Anti-Santa campaigns heat up in Turkey as Christmas arrives

[Sally]

We have to remember that Istanbul was once called Constantinople, which was a Christian city. and there are still Christians living in the city who, of course, celebrate Christmas.

Anti-Santa campaigns heat up in Turkey as Christmas arrives
ISTANBUL


A Muslim youth group and a neighborhood authority led two separate anti-Santa campaigns on the eve of Christmas in Turkey.

The Istanbul University branch of a group called Anatolia Youth Association (AGD) released an illustration of a Muslim youth punching Santa Claus in the face and announced that it would make a press statement against Christmas on Dec. 26 in Istanbul.

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LOCAL - Anti-Santa campaigns heat up in Turkey as Christmas arrives

 

[Sunni Man]

We have to remember that Istanbul was once called Constantinople, which was a Christian city. and there are still Christians living in the city who, of course, celebrate Christmas.

Santa Claus hadn't even been invented when Constantinople was a Christian city. .....

 

[irosie91]

We have to remember that Istanbul was once called Constantinople, which was a Christian city. and there are still Christians living in the city who, of course, celebrate Christmas.

Santa Claus hadn't even been invented when Constantinople was a Christian city. .....

so? and the rapist pig of arabia had not yet been born-------so ---of course his '
followers did not yet pillage and murder and rape in Constinople and inflict
the filth of the rapist pig on that city

 

[Esmeralda]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas. There are people who want to create a huge division between Muslims and Christians. This division is not a reality for the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of Muslims. Feeding into it just makes you stupid and ignorant.

 

[Sally]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas.

Why not tell us what is happening to the old churches in Turkey? It would be interesting having your viewpoint as to why they are being turned into mosques. As an aside, I go to a sub shop owned by two Armenian brothers who still have relatives in Turkey. One went there for a wedding recently, and he said it was dangerous there for Christians.

 

[Esmeralda]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas.

Why not tell us what is happening to the old churches in Turkey? It would be interesting having your viewpoint as to why they are being turned into mosques. As an aside, I go to a sub shop owned by two Armenian brothers who still have relatives in Turkey. One went there for a wedding recently, and he said it was dangerous there for Christians.

After the WWI, Greece invaded Turkey. Turkey fought them off, after which the armistice included that Turkish people living in Greece would be repatriated to Turkey, and Greek people living in Turkey would be repatriated to Greece. This is nearly 100 years ago. There were churches in Turkey and Mosques in Greece. In both countries, in which I have traveled extensively, the old churches in Turkey and the old mosques in Greece from that time were abandoned because the Greeks in Turkey and the Turks in Greece tended to live in separate villages or communities. In Greece, the mosques have become derelict or have been torn down or converted to something else. In Turkey, the old churches from that time have met the same fate. In fact, in Turkey, you will find, but rarely, entire villages that were abandoned and are now just ruins. Some Christians remained in Turkey. In the islands of Greece, which this situation essentially affected, some Turks remain.

In modern day Turkey, there are many Christians, there are also many Jews. There are churches and synagogues which these people use. There are not being bothered at all by the Turkish Muslims. When I lived there my friends and colleagues were Turkish Muslims, Turkish Jews, and Western Christians. The Turks did not have a problem with Jews or Christians. I don't know what your Armenian friend’s problem is; truly I had no experience of any dislike or non-acceptance of people of other religions or creeds.

Here is an example of the respect for Christmas which I experienced: the first year I lived there, I went to Athens for Eid as I had time off work. While there I bought an artificial Christmas tree to take back to Turkey. It was in a box. When I was traveling back to Turkey and going through customs, the customs agent started to open the box; while doing so, he asked me what was in it. When I told him it was a Christmas tree, he said "Christmas?" I said, "Yes." He immediately stopped working at opening the box and waved me through. He made a point of showing absolute respect for my religion.

That year I decorated the tree and cooked a traditional American Christmas meal for my Turkish friends, who were delighted and even brought presents, for me and for each other, even though it was something they had never done.

Turkish people do not hate or dislike Christians. The story you have read is someone who wants to create division. Don't be fooled.

 

[irosie91]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas. There are people who want to create a huge division between Muslims and Christians. This division is not a reality for the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of Muslims. Feeding into it just makes you stupid and ignorant.

Your comment is sorta meaningless. It is true that compared to OTHER muslim
countries and also thanks in a large measure to the efforts of ATATURK-----Turkey
was and then became an even more reasonable place for diversity and freedom.

