Why Atatürk became a god

In recent years, the more moderate and reasonable Kemalists are asking themselves a curious question: How in the world has Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey’s founder, who devoted himself to fighting "dogmatism" become a dogma himself? ....

Can Dündar, recently received the wrath of radical Kemalists because his documentary titled "Mustafa," was asking the same question last week in his column in daily Milliyet. Under the headline, "Turning A Leader Who Fought Dogmas Into a Dogma," Dündar was pondering how such a bizarre paradox emerged in Turkey. Like many other moderate and reasonable Kemalists, he was thinking that this was a most unfortunate and unexpected turn of events.

The Goddesses of Reason
...
To see this, one just needs to look at how radical secularism ended up creating ersatz religions in other cases. When the French Revolutionaries dethroned Christianity in that organized bloodshed called the Great Revolution, they established not a free medium of rationality, but a cult of reason. The atheistic "Culte de la Raison" devised by Jacques H?bert, Pierre Gaspard Chaumette and their supporters was not a lack of dogma; it was rather an alternative dogma. Thanks to their campaign, the French Convention proclaimed a "Goddess of Reason" on Nov. 10, 1793, and the statue of this new idol was enacted on the high altar of the Notre Dame de Paris. Maximillian Robespierre, who was a little less radical, preferred to create a deistic religion named "the Cult of the Supreme Being," which yet again celebrated an alternative god to the Judeo-Christo-Muslim one.

The same thing also happened in the communist dictatorships of the 20th century. The totalitarian secularism of Lenin and Stalin created not a godless society, but one that worshiped these dictators as if they were gods. In the east, Mao and Kim Il Sung became national deities for China and North Korea. ....

So, there is nothing surprising about the deification of Atatürk. He and his followers believed that "science and reason" would be enough of a guide for society....... artificial religions such as Kemalism arise to fill the vacuum.

Blaming Atatürk for all this wrong direction would be unfair, because he simply followed the best wisdom of his time and milieu. ....

Lessons from the Turkosphere
That proof especially came from the British and the American experiences of modernization, in which religion acted not as an obstacle to, but, quite the contrary, an agent of progress. Walter Russell Mead, whose must-read title "God and Gold" is an eye-opening history of the ideas that led to the Anglo-Saxon ascendancy, put it this way:

"....it appears that a secular society -- one in which religion has been effectively marginalized -- can also grow disturbingly nationalist, xenophobic and paranoid. It is sad story with little hope of change in sight.

He has an interesting point..

full article:

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/opinion/10362280.asp?yazarid=301&gid=260

quite interesting and is very spot on.

I do not agree with this.. there are so many factors that contribute to these ideas... religion is not a player at all I think.

I completely agree what you are saying cat. But the writer of this article has an ´islamist´ back ground and he sometimes tries to blame everything on the idea that ´we are secular´. 

But I have to admit he is a very clever and cultured islamist. His analysis of ´what we have got right now´  is almost right on spot most of the time..

But when he tries to explain ´why and what caused it´, The things  get a bit iffy..

Well.... thank you!!!!

cultured islamist sounds funny. what does this definition mean? interesting.. are there cultured christians? never heard, though saw many explicativ adjectives to islamists, muslims

that`s because he thinks all the christians are cultured, by default! this is called "auto-orientalism".

Ha ha

You can not see or show anywhere in this site to indicate that I think ´all the christians are cultured´.

You have proved that Aenigma was right to call you a ´salak´.

You should really get rid off your ´inferior complex´ about the western / christian people at some stage..They are not better than you, you are not better than them..

OK?

cultured christian would be an equivalent to a cultured muslim

cultured islamist is more like a cultured funtamentalist... and I´m sure that´s possible.

 The only thing that is possible is a cultured pastafarian!

 i thought this was a new thread didnt realise i stirred here to

  trying to understand

hairy, this post below proves what your article meant, this is the product of a deep state brainwashing.

"Ataturk was a great man. He is someone whom we can always refer to. There is no denying that his life sets an example to anyone regardless of their whereabout and it has so far been this way.

Nevertheless, anyone claiming that he understands Ataturk must also know how this person brought himself to the point of excellence from military and statesmanship points of view. Isn´t it through his desire to be at the forefront of his time? What books did he have in his library? Where did he have all that knowledge so as to predict there would soon be another war (WWII) suggesting Turkey not to get involved in it. How could he foresee that there would be a need for an international organization (the UN) to prevent further wars."

ps. actually this description is something familiar to me. many christians would describe Jesus this way.

 Would that not be some pasta that is covered in mould?

 the post of the day! brilliant! why such sarcasms are so rare?

if we were talking about medical issues i would say that you try to heal him of your ilness...

cultured islamist is not idiom yet, but already cliche. we all know what it means, but if we stop and think we will find it senseless. 

I was curious what your background should be for saying this

i am considering christian and to tell the truth i would be very carefull saying that. because when youare from outside you are not in club )

though i do not care if someone tells smth about christians, so i still wonder why muslims are so sensitive in many issues. hostorically "young" blood? geographically "hot" blood?

I don`t have inferiority complex. That`s actually something our cakma liberals suffer from, but it`s not cureless. I would recommend you to have a lagman in the taksim ilk yardim hospital.

