Sunday, August 27, 2006

Islam and Capitalism Can Coexist?

D-

Turks Knock on Europe’s Door With Evidence That Islam and Capitalism Can Coexist

That's the case today's New York Times makes, based on a backwater region of Turkey.

''Many Europeans and secular Turks have dismissed this poor, largely agricultural region as the “other” Turkey, a non-European backwater where women in head scarves are more prevalent than businessmen in pinstripes. Islam, they argue, never went through its own Reformation and so is not receptive to capitalism and innovation.

''Yet Kayseri and surrounding towns like Hacilar have produced so many successful Muslim entrepreneurs that the area has earned the title of 'Anatolian tiger.'”

Great, wish it were so that hope existed.  What's missing from this equation is what happens if/when Turkey's national government falls under fundamentalist rule?  Is there another example we can look to? 

Hello?

3 comments:

Jake said...

Turkey's constitution prevents the country from becoming an Islamic state. However, that doesn't mean Islamicfacists couldn't overthrow the government as they did in Iran.

I doubt that the government could be overthrown as the country is prosperous compared to other Muslim countries. Besides Jimmy Carter is not President.

Rodger the Real King of France said...

I agree. The Times article seems to be making an assertion isolated from reality (duh).

Anonymous said...

The Turks I know are getting worried, however. They do know what happened in Iran and they're dealing with their own Islamist terrorists already...

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