Role Model

President of Pakistan Gen. Musharraf has declared that Turkey’s founding father Kemal Atatürk was his role model[1]. Gen. Musharraf has lived in Turkey for many years. It cannot be considered that he has some sort of misconceptions about Kemal Atatürk.

As we consider our leaders, specially our President who is the symbol of federation, to be our role models, so we must consider and read the ideas and thoughts of Kemal Atatürk carefully and should give them fair attention. Here is a brief account of some of the achievements and ideas of Kemal Atatürk:

Achievements

• During World War I, in April 1915, before encountering Australian and New Zealand force, as a commander of his troops, Kemal told them, “I don’t order you to fight, I order you to die. In the time it takes us to die, other troops and commanders can come and take our places.” I wish that in 1971 Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Niazi had the same courage and commitment.
• Mustafa Kemal resigned from the Ottoman Army on July 8. Then he appealed for a national election to establish a new Parliament. His appeal for an election became successful.
• He fought against France, Greece and Armenia and was successful.
• In 1923 under his leadership, independence of Turkey was declared.
• He separated government and religion. He closed the Islamic courts. He replaced Shariah with secular law based on Swiss Civil Code model.
• In 1924 the parliament transferred the powers of Caliph into itself. Kemal declared, “the religion of Islam will be elevated if it will cease to be a political instrument, as had been the case in the past”.
• In 1924 the Caliphate was abolished.
• He established a railway network in a very short time.
• He changed Arabic script of Turkey with Italian script. It greatly contributed in breaking relationship of the new generations with religion, traditions and past.
• He changed traditional education of Madrassa with secular education.
• He struggled to enhance and westernise the status of women.
• Opposing the directives of Islam he encouraged the use of alcohol and established state owned alcoholic industry. He used raki, a local alcoholic drink, and enjoyed in large quantities.
• He banned the traditional dress of Turkey and encouraged the Western dress.
• He discouraged veil and Hijab for women.

Ideas[2]

• The society that makes its daily decisions based on religion, tradition and superstition is not fit for survival in the modern world, because in modern world people make decisions rationally. It seems that according to Kemal being religious means being irrational.
• According to him truest guide in life is not God and his Prophet (PBUH), but science.
• According to the experts of Kemalism (philosophy and ideas of Kemal Atatürk), Kemal Atatürk classified teachings of Quran into four categories: 1) Belief in Supreme Being call God or Allah. 2) History of the creation of the world. 3) Rules of individual human beings, their social behavior and morality. 4) Rules of personal hygiene.
  
  Kemal was not the critic of only the 1^st aspect. He was great opponent and critic of all other three aspects of the teachings of Quran. Experts on Kemalism not only criticize Islamic injunctions such as Tyammum, but also make fun of such injunctions, in the light of the thoughts of Kemal.
• Kemalists present Kemalism as something, which considers Islam against rationality, democracy and human rights. Kemal Atatürk was in favor of selecting some parts of Shariah while rejecting others.
• According to his ideas, first priority was nation’s survival in the modern world.
• According to Kemalism, Islam is not a reality in the sense that it is a religion revealed by God. It is just a way to find happiness in your life.

To send your comments on this blog, you may also click here.

---

[1] Daily Times: October 14, 2006

[2] Atatürk Society of America

Friday July 20, 2007 - 10:32am
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-7RwkHRY8fqN59oD2VY9B?p=108