The sad fact is that situation is now being challenged. In fact----40 years ago you
could have said the same thing about TEHERAN --------and 80 years ago about
BERLIN back then ---there were lots of people saying "WHY ARE YOU MAKING
SUCH A BIG DEAL"???????????????

I have a distant relative born in Turkey-----his family left when he was a child----in
the 1930s. Obviously his family has a better grasp on the situation than do you or
I. I kinda argued with him ----"the turks are not all that nuts"------his answer was
"THEY ARE NUTS ENOUGH" "THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE AND WORSE"
His family fled to Turkey from SPAIN-----back in the fifteenth century-----because back
in the fifteenth century-------Turkey was safer than was Spain. For insight into the
christian experience in Turkey -----read DANIEL PIPES ----catholic of turkish ancestry

Do you have any idea what the ARMENIAN GENOCIDE was all about (1915) Do you
have any idea what Turks say it was all about? or how mainstream muslims evaluate
it? or even deny it?

 

[Sally]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas.

Why not tell us what is happening to the old churches in Turkey? It would be interesting having your viewpoint as to why they are being turned into mosques. As an aside, I go to a sub shop owned by two Armenian brothers who still have relatives in Turkey. One went there for a wedding recently, and he said it was dangerous there for Christians.

After the WWI, Greece invaded Turkey. Turkey fought them off, after which the armistice included that Turkish people living in Greece would be repatriated to Turkey, and Greece people living in Turkey would be repatriated to Greece. This is nearly 100 years ago. There were churches in Turkey and Mosques in Greece. In both countries, in which I have traveled extensively, the old churches in Turkey and the old mosques in Greece from that time were abandoned because the Greeks in Turkey and the Turks in Greece tended to live in separate villages or communities. In Greece, the mosques have become derilect or have been torn down or converted to something else. In Turkey, the old churches from that time have met the same fate. In fact, in Turkey, you will find, but rarely, entire villages that were abandoned and are now just ruins. Some Christians remained in Turkey. In the islands of Greece, which this situation essentially affected, some Turks remain.

In modern day Turkey, there are many Christians, there are also many Jews. There are churches and synogogues which these people use. There are not being bothered at all by the Turkish Muslims. When I lived there my friends and colleagues were Turkish Muslims, Turkish Jews, and Western Christians. The Turks did not have a problem with Jews or Christians. I don't know what your Armenian friends problem is; truly I had no experience of any dislike or non-acceptance of people of other religions or creeds.

Here is an example of the respect for Christmas which I experienced: the first year I lived there, I went to Athens for Eid as I had time off work. While there I bought an artificial Christmad tree to take back to Turkey. It was in a box. When I was traveling back to Turkey and going through customs, the customs agent started to open the box; while doing so, he asked me what was in it. When I told him it was a Christmas tree, he said "Christmas?" I said, "Yes." He immediately stopped working at opening the box and waved me through. He made a point of showing absolute respect for my religion.

That year I decorated the tree and cooked a traditional American Christmas meal for my Turkish friends, who were delighted and even brought presents, for me and for each other, even though it was something they had never done.

Turkish people do not hate or dislike Christians. The story you have read is someone who wants to create division. Don't be fooled.

You can believe all you want to and post on and on about Turkey; however, I hope you don't mind if I take the word of the Armenian who recently went there for a wedding. What I find sad is that he once told me that the Turks made the family drop their last name and take up an Turkish one.

Former Turkish Cathedral Hagia Sophia May Become a Mosque

 

[Esmeralda]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas. There are people who want to create a huge division between Muslims and Christians. This division is not a reality for the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of Muslims. Feeding into it just makes you stupid and ignorant.

Your comment is sorta meaningless. It is true that compared to OTHER muslim
countries and also thanks in a large measure to the efforts of ATATURK-----Turkey
was and then became an even more reasonable place for diversity and freedom.

The sad fact is that situation is now being challenged. In fact----40 years ago you
could have said the same thing about TEHERAN --------and 80 years ago about
BERLIN back then ---there were lots of people saying "WHY ARE YOU MAKING
SUCH A BIG DEAL"???????????????