Now you are losing it..

I will ask to this to be deleted..You are putting your tongue into gutter before you start to talk..

And the funny thing is, you dont seem to be aware of the taste..

 I have to agree.  Sorry Tam, the wedding is OFF!

 But what about the baby???  Hey, maybe you could let viney and femme adopt it.  It needs two loving parents!!! 

I`m wondering if you understand what I said in my post.

 I am not letting that Evil Borat anywhere NEAR my baby.  I shall just have to manage alone

 Awwww are you worried I will leave you?

 Maybe you could enlist a BSB to be your baby-daddy!!! 

hmm no not really. give me your house and I will be very happy to leave you.

just kidding. don`t take it seriously.

 Hmmm there just so happens to be one online .....

JANISSARY please take care of me and the baby

 It is a perfect match really....THEaenigma, THEJanissary and then THEbaby.  What a match I have made!!!  I´m so giddy right now I could weep!! 

 Awww thank you canim - I just hope he feels the same way

 I am debating now....since this is such a successful union, maybe I should start a matchmaking service here. 

 Dont worry canim, I don´t take ANYTHING you say seriously!

 I cant even imagine how would ur child will be maybe u should leave him someone on TC, he would teach ur child some politics, and intellectuals things and ur child would apologise personally from Michael Jackson personally .

 i dont want her baby, what baby? why? dont you think vineyards isnt enough for me to babysit?

what happent to ae? baby? tami´s baby? you sure? i suggest the genetical test though.

 Hmmmmm me thinks I will be a single parent

 HEY!!! Don´t mess up my matchmaking enterprise here!  Just take your time and think about it.  You know arranged marriages used to be all the rage and everything old is new again!!

 Yes, yes, it´s Tami´s baby but please don´t talk about it openly.....AE is quite distraught right now. 

 Yes!!!! Love marriages are sooooooooo last year darling!

 Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I cant babysit her baby, Im already a baby

 Hmmmm.....what if we throw in a cell phone and laptop? 

Hmmm plus maybe a bit of cash 

 if it s her baby, it s impossible!!!

give me another work, I need this cell phone

 yes I work for an aid organisation. I will buy them cigarette with this money

 How about if I bring it up a strictly Black Sea Baby and never tell it that his real father is an atheist Turk from the US?

OK ok..geez..

I was planning to take care of a Palestinian child..

Instead, I will look after that baby..One less nationalist is better for Turkey..

I dont want the mother though..

 What is your counter-offer? 

 How about a Pastafarian one instead?

 Nobody does....

 We are currently in negotiatons with another prospective father.  We will be in touch if you are needed but I am not sure you are the right person for AE´s baby.

 I just want something. I will babysit all of the children of you. all members´ children on TC. I just dont want to see this Gay´s post. go away man. and keep apologize from some ppl!

sorry for my english I meant I meant guy. a personal apologize to you for my bad english.

 Did you just call me gay?  That´s it!  The wedding is off.  

Sorry AE, there must be SOMEONE out there that will take you........let me peruse the list of users.

Hmm I have to agree - I don´t think I want any of these as father

Hmmmm how about Bydand?  Do you think he would step up and help?

you know who

 No, no...I was thinking that new guy.  You know, the one who is so friendly......hhmmm what was his name....................

playboy14!!!!!!!!!!

 NO!

I dont know if we are talking about same gay

 Sorry, it´s a bit too late.  We have moved on with our candidate selection but I will keep your application on file for another time.

 But he is soooooooooooooo friendly!! 

 so what about cell phone???:S

Good decision GG

There would be chance that the baby would get hamam related complications

 If you are chosen in the future we will re-negotiate.

It all feels so festive..... me, pregnant by immaculate conception from Tam.... nowhere to go....nobody will help...... maybe I will find a manger and will have my baby...then three wise men (yilgun, MrX67 and Bydand) will come and bring me gifts...

  good choice of wise men but bydand is not from the east you sure you wanna break the tradition now?

 Well, let´s hope the wise men bring better gifts than frankense and myrrh.  

 im not sure if those three are as generous as the ancient three you think they would gift bmw or plasma 70inch or pink laptop?

 AHA!!!! Sui!!!!  He might be perfect!  Future President of Turkey, a man of music and poetry, a bit of a geek but that isn´t hard to get past. 

You just have to be sure to not let him name your child Jack, after his favorite beverage!

 who let you suggest that ? you seem to forget whom you deal with when you talk about sui.

 Femme stop being so selfish!   Our little AE needs a baby-daddy and arrangements must be made post-haste!

 im not selfish, im possessive, you should know the difference, even if you are uneducated poor amerikan

Offfffffffff!  Just think about poor AE for just a moment.  Sitting all alone at this holiday season, crying in her egg nog because she doesn´t know what to do...where to go.  Sui is the perfect candidate for her.  

 well, nobody forced her to enter too close relationships with tami. shes mature enough to be responsible for her mistakes.

no my problema, no my headache-a. pasta! basta!

 I think we need to let sui decide.....now where did that man go???  Ouh...teas is missing too!! 

Thank you GG for being such a wonderful support...... thank you Femme for being such an evil borat!