Last night on 60 Minutes there was a 14-minute segment about Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). It was an honest look at religious freedom (or lack thereof) inside one of America's military allies. It is a story that should be seen by the leaders of the free world as well as people of faith.
Here is the clip:
The Ecumenical Patriarch of 300,000,000 Orthodox Christians (of which I am one) is similar to the Pope of the Catholic Church. And yet he is a treated as a second-class citizen in his own country where he was born. The Orthodox "Vatican" is called the Phanar and it is located on less than an acre of land in the city of Istanbul. There have been so many threats of violence that they have had to use barbed wire and cameras to protect the priest inside the property. The last century has seen the Orthodox Christian population diminish from 2,000,000 in 1900 to less than 4,000 in all of Turkey today. Most were forced out. Yet this geographical area of the world was mostly Christian a thousand years ago.
Over the past 20 years, Turkey has been trying to gain admittance to the European Union. Turkey is not a European country. Most of its land mass is in Asia Minor. It is not ethnically, socially, culturally or religiously European. Yet the U.S. government (especially under President George W. Bush) has lobbied the Europeans forcefully to admit Turkey into the EU because Turkey is our military ally, and the American military and political establishment didn't want them falling into the Russian or the Iranian sphere of influence.
I visited Istanbul in 1972, and Ankara in the 1980's when my company had an office there. The Republic of Turkey was founded less than a century ago by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on October 29, 1923. His government changed the local culture from an Islamic dominated society into one that was modern, democratic and secular. One of the major changes was that women were given the right to vote. They were also given the freedom and encouraged not to wear the veil. But today Turkey is returning to its Islamic traditions under the government of Prime Minister Erdogan who took office in 2003. He belongs to the Justice and Development Party which was founded by former members of an Islamist political party. Whereas I never saw women wearing the long black burqas during my visits, I did notice in the 60 Minutes segment that women are now doing so. (Under the Shah of Iran burqas were banned by law, but under the law of the Islamic Republic of Iran they are required.) Will that someday happen in Turkey also?
It is clear that Turkey is a different place than it was in 1987 when it originally made its application to accede into the EU. If Turkey were ever allowed to join the European Union, the consequences would be reminiscent of those that happened to the city of Troy when it allowed the Trojan Horse inside its fortified walls. The Muslim culture would ultimately dominate Christian and secular Europe. As can be seen in Turkey today that country does not welcome or protect other religions within its borders. They have seized Orthodox Church properties, closed churches, monasteries and schools. If one walks with a priest down the streets of Istanbul it is not a comfortable feeling. Many priests will change out of their church clothes and wear business suits once they leave the confines of the Phanar. This is not religious freedom as we know it in the west. While we welcome people of all faiths in America we cannot be so naïve as to expect all countries to do the same. But we cannot allow their cultural mores to snuff out our religious freedoms or the freedom of women to have equal rights.
France and other European countries rightfully have serious and well-founded reservations about admitting Turkey into the EU. If Turkey were admitted any Turkish citizen could travel, work and reside in any EU country because they would no longer need a visa. There are Islamist fundamentalist in Turkey as there are in Iraq, Iran, Egypt and other Muslim countries. This would be a security nightmare. The American Administration should butt out of this issue and let the Europeans make their own decisions.
This brings me back to the interview with Patriarch Bartholomew. At the end of the interview the Patriarch says that he feels crucified in his own country. It is clear that over the last century the church has been crucified in that there are only 4,000 Orthodox Christians left out of a population that totals 72,000,000 people. In the Bible Luke 9:5 says "And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them." It is probably past time for the Patriarchate to leave its homeland. The Turks have made it unbearable to live and work there. There are many other countries in this world that would welcome the Patriarch and the several dozen priests that remain. And why should the next Ecumenical Patriarch of 300,000,000 souls have to be a Turkish citizen just because the Turkish government "won't allow" any other citizen of any other country to hold that position? A government should not hold a veto right over the spiritual leader of any religion. Orthodoxy will grow faster and more soundly if its roots are planted in nourishing soil. After all Jesus Christ did not stay in Jerusalem or Bethlehem for most of his ministry. He had no physical house or building to live and work in. Instead he wandered the countryside meeting all who wanted to listen.