I have a distant relative born in Turkey-----his family left when he was a child----in
the 1930s. Obviously his family has a better grasp on the situation than do you or
I. I kinda argued with him ----"the turks are not all that nuts"------his answer was
"THEY ARE NUTS ENOUGH" "THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE AND WORSE"
His family fled to Turkey from SPAIN-----back in the fifteenth century-----because back
in the fifteenth century-------Turkey was safer than was Spain. For insight into the
christian experience in Turkey -----read DANIEL PIPES ----catholic of turkish ancestry

Do you have any idea what the ARMENIAN GENOCIDE was all about (1915) Do you
have any idea what Turks say it was all about? or how mainstream muslims evaluate
it? or even deny it?

Oh, of course. That is why your Armenian friends don't like Turkey. Yes, I understand. However, it is not true in an overall sense that Turkish people hate Christians, simply not true. What happened to the Armenians is a long time ago. Japan, for example, committed atrocities on China at that time too. Japan also refuses to accept responsibility. But we know that Japan is not full of monsters, and neither is Turkey. Your 'distant' relative may have a similar reason to hate Turkey. If you want to believe the worst, then do. You obviously want to be full of hate. I know that Turkish people are friendly and warm hearted and do not have a problem with people of other religions. It may depend on where you live in Turkey. The east is more religious and fundamentalist. Like the south in the US. Like the Bible Belt. Narrow minded, ignorant, uneducated people who like to hate and enjoy being prejudiced.

BTW, I'm not going to continue to argue with you about this. I don't invest my time and energy in repetitive nonsense. If you want to be one of those who believes the worst, who enjoys having your bias and anti-Muslim feelings fed by stuff like this, then do it. I find people who think like that to be entirely tiresome and not worth spending any time on. I've told you the reality. You can, and probably will, choose not to accept it. I'm done.

 

[Esmeralda]

Why not tell us what is happening to the old churches in Turkey? It would be interesting having your viewpoint as to why they are being turned into mosques. As an aside, I go to a sub shop owned by two Armenian brothers who still have relatives in Turkey. One went there for a wedding recently, and he said it was dangerous there for Christians.

After the WWI, Greece invaded Turkey. Turkey fought them off, after which the armistice included that Turkish people living in Greece would be repatriated to Turkey, and Greece people living in Turkey would be repatriated to Greece. This is nearly 100 years ago. There were churches in Turkey and Mosques in Greece. In both countries, in which I have traveled extensively, the old churches in Turkey and the old mosques in Greece from that time were abandoned because the Greeks in Turkey and the Turks in Greece tended to live in separate villages or communities. In Greece, the mosques have become derilect or have been torn down or converted to something else. In Turkey, the old churches from that time have met the same fate. In fact, in Turkey, you will find, but rarely, entire villages that were abandoned and are now just ruins. Some Christians remained in Turkey. In the islands of Greece, which this situation essentially affected, some Turks remain.

In modern day Turkey, there are many Christians, there are also many Jews. There are churches and synogogues which these people use. There are not being bothered at all by the Turkish Muslims. When I lived there my friends and colleagues were Turkish Muslims, Turkish Jews, and Western Christians. The Turks did not have a problem with Jews or Christians. I don't know what your Armenian friends problem is; truly I had no experience of any dislike or non-acceptance of people of other religions or creeds.

Here is an example of the respect for Christmas which I experienced: the first year I lived there, I went to Athens for Eid as I had time off work. While there I bought an artificial Christmad tree to take back to Turkey. It was in a box. When I was traveling back to Turkey and going through customs, the customs agent started to open the box; while doing so, he asked me what was in it. When I told him it was a Christmas tree, he said "Christmas?" I said, "Yes." He immediately stopped working at opening the box and waved me through. He made a point of showing absolute respect for my religion.

That year I decorated the tree and cooked a traditional American Christmas meal for my Turkish friends, who were delighted and even brought presents, for me and for each other, even though it was something they had never done.

Turkish people do not hate or dislike Christians. The story you have read is someone who wants to create division. Don't be fooled.

You can believe all you want to and post on and on about Turkey; however, I hope you don't mind if I take the word of the Armenian who recently went there for a wedding. What I find sad is that he once told me that the Turks made the family drop their last name and take up an Turkish one.

Former Turkish Cathedral Hagia Sophia May Become a Mosque

Hagia Sophia is a major tourist site and an important cultural treasure in Istanbul. It is not going to 'become' anything it isn't already. It is a national monument and isn't going to be touched. Haters will always hate and believe whatever feeds their hatred. That seems to be the case with you. I'm not going to get sucked into this nonsense any further.

