The numerous attacks that have been occurring from the infamous September 11, 2001, spread throughout Europe in the name of divine justice are acts of unjustified crime and the only reaction they can trigger is the desire to punish them. It can be stated that the situation in Turkey differs from the situation abroad. It may appear strange, but things are less tense in the Turkish society. One controversial issue is represented by the veil that women wear in order to hide their faces. In Turkey this led to a number of debates when students began wearing the veil in universities.

On the one hand there are those who support the gesture, seeing it as an act which is meant to respect the religious laws. In addition, it is considered a sign of respect for tradition. On the other hand, there are the others which believe it to be a symbol of antique and obsolete rites, going against the freedom that the woman as an individual has (self-expression, etc.).

The main issue under debate here is freedom. If we are claiming that women have the right to self-expression then it is fair to allow women decide for themselves if they wish to wear the veil or not. However, it is worth underlining the fact that the veil remains a very strong symbol of the Islamic religion imposing a certain status upon women.

The veil is meant to protect the face of the woman from being seen by another man. It is more than obvious that the woman is considered the possession of the man. She is not free, but an object to be possessed by a man who will impose on her the manner in which she must and can lead her life. It is true that nowadays women may choose to wear the veil as a sign of respect for their religion, but the connotations regarding a fundamentalist doctrine are too strong to be ignored.

One of the main problems with Islam is the failure to accept the other religions. But not only does not respect the other religions and their followers, but it promotes an attitude of hatred and discrimination. Fundamentalist Muslims believe that they have the answer to all the problems and that it is their role to impose justice on earth. Let us take the example of sexuality and morality. In the western society people are free to decide upon the way in which they choose to live.

One can be faithful to his spouse or not, it is up to him and he will be the one assuming the responsibility for all his actions. In addition, one can decide on his own if he wants to date someone from the opposite sex or not. People are even allowed to change their own sex if that is what they believe they need.

The church remains the institution which tries to guide the behaviour of people according to its principles but will not impose them, especially not with force. This is the most important difference which regards Islam. Allah does not agree with people being unfaithful to their spouses or marrying people of the same sex. Muslims then assume a role of justice makers and punish these acts which go against the teaching of God. Murders of this kind are called honour killings and they have taken place in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries, such as Germany and the Netherlands

The truth is that the number of Muslim citizens who are living in Europe is increasing. Should this become a worrying fact ? Under the circumstances in which the fundamentalist Islam becomes more and more popular and Muslims tend to become martyrs for their credo regardless of the consequence sof their actions, the answer to this question could very well be "yes."

One of the consequences of globalization is the easiness with which people can move from a country to another. This is relevant for numerous countries such as Germany which has underwent an important process of immigration. There are numerous ethnicities living in Germany so it is safe to say that this is a country...

Germany is a well off country, a symbol of democracy and last and not least of secularism. The manner in which it should choose to deal with the above mentioned issue is probably a very pragmatic one.
Human rights, the freedom of self-expression, multiculturalism are just some of the aspects that are worth taking into consideration when discussing the challenges implied by globalization and the tendency to absorb cultures from abroad. Germany is a country which highly supports and defends freedom.

Under the circumstances in which a certain ethnicity starts acting crazy trying to impose its own customs and rules in a territory which does not belong to them then it is safe to state that sanctions are due, despite the negative manner in which these sanctions may affect concepts such as freedom.

When an adopting country needs to take defensive actions against an ethnic group which has immigrated into its territory, in a certain way we can see this as a reaction to one of the consequences of globalization. It is true that people are born free and consequently they are free to go wherever they wish and live in the country which they consider most suitable. The territories should be open for everyone regardless of the globalization tendecies.

However, it is just as true that anarchical freedom leads nowhere but to chaos. From this point-of-view it is worth arguing that each territory is free to issue laws that will protect its integrity. Measures need to be taken in order to prevent the population from becoming the victim of terrorist attacks. It is much than obvious that these terrorist attacks are most likely t come from the supporters of Islam, who openly declare their intentions.

The texts of the Muslim holy book basically claim that whoever is not with me is against me. The role of the Muslim believer is to impose a new world order according to the will of Allah. A strange ethics system is promoted, one according to which war and murder are allowed since they serve a noble purpose. People are encouraged toc omit terrorist acts which are considered acts of honour which will get them a pass for paradise.

This view is not only antiquated but also irrational and it represents a clear opposition to what modernity stands for: the belief in human reason and freedom, the denying of any type of mysticism and the belief in the supreme power of man to shape his environment and his destiny. Taking into consideration the strong emotional side of Islam and the atrocities which it promotes then yes, it is safe to say that it represents an ideological threat and not only for the western society.

Bibliography:

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Fitna, part 2, retrieved may3,2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eIgMSAIIG0

Gokturk, D., Gramling, David, Kaes, Anton. Germany in transit. University of California Press. 2007

Hardy, Roger. Islam in Turkey: odd one out, September 26,2003 retrieved May 3,2009 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/3192647.stm

Kili, Suna. Islam and secularism in contemporary Turkey. In Voice of Ataturk, retrieved May 3, 2009 from http://www.ataturksociety.org/letters/kili.html

Rabasa, Angel. The rise of political Islam in Turkey. RAND Corporation. 2008

Said, Abdul. Contemporary Islam: dynamic, not static. T&F Books UK. 2007

Wilders, Geert on Islam and his anti-koran film, youtube, retrieved may 3, 2009 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0jUuzdfqfc&feature=related