Discussion about religion and secularism is indeed complex; it is a subject which has deep philosophical roots. It is impossible to consider all the arguments in such a short article (I hope I will be able to do this in a later date). However, in this article I will explain why I am against both fronts.
The defenders of secular state say that the defenders of
theocratic state would build a totalitarian state and would repress
all thoughts and beliefs which do not comply to the rules of
religion.
THEY ARE TELLING THE TRUTH.
The defenders of theocratic state say that the aim of the
defenders of secular state is not only to repress religion and
religious people but also to repress all thoughts and beliefs which
do not comply to the "supreme" ideology of secular minority.
THEY ARE TELLING THE TRUTH.
The defenders of secular state say that secular state does not
mean repression but freedom.
THEY ARE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH.
The defenders of theocratic state say that "their" state does not
mean repression but freedom.
THEY ARE NOT TELLING THE TRUTH.
In short, to arrive at truth, we only need to see that what they say against each other is true and what they say of themselves is not true.
Islam religion, for reasons which are both complex and deep, is totalitarian. (I cannot consider them all here.) Everytime it sees an opportunity, here and there, it tries to seize power and govern the society according to the holy rules of God. Nobody can oppose these rules because God sent them. For those who consider themselves the slaves of God, the only thing worthwhile in this temporary world is to apply God's rules to the whole society, and if it is necessary, to repress, and even to destroy, those people who oppose.
The defenders of secular state often shout: "When these people take power, they will build a total dictatorship. For this reason, they must be repressed from now on."This is completely wrong. Why? Because if you repress every person defending a kind of totalitarianism, there comes a need to repress all the people including the seculars. It is not possible for freedom loversto agree with this. Besides, who are the repressors? According to today's theocratics, it is the armed State. Well, this is an error made by freedom lovers who find themselves near the secular front. A tendency of dictatorship cannot be repressed by another dictatorship. Even if repressed, a new dictatorship is born out. And this does not matter, whether a non-religious dictatorship or religious dictatorship.
Secular state is as much totalitarian as its counterpart, namely theocratic state. This is a competition for power.
The defenders of secular state aim to abolish Islam religion altogether and to build an ideological dictatorship, namely the Jacoben-Kemalist dictatorship. This ideological dictatorship aims to abolish not only Islam but all thoughts and beliefs which do not comply with the Kemalist-Jacoben dictatorship. This, of course, does not mean that we will not do anything against those people who repress, whoever they are. We will defend the freedom of those people who are repressed by Islamists and those who are repressed by Kemalists. This is the right attitude. Yes, we do not hide the fact that we are idealists; because we know that only in this direction a free society can be made possible,by resisting decisively againstevery tendency of dictatorship and even by defending the freedomof the defenders of dictatorship.
It does not matter under which ideology, power and the state are the enemies of freedom; whether secular or theocratic, it does not matter. Dictatorship is dictatorship. Totalitarianism is totalitarianism.
In a free society without the state, neither the secular nor the religious ideology can govern. Because the people have destroyed the armed state and began to govern themselves. In this society believers live according to their beliefs and non-believers live as they want to. In this free society, nobody can repress nobody because of her/his belief, lifestyle, thought, religion etc. etc. Because the means of repression themselves are abolished by the society.
Gun Zileli.