I have Turkish friends who were living in Bulgaria, were Bulgarian citizens, several generations born and raised there. After the break up of the Soviet Union, the Christians took over the country. My friend was a teenager in school. Her family was also forced to change their name, but from a Turkish name to a Christian name. They were hounded out of Bulgaria and went to live in Turkey. Though both of her parents were educated professionals in Bulgaria, because Turkey was a poorer country and they were middle aged, they spent the rest of their working lives at blue collar jobs. One memory she had was at school, the Turkish kids were not told food they were eating had pork in it. The school did this on purpose. You know, it doesn't matter who is doing it, Christians, Muslims, or anyone else: haters are scum.

 

[dreolin]

Why not tell us what is happening to the old churches in Turkey? It would be interesting having your viewpoint as to why they are being turned into mosques. As an aside, I go to a sub shop owned by two Armenian brothers who still have relatives in Turkey. One went there for a wedding recently, and he said it was dangerous there for Christians.

After the WWI, Greece invaded Turkey. Turkey fought them off, after which the armistice included that Turkish people living in Greece would be repatriated to Turkey, and Greece people living in Turkey would be repatriated to Greece. This is nearly 100 years ago. There were churches in Turkey and Mosques in Greece. In both countries, in which I have traveled extensively, the old churches in Turkey and the old mosques in Greece from that time were abandoned because the Greeks in Turkey and the Turks in Greece tended to live in separate villages or communities. In Greece, the mosques have become derilect or have been torn down or converted to something else. In Turkey, the old churches from that time have met the same fate. In fact, in Turkey, you will find, but rarely, entire villages that were abandoned and are now just ruins. Some Christians remained in Turkey. In the islands of Greece, which this situation essentially affected, some Turks remain.

In modern day Turkey, there are many Christians, there are also many Jews. There are churches and synogogues which these people use. There are not being bothered at all by the Turkish Muslims. When I lived there my friends and colleagues were Turkish Muslims, Turkish Jews, and Western Christians. The Turks did not have a problem with Jews or Christians. I don't know what your Armenian friends problem is; truly I had no experience of any dislike or non-acceptance of people of other religions or creeds.

Here is an example of the respect for Christmas which I experienced: the first year I lived there, I went to Athens for Eid as I had time off work. While there I bought an artificial Christmad tree to take back to Turkey. It was in a box. When I was traveling back to Turkey and going through customs, the customs agent started to open the box; while doing so, he asked me what was in it. When I told him it was a Christmas tree, he said "Christmas?" I said, "Yes." He immediately stopped working at opening the box and waved me through. He made a point of showing absolute respect for my religion.

That year I decorated the tree and cooked a traditional American Christmas meal for my Turkish friends, who were delighted and even brought presents, for me and for each other, even though it was something they had never done.

Turkish people do not hate or dislike Christians. The story you have read is someone who wants to create division. Don't be fooled.

You can believe all you want to and post on and on about Turkey; however, I hope you don't mind if I take the word of the Armenian who recently went there for a wedding. What I find sad is that he once told me that the Turks made the family drop their last name and take up an Turkish one.

Former Turkish Cathedral Hagia Sophia May Become a Mosque

I believe Esmeralda and I disbelieve you, Sally, both because of experience and for very good reason.

 

[Esmeralda]

After the WWI, Greece invaded Turkey. Turkey fought them off, after which the armistice included that Turkish people living in Greece would be repatriated to Turkey, and Greece people living in Turkey would be repatriated to Greece. This is nearly 100 years ago. There were churches in Turkey and Mosques in Greece. In both countries, in which I have traveled extensively, the old churches in Turkey and the old mosques in Greece from that time were abandoned because the Greeks in Turkey and the Turks in Greece tended to live in separate villages or communities. In Greece, the mosques have become derilect or have been torn down or converted to something else. In Turkey, the old churches from that time have met the same fate. In fact, in Turkey, you will find, but rarely, entire villages that were abandoned and are now just ruins. Some Christians remained in Turkey. In the islands of Greece, which this situation essentially affected, some Turks remain.

In modern day Turkey, there are many Christians, there are also many Jews. There are churches and synogogues which these people use. There are not being bothered at all by the Turkish Muslims. When I lived there my friends and colleagues were Turkish Muslims, Turkish Jews, and Western Christians. The Turks did not have a problem with Jews or Christians. I don't know what your Armenian friends problem is; truly I had no experience of any dislike or non-acceptance of people of other religions or creeds.

