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Turks Examine Their Muslim Devotion After Poll Says Faith Could Be Waning
NPR ^ | 12.Feb.2019 | Peter Kenyon

Posted on 02/12/2019 9:38:51 AM PST by Cronos

Turkey has been governed for most of the past two decades by a party steeped in political Islam. So when a pollster recently surveyed personal beliefs, there was a finding that stood out: Levels of piety were flat, or even declining, compared with a decade ago.

The apparent shift is not seismic, but it has Turks talking about where their country is headed.

The survey, by the pollster Konda, is a follow-up to a similar poll in 2008, and the company broke down the results from each side by side to illustrate the comparison.

While some see changes a decade later as a natural progression, Turkish analysts say the shift could be a backlash, especially among the young, against a religious president and his push to form what he calls a "pious generation."

The percentage-point change for many of the questions is not dramatic: Respondents identifying as "pious" slid from 13 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2018, and those choosing "religious" dipped from 55 to 51 percent. Figures for "nonbeliever" and "atheist," which barely registered in 2008, are now at 2 and 3 percent, respectively.

There was, however, a significant drop in respondents calling themselves "religious conservative," from 32 to 25 percent. And those who say they fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan declined from 77 to 65 percent.

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: islam; turkey
fascinating. Just as in Iran, the religious observance in Turkey is down. In Iran the mosques are empty on Fridays and Ramadan observance is as low as possible
1 posted on 02/12/2019 9:38:51 AM PST by Cronos
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To: Cronos

I’m guessing that the Islamists will respond to this in their usual way: publicly behead a few nonconformists.


2 posted on 02/12/2019 9:43:29 AM PST by Leaning Right (I have already previewed or do not wish to preview this composition.)
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To: Cronos
What Muslim in their right mind would answer such a poll in anything but the most fervent tones favored by Erdogan?
3 posted on 02/12/2019 9:49:08 AM PST by Truth29
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To: Cronos
Just as in Iran, the religious observance in Turkey is down. In Iran the mosques are empty on Fridays and Ramadan observance is as low as possible

As much as I want the Holy Spirit to change the hearts of Moslems, I would not count them out so quickly. IMHO, Islam are the riders in Revelation 9:16-17

The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number.

The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur.

4 posted on 02/12/2019 9:53:10 AM PST by rjsimmon (The Tree of Liberty Thirsts)
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To: Cronos
Türkıye may be unique ın having a fairly sizeable middle class which has become in the last 3/4 century much more secular in outlook and looks to Europe and America as social and political models.
5 posted on 02/12/2019 10:56:17 AM PST by arthurus (sj warriors of the world unite you have nothing to lose but your brains)
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To: Cronos

Written clearly by someone who has never been to Israel.


6 posted on 02/12/2019 12:46:23 PM PST by Zathras
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To: Truth29
What Muslim in their right mind would answer such a poll in anything but the most fervent tones favored by Erdogan?

And yet, even in that environment, increasing numbers are saying "no" to Islam.

7 posted on 02/12/2019 12:52:55 PM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: Leaning Right

in Turkey it’s not possible - yet.


8 posted on 02/12/2019 11:41:08 PM PST by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Truth29

In Turkey. They’re nowhere near the fanatical levels as in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. Ditto for Iran - a slim majority don’t want anything to do with Islam and avoid it as they can. The crux is that they’re Iranian patriots and hate Saudis so they reluctantly support the Ayatollahs for want of anything better


9 posted on 02/12/2019 11:42:37 PM PST by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: rjsimmon

It depends on which Muslims and where — I can see among the 12er Shias (Iran, India) that this is dying out. however among the Sunnis (Saudis, Pakis, etc.) the strain of Wahabbism is spreading fast, thanks to Saudi money and this is getting more fanatical.


10 posted on 02/13/2019 12:05:24 AM PST by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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To: Zathras

err.. what has Israel to do with this?


11 posted on 02/13/2019 12:08:47 AM PST by Cronos (Obama's dislike of Assad is not based on his brutality but that he isn't a jihadi Moslem)
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