Turkey & United States Friends Forever
As Turkish Americans we strongly condemn the association of the Turkish Flag with the terrorists that attacked the United States on 9/11 as portrayed by the Christian Action Network. We feel it is very unfortunate and irresponsible for the Christian Action Network to align Turkey and the Turkish People with any extremist group. Considering the Turkish American alliance and the worldwide support provided to the United States by Turkey, we fear such an act will only go to strain and weaken Turkish American relations whereby placing America, the American Soldiers and the American People in greater peril.
Turkey has a proven track record of being an American Ally and an upstanding member of NATO. This was proven by the sacrifices Turkey has made including the approximate 5,000 troops that laid down their lives standing for the common values we share as Americans. In addition, we should not forget that during the cold war, Turkey stood firmly by the United States as an advocate of democracy.
Turkey has a history of standing by moral values regardless of religion. These are the same values that America stands for, despite the Christian Action Networks views to the contrary. By way of example, in Ireland , the Great Famine was a period of mass starvation and disease. These were Christian people, not Muslims. Yet, when these people were starving while other Christians were mere spectators, the Turkish people sent ships full of food rations to help their fellow human beings. There was no one in Ireland flying the Turkish flag hollering radical Islam.
With the passage of the new constitutional amendments and with the new developments , today’s Turkey is much more democratic than she had ever been. The Turkish news media is much more effective, both in its ability to reach every corner of Turkey and its ability to shape opinions. As such, in this more democratic domestic context, public opinion truly matters for the Turkish government. Opinions and actions in the United States echoes loudly in the Turkish press. We need our fellow Americans to understand that actions to the contrary will only weaken the Turkish-America solidarity. We need to keep faith in each other’s proven good will.
In addition, we also condemn the use of the words “Muslim-Terrorist.” We cannot lose sight of the fact that the individuals that took part on 9/11 were no more Muslim than they were Christian. Not only did they murder Christian and Jewish Americans, th o se terrorist also murdered dozens of Muslim Americans including a Muslim woman who was 7 months pregnant. Regardless of what they call themselves, the y were terrorist s , not people of faith. Unfortunately the term “Muslim-Terrorist” has been inappropriately and carelessly used so often that many children and even some adults can no longer appreciate that the two words have the exact opposite meanings. Those that attack America on 9/11 should be called what they are, Terrorist; plain and simple. As prominent Muslim Scholars have stated from the unset, “a Muslim Cannot be a Terrorist and a Terrorist Cannot be a Muslim.”
We call upon the Christian Action Network to speak the word of peace. We call upon the Christian Action Network to have the courage to view all Americans, Muslims and Jews and all others as they view Christian Americans. There are enough groups out there spreading hatred, we call upon the Christian Action Network to act Christian (i.e. Christ Like) and spread the word of peace and love.
