The Development of Secularism in Turkey

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Summary: A comprehensive history of modernization in Turkey
Review: This book is all about the struggle given in Turkey towards modernization or Westernization, starts with 1750 and ends with modern Turkey. Very comprehensive, covering political,educational, religious and economical changes and birth of Turkish nationalism. A refresher book for the Turks and an exampler for other nations to learn from experiences. There are too many personages to know who they were, many similar names to follow in two hunder years of struggle towards modernization but author has provided clear cut phases in every part of the revolution. This book clearly shows the obstacle mollahs put on the way of modernization.When Einstein was putting a finishing touches to his theories, finally science was allowed being thought in the schools, all the story in this book.

Rating:
Summary: Struggle for Modernization in Muslim Turkey
Review: This book needs to be read especially now by all muslims of the world. Obviously, the muslim world has to change, strip itself from Islamic zealotry which interferes with every aspect of life, from education to justice. The first attempt to do this occured in the Ottoman Empire. The book is the story of the first modernization movement in the moslem world: its challenges, obstructions and results.
The reformists in the empire realize that religion and social institutions have to be separated since this was what Westerners had done. The reformists want to teach contemporary science in schools but here the challenge comes. No! everything is in Kur'an so we don't need to know that so-called science. Reformists attempt to outlaw polygamy but the same challenge comes. No! It accords with Islam. By and large, from the 18th century to the 20th modernization movement in Turkey faced this kind of challenges by clergy. Islam has been a religion that interferes with every aspects of life, every social institution so that it was necessary to separate religion and social institutions (secularism). Defeats of the empire to Russians and the West necessiated these reforms and despite the challenges, inch by inch Turkish instituions were secularized.
Today's Turkey, despite its flaws in democracy and economy, stands out as the most democratic and industrialized muslim country and a serious regional power. There are lessons to be taken from the Turkish experience of secularization and modernization for all muslim countries. And this book is an excellent start off.