f***ing world within the next 50 years.

[ccmay]

We tried tolerance. I'm tired of that game and it's not much fun at all.

How about we play Cowboys and Muslims for a while?

[DB]

Umm, the west has been extraordinarily tolerant of Muslims.

To the death of us.

If Muslims want to change our perception of them it is they who need to be more tolerant of other views and reign in the murdering thugs among themselves.

[SunkenCiv]

Turkey's prime minister urged the West on Wednesday to make a concerted effort to lessen tensions with Muslim societies, saying more tolerance is needed to mend a deepening rift with the Islamic world... said last year's angry protests over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad reveal a need to discuss limits to free expression in some cases to keep extremists from exploiting growing polarization.

In other words, more tolerance equals less tolerance, or more accurately, either crush truth telling and other forms of free expression, or tolerate even more violence by the mass-murdering Moslem minority.

Guess what? There's a third way, and it involves Islam in the past tense.

[SunkenCiv]

"In the Muslim world, on the other hand, there is a widening perception that it is besieged and its values are under attack... Furious anti-Danish protests spread across the Muslim world, and rioters torched Danish embassies... He warned of a possible rise in terrorism if the West ignores cultural differences and does not respect Islamic values. "Terrorism perpetrated in the name of religion will lead the world to a global crisis," he warned.

BTW, jackass -- Islam and terrorism is and always has been synonymous. Islam and Islam alone has led the world to a global crisis -- it is already here.

But the end is in sight. Just ask any non-Moslem what it is.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"Turkey, a mostly Muslim country and U.S. ally

Uh yeah..... and your wife Morgan Fairchild says Is-Slime is a religion of peace.

And now straight from Satans koranus and outta muuuhhamheads (Pigs be inseminating him) mouth...

Sura 9:5 “Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.”

"Make war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God." Sura 9:29

"Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger tip." - Sura 8:12

Quran-4:89— Take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah. But if they turn renegades, seize them and kill them wherever ye find them; and take no friends or helpers from their ranks.

There is no reason to fear Is-Slime!
Your Is-Slimeophobia is unfounded!
We come in peace!

Aap aap ahh dap dap!!!!!
It's a religion of peace
It's a religion of peace

[Pro-Bush]

Tolerance towards Muslims in that neck of the woods is a stupid idea.

[CheyennePress]

You're quite frankly insulting the 14th-century to be comparing modern Islamic society side-by-side. There were quite a few accomplishments to come out of 14th-century Europe and works of art that we cherish today.

I say very little coming out of the Islamic world that is of any value today.

[dasboot]

What u said.

Hey! Can you photoshop a pic of four Israeli jets buzzing a palace? Real close...about six feet up? I so totally jazzed by that! Assad's eyes buggin' out?

A merry message, indeed!

[dasboot]

A resident historical scholar Freeper, and all around smart guy, handily put tho quietus on that common bet erroneous notion a few years back. It's actually the same as it ever was.

[Caipirabob]

I know some Turkish Muslims here. One very nice one I know is a regular attendant at Church. We don't ask or anything, but she's apparently very moved by the services and pursues a lot of discussion into Christian beliefs. We hope she'll step up and accept Christ some day. For now, she's more regular than most people I know as far as going to church.