Two beheaded in Nice, France mass stabbing suspected terror attack

[palma 8,909]

I had quoted some posts but after some issues with my internet so I lost them. This will potentially end up all over the place so, bear with me.

I am very angry about all this. I’m 23 years old and I vividly remember watching September 11 on TV at the age of 4. I am Turkish and as the extreme majority of the country, I have Islamic roots. My mom is a practicing Muslim, my dad identifies as Muslim but never saw him go to prayers even. I have been agnostic since 8, the very reason being I was too scared. Turkey had been somewhat secular (most of our secularism was adapted from the French, ironically) and always kept it’s distance to other Islamic countries. Our biggest ally/partner in the Middle East used to be Israel, for instance.

That was until Erdogan came to power. His base was about a quarter of the population. They felt as victims and rightfully so, they were oppressed throughout our Republican past; Islamic insignia of any kind was banned, any sort of religious organization that operated without state supervision was banned and quite frankly, religious people were looked down upon by the urban, secular upper and upper-middle classes.

He came to power offering change for all. EU membership, more democracy. Not only religious freedom but extension of civil liberties in an European/Western manner. He has been in power for 18 years. He willingly and knowingly destroyed the educated middle class economically (buying cottage cheese/feta has almost became a luxury at this point) so that we couldn’t breathe. Turkey is the WORST performing OECD country in civil liberties, freedom of speech, press freedom etc. 

20 years ago, speaking of Turkey, you’d think of the exciting nightlife and distinctive culture of Istanbul, the sunny beaches and your everyday lazy Mediterraneans. Now, we’re in the same league as Afghanistan to many. Now I’m not saying I’m ashamed of being treated like an Afghan per se, however Turks had never been fundamentalists. Most Arabs even, disliked Turks not only for being oppressive overlords once but also for interpreting Islam to our way and not abiding by the Sharia. In just 18 years, he COMPLETELY transformed the country. 
 

I know many Queer people that live in Turkey or any other Muslim majority countries are scared just as I am. Many people I know, including myself are depressed, suffering from PTSD and anxiety over fundamentalist religious terrorism. I do think that oppressing Muslims transformed Turkey into the state it is now, however I can’t help but say that once they formed the majority, they oppressed us tenfold. The only solution I can think of is a radical transformation and reformation of this horrible, religion of hate. I have read Qur’an before, out of interest and there are shocking passages regarding non-muslims, women, queer people etc. Believe me when I say this, such acts of violence are well grounded within some schools of Islam and are completely justified. 
 

I hate to see comments on how this doesn’t reflect the “true” core of the religion. Islam is famed for not changing its ways since its inception. People actually take pride in that. They take pride in that their uncivilized, barbaric and utterly medieval holy book did not change in the last 1400 years. The very raison d’être of Islam is to convert the whole world. Peacefully, or by force. I am not saying imperialist countries do not have any responsibility in destroying Muslim countries but the majority of the blame falls on us. We’re desperately in need of a reformation yet, Islam is by nature is very static. Islamic philosophy is a thing of the past and many people instead, turn to their Imam’s for answer. Every single country in the world has to educate these Imams themselves, with regard to humanitarian values and integration. If not, it’s not hard for the Mosques to transform into terrorist hide-outs, especially when they’re funded by countries that have visible links to terrorism, including mine. 
 

My heart and soul is with the French people. You offer us an escape to the civilization and this is what you have to go through in response. I only hope this doesn’t give a surge to racism in the West but I believe it’s almost inescapable at this point. I just want you to remember we’re experiencing this horror every day of our lives and many of us do not agree with any of this.

[Guest]

Just now, coolninjaguy said:

I’m sorry but mocking peoples beliefs won’t make society a better place and that’s really false equivalence and has nothing to do with freedom. The people of the past, whether it was POC or LGBTQ, stood up against systematic oppression not being allowed the right to mock peoples beliefs clown.

Did u call me a clown?

[littlepotter 76,610]

5 hours ago, MJHolland said:

Chile then don't be Islamophobic wtf 

There are 1.8 BILLION Muslims in the world, and these extremists do not represent them. Nor do authoritarian governments. 

