We are turning into a totalitarian fascist regime

Cumhuriyet columnist, ISTANBUL–

The AKP government is taking very very important steps after the referendum, ahead of the election:

It is “educating” the people parallel to the government’s ideology and “organizing them voluntarily(!)”. By doing that, it is starting to put them under pressure.

It is spreading religious education throughout society…

At the same time, they are forming pseudo civil society organizations that can be much more merciless and oppressing as they have no political responsibility. Their course of conduct is in unison with the official ideology but they carry no responsibility as they are inofficial.

This establishment, in other words, organizing the society by “giving the people special education” and by “forming voluntary pressure groups, which are in line with the government” are widely used methods in all totalitarian regimes.

From Hitler Germany to Khomeini Iran such organizations are widespread. Especially with respect to ethics, safety and in the area of education, pressure groups with “sticks in their hands” don’t let society breathe.

***
Exactly at this point I remember a panel discussion I participated in during the 1980s.

I defended all politicians who were aggrieved, due to the oppressive regime of the September 12th period and its prohibitions, including the rights of the political Islamists.

At the panel discussion there was also Abdurrahman Dilipak.

I asked Dilipak the following question:

“When you become elected, will you bring out a law that forces women to wear a veil?”

Dilipak answered boldly: “No, we won’t bring out a law, the society will force them to do that.”

I remarked on that that “Dilipak will stone us to death”.

Dilipak laughed as he answered humorously: “Don’t worry, we like you, we won’t do anything to you.”

***
Now take a close look at the AKP’s following two projects:

The first one is Director of Religious Affairs, Ali Bardakoglu’s “imams as public opion makers” project:

“We started a project under the label religious service outside the mosque.

With this project we try to make people conceive that religious service isn’t only praying or fasting, but that religion covers all parts of social life as well.

Our religious employee isn’t a civil servant who only leads the prayers at the mosque.

He needs to be a public opinion maker that interferes in all parts of society’s social life.”

It seems as if the Department of Religious Affairs wants the imams to educate the people on subjects aside from their religious duties and shape all social life.

***
The second project is the “parental supervision platform” by Selma Aliye Kavaf, Minister of State for Women and Family Affairs, who was on the spotlight for saying that homosexuality was an illness and needed to be treated:

Kavaf was reported to have said that RTUK, the Radio and Television Supreme Council’s punitive power was ineffective due to its long duration of punishment and that not everything could be solved by laws:

“We are thinking about forming a mechanism that is formed of civil initiatives, which will have their own method of sanctioning broadcasters and publishers. Those will feel the pressure when they ignore public sensitivities and display certain movie images, which offend society’s rules of general ethics, or images that are portrayed in visual or written media that disturb the human’s conscience.

This shows us that the AKP government by now thinks that the legal regulations, the Radio and Television Supreme Council’s control, the tax authorities’ penalties, are insufficient and thus, organizes the public to exert pressue in line with the government’s ideology.

“Advanced democracy” got to be something unlawful as this I suppose!

***
The outlook the AKP has in sight is clear:

A public that is educated and led by imams…

And a public that controls the morality and the media with the help of “voluntary organizations (!)” that are formed by the government!

Could there be a clearer definition of fascism?

My “liberal (!)” friends they should enlighten us, so we learn!

(October 12th, 2010, Cumhuriyet daily)

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