In so many things, growth comes from adversity. Although the vast majority of Turkish people are genuinely good people, the government is far from exemplary. Why stay where you are not wanted? The history of Christianity shows us that it is important to reach out to those with ears to hear. Christ and his disciples did not stay in Israel to build their church but went far and wide to preach the gospel. I hope Patriarch Bartholomew will reconsider his understandable desire to stay in his homeland. There are hundreds of millions of people who could benefit from his spiritual direction if they had more access to him. All of us who are Orthodox Christians should be willing to help fund the relocation of the Patriarchate. America is the new Greece. If Saint Paul had not traveled to the gentiles in Greece where would Christianity be today?
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So on one hand you have Europeans who see the Turks as outsiders and on the other you have Turks who desperatel
The title of this article states 'Turkey Has No Place in the European Union', but in reality Turkey has already drifted away from Europe and the real headline should be 'Europe Slowly Losing Turkey'. As for Patriarch Bartholome
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Ataturk greatly admired European culture, science, arts, political system etc. During his time, the Turks had fallen far behind Europe, technologi
A recent phenomenon of Honor suicides occurs in Turkey. There have been many cases when people order or pressure a woman to kill herself; this may be done so that the people avoid penalties for murdering her. A special envoy for the United Nations named Yakin Erturk, who was sent to Turkey to investigat
MarcusT, the answer to my question to you for a comment regarding the question:
"MarcusT, can you please comment on the oppression of all Christians today in Turkey.
For example, the murder of Roman Catholic Fr. Santoro by the same Trabzon gang which murdered Armenian human rights activist Hrant Dink, the assault of two other priests thereafter
permalink here: http://www
is the following answer you provided, note these are your words not mine:
"Yes, lots of dead Christians everywhere
permalink here:
http://www
According to the UN in 2002:
"The report of the Special Rapporteur ... concerning cultural practices in the family that are violent towards women (E/CN.4/20
In 2005 Der Spiegel magazine reports: 'In the past four months, six Muslim women living in Berlin have been brutally murdered by family members', and goes on to cover the case of Hatun Sürücü - killed by her brother for not staying with her husband of forced marriage, but of 'living like a German'. Precise statistics on how many women die every year in such honor killings are hard to come by, as many crimes are never reported, said Myria Boehmecke of the Tuebingen-
Continued:
In March 2009, Turkish immigrant Gülsüm S. was killed for a relationsh
Another well known case was of Heshu Yones, who was stabbed to death by her father in London in 2002, when her family heard a love song dedicated to her and suspected she had a boyfriend. Another girl suffered a similar fate in Turkey.
Look at Germany they have dealt with their demons in an incredible way unlike most Europeans that allied with them during the WWII. Look at Germany today, vibrant an economic power again and perhaps one of the most democratic countries on this earth.
What we are asking you is to follow their example instead you and your politician
Turkey is both economical
The Akritas plan was a plan to achieve the democratic desires of the majority of the Cypriot citizens to achieve union (enosis) with Greece.
This desire was denied by the British colonialis
The Turk's, in breach of the Treaty of Guarantee, invaded Cyprus and proceeded to partition Cyprus and commit all manner of heinous atrocities against the Greek Cypriots.
The Turks invaded Cyprus.
Til this very day, the Turks are in breach of the Treaty of Guarantee.
The UN considers their act of invasion illegal and in breach of the Treaty of Guarantee.
The faux Turkish state put in place by Ankara in Northern Cyprus is considered as an occupied territory by the UN.
The United Nations still recognizes the sovereignt
The above statements are facts. Period.
Continue:
"When the Turkish Cypriots objected to the amendment of the Constituti
On December 21, 1963, the Greek Cypriots, acting in accordance with the secret Akritas Plan (The full text of the Akritas Plan has been published as a UN Document A/33/115, s/12722 of 30 May 1978) attacked the Turkish Cypriots all over the island, destroyed the bi-communa
Not only did Turkey have a right to intervene under Article IV of the Treaty of Guarantee, but they, along with Greece and Britain, had the obligation
For example, the murder of Roman Catholic Fr. Santoro (http://www
Roman Catholic Fr. Santoro murder: http://www
Armenian human rights activist Hrant Dink murdered: http://www
The assault of two other priests thereafter
Ongoing oppression of Christian Armenians and Assyrians, one of whose Priests was threatened just last week with death: http://www
If anyone is interested in what Turkey might ACTUALLY be like here's a good start:
http://www
Is curious that your internet link is using the Gay/Lesbia
Recently New York Times had an interestin
Don't forget that until few years ago you had another despicable intolerant law, "The virginity law"
Here are few sites ( http://www
by others with some scientific methods go to this site (http://en.