Your argument that you're not Islamophobic because Muslim people are actually bad is... it's gross sis 

I'm getting very tired of westerners telling those of us who live in muslim majority countries that our disagreement with the mentality they impose on everyone is "islamophobic". Stay in your lanes please, that's all i'm saying on this topic.

[coolninjaguy 1,239]

The point is to try and encourage a situation where everybody thinks they are in two diametrically opposed groups, rather than two kinda different groups full of lots of people who just want to live their lives in peace and get on with things, regardless of religious affiliation or whatever. These sorts of acts are designed to inflame.

[Pennywise 36,080]

3 minutes ago, KanyeWest said:

Did u call me a clown?

Is this coulrophobia? 

[coolninjaguy 1,239]

Just now, Pennywise said:

Is this coulrophobia? 

OOOP

[Admin 24,441]

6 minutes ago, littlepotter said:

I'm getting very tired of westerners telling those of us who live in muslim majority countries that our disagreement with the mentality they impose on everyone is "islamophobic". Stay in your lanes please, that's all i'm saying on this topic.

Right? Imagine living in the US and telling someone in Turkey (and Lebanon) that they're "islamophobic"

[Galactic Mess 1,393]

6 minutes ago, palma said:

 

Very personal take on the matter. Ty for sharing this with us, I can't even imagine what you're going through. I hope things fare better for Turkey in the future, even though it seems unlikely. 

[Bonkers 30,860]

5 hours ago, Faysalaaa said:

police are usually called after the crime happens

I find that you are a very rationally minded and informed on this issue.  Would you be willing to tell me if any of these 3 beliefs I have about Muslims are incorrect?

1.  Muslims may NOT kill anybody for any reason other than perhaps self defense or military service.

2.  Muslims MAY form and elect governments that CAN employ the justice described in the Quran including the death penalty for moral crimes.  So you can't kill people yourself, but you CAN have your government do it.

3.  The majority of the Muslim world favors strict punishment for blasphemy & apostasy including the death penalty. (there were some famous polls from Pew Research that I got this belief from, but at least 10 years ago.)
 

[River 127,341]

I respect other's beliefs until they hurt me, my atheist voice has calmed down in the recent years, got tired of fighting.

BUT

You can't tell LGBTQ+ people to respect beliefs, you can't tell them to respect the one thing that caused and still causing them a lot of pain, discrimination, death, lack of rights and so on, you just can't.. so if you come to a GGD with a majority of LGBTQ+ users, you need to be stronger and deal with their disrespect for religions.. respect is earned, you don't get it by default.

if you can't handle it, I guess GGD or any place with a LGBTQ+ majority, is simply not for you.

Next..

If you're not living in the middle east, never had to hear a f-cking rocket since you're a kid, to watch all the death because of religious wars, because this one hates the other, this one took the land of the other, just honestly stop talking..

Sometimes it feels like there are 2 types of Islamophobia in westerns -

1. hating Muslim - right wing

2. actually afraid of Muslims - left wing

One wants them out or just kill them all, while the other wants to shut up everybody because they are afraid that there will be another attack like this one in Nice.

 

[Ronk 14,930]

7 hours ago, insight said:

You can't kill people in the name of your religious beliefs.

 

Unfortunately it happens all the time throughout history.  The Crusades is one example.

[lego 44,165]

8 minutes ago, Admin said:

Right? Imagine living in the US and telling someone in Turkey (and Lebanon) that they're "islamophobic"

 

Anyone can be islamophobic. It’s very triggering seeing you in a thread like this after everything you said in the past, trying to define islamophobia. 

[Admin 24,441]

13 minutes ago, lego said:

Anyone can be islamophobic.

I was commenting on the absurdity of someone living in the United States telling someone living in Turkey that their views on Islam are invalid.

Sounds very "men having an opinion on abortion" to me.

[Queen Bitch 10,513]

Just ignore those accusations of Islamophobia. Anyone living in Muslim countries has a right to criticize Islam - I would almost say more than the rest of us - without facing accusations of being islamophobic. 

[Chic 20,830]

Good Islamic people are good in spite of Islam/regardless of it, not because of it.

People in predominantly Islamic countries have a rich history and the individuals there, for the most part, are fine.

But the ideologies many believe in within those countries corrupt people’s good natures, and it is a disservice to the population that lives in these areas.