(1) to collect evidence after criminal charges have been filed for rape, but only if the woman participat
(2) to conduct a health check for working prostitute
The law also dictates that vaginal exams conducted as a result of criminal charges being brought must be requested by a judge or prosecutor
If a woman is subject to such an examinatio
The explosion of rage that has engulfed the country over a police officer's fatal shooting of a 15-year-ol
Athens has been turned into a war zone, its streets jammed with the burnt-out wrecks of cars and its pavements blackened by soot and liquid oozing from melted rubbish.
In the most serious crisis since the end of the military junta in the early 1970s, shops and restaurant
The teenager's death was the catalyst, not the cause, of the protests which have shaken Greece to its very core. It tapped into deep-roote
"The whole country is going through a nervous breakdown,
"Greece is in self-destr
By reference to memetics, a meme can be defined as cultural characteri
A mimetic strand, carries with it, both the social structure and culture of a society/ci
The Greeks memetic strand is entirely different to the Turkish memtic strand, like chalk and cheese.
Sorry, Kandahari you should not make flippant ludicrous statements that are so wrong, it just makes you look foolish.
The real problems are that Turkey (as a nation, not individual people) does not share some core principles upon which the European Union was created: Respect of Human Rights, Fair treatment of minorities
The real question is - if they SO vehemently DO NOT share these humanist principles
Only 40 percent of Turks think EU membership would be a ``good thing,'' down from 54 percent last year and 73 percent in 2004.
They should get their act together in Turkey, like threatenin
Furthermor
Why do they not allow the seminaries to open ?
Why is the Turkish state, aspiring for EU membership
I find it bizarre why people do not ask these questions and the points ArtsyJane raised instead of creating straw men arguments about geographic
For further details please see Professor Emeritus R. J. Rummel at the University of Hawaii (see http://www
"The infamy of executing this century's first full scale ethnic cleansing belongs to Turkey's Young Turk government during World War I. In their highest councils Turkish leaders decided to exterminat
Lest we forget.
You cannot speak of the last 1000 years of Christian life under Muslim rule without explicitly citing the Christian betrayal, treachery, and rebellions supported by European empires against the Muslims.
Its also part of historical record that 100s of 1000s of Muslims and Christians were killed as a result of the Christian rebellions and insurrecti
Crime is crime. There is crime everywhere
As for Romania having a corrupt government - that may be true, however, corruption occurs in more or less big doses in many places. If there was ever a corrupt government
Besides, all of this does not make Turkey more fit for membership
First of all, Albania, NOT Bulgaria, is the epicentre of human traffickin
Religion in Turkey is a government
The UK is a great example. Although there's an "official" religion there by virtue of the Monarchy and the Queen being the Head of the Church of England, there is not many countries in the world where there is more freedom to practice whatever belief or obedience people feel like, and basically do whatever in terms of their spirituali
The basis of modern day Europe is Humanism, not religion. Europe is one of the rare Humanist havens in the world and that constitute
The first basic requiremen
17 December 2004 – European Union agrees to start negotiatio
3 October 2005 – Opening of 6 chapters of the Acquis: Right of Establishm
12 June 2006 – Chapter on Science & Research opened and closed.
11 December 2006 – Continued dispute over Cyprus prompts the EU to freeze talks on 8 chapters and state that no chapters would be closed until a resolution is found.
29 March 2007 – Chapter on Enterprise & Industrial Policy opened.
25 June 2007 – Chapter on Statistics & Financial Control opened, but the opening of the chapter on Economic & Monetary Policy was blocked by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
20 December 2007 – Chapters on Health & Consumer Protection and Trans-Euro
17 June 2008 – Chapters on Company Law and Intellectu
19 December 2008 – Chapters on Economic & Monetary Policy and Informatio
30 June 2009 – Chapter on Taxation is opened.
8 December 2009 – Chapter on Environmen