Here is an example of the respect for Christmas which I experienced: the first year I lived there, I went to Athens for Eid as I had time off work. While there I bought an artificial Christmad tree to take back to Turkey. It was in a box. When I was traveling back to Turkey and going through customs, the customs agent started to open the box; while doing so, he asked me what was in it. When I told him it was a Christmas tree, he said "Christmas?" I said, "Yes." He immediately stopped working at opening the box and waved me through. He made a point of showing absolute respect for my religion.

That year I decorated the tree and cooked a traditional American Christmas meal for my Turkish friends, who were delighted and even brought presents, for me and for each other, even though it was something they had never done.

Turkish people do not hate or dislike Christians. The story you have read is someone who wants to create division. Don't be fooled.

You can believe all you want to and post on and on about Turkey; however, I hope you don't mind if I take the word of the Armenian who recently went there for a wedding. What I find sad is that he once told me that the Turks made the family drop their last name and take up an Turkish one.

Former Turkish Cathedral Hagia Sophia May Become a Mosque

I believe Esmeralda and I disbelieve you, Sally, both because of experience and for very good reason.

I am not pro-Muslim, pro-Jew, pro-Christian or pro-any religion or any creed, nationality, race, etc. I despise prejudice in any form. I am pro-truth. I know the truth I experienced in Turkey. I lived in and traveled throughout the Western part of Turkey. I have traveled extensively in the Greek islands as well. In both places I saw the remnants of villages, including derelict mosques and churches, and I talked to the people Sadly, though they once lived together, side by side, and their cultures are very similar, they are like feuding kin, feuding cousins. It is very sad.

 

[dreolin]

You can believe all you want to and post on and on about Turkey; however, I hope you don't mind if I take the word of the Armenian who recently went there for a wedding. What I find sad is that he once told me that the Turks made the family drop their last name and take up an Turkish one.

Former Turkish Cathedral Hagia Sophia May Become a Mosque

I believe Esmeralda and I disbelieve you, Sally, both because of experience and for very good reason.

I am not pro-Muslim, pro-Jew, pro-Christian or pro-any religion or any creed, nationality, race, etc. I despise prejudice in any form. I am pro-truth. I know the truth I experienced in Turkey. I lived in and traveled throughout the Western part of Turkey. I have traveled extensively in the Greek islands as well. In both places I saw the remnants of villages, including derelict mosques and churches, and I talked to the people Sadly, though they once lived together, side by side, and their cultures are very similar, they are like feuding kin, feuding cousins. It is very sad.

I am the above too...and truth is the path to justice and peace.

 

[irosie91]

I lived in Turkey for two years. I spent a week in Istanbul with a Turkish friend during Christmas. What you are seeing in the news is a small, isolated group of people. Istanbul is a city of 15 million people. Christmas is not celebrated there. When I was there for Christmas it was because I had some time off work and went there to visit a friend. You wouldn't even know it is Christmas there. It is just another day. No one is pushing Christmas on the people there, and no one, except apparently some extremists, have anything to get worked up about. There are Christians there, and there are churches, and they do celebrate, but it is a minority. What you have here is a someone making a big deal out of a few people in a city of 15 million people, a small group of people who have an issue with Christmas or Christians. Most Turks do not care and are not bothered by or threatened by the idea of Christians living in Istanbul or their celebrating Christmas. There are people who want to create a huge division between Muslims and Christians. This division is not a reality for the vast majority of Christians and the vast majority of Muslims. Feeding into it just makes you stupid and ignorant.

Your comment is sorta meaningless. It is true that compared to OTHER muslim
countries and also thanks in a large measure to the efforts of ATATURK-----Turkey
was and then became an even more reasonable place for diversity and freedom.

The sad fact is that situation is now being challenged. In fact----40 years ago you
could have said the same thing about TEHERAN --------and 80 years ago about
BERLIN back then ---there were lots of people saying "WHY ARE YOU MAKING
SUCH A BIG DEAL"???????????????

I have a distant relative born in Turkey-----his family left when he was a child----in
the 1930s. Obviously his family has a better grasp on the situation than do you or
I. I kinda argued with him ----"the turks are not all that nuts"------his answer was
"THEY ARE NUTS ENOUGH" "THINGS ARE GOING TO GET WORSE AND WORSE"
His family fled to Turkey from SPAIN-----back in the fifteenth century-----because back
in the fifteenth century-------Turkey was safer than was Spain. For insight into the
christian experience in Turkey -----read DANIEL PIPES ----catholic of turkish ancestry

Do you have any idea what the ARMENIAN GENOCIDE was all about (1915) Do you
have any idea what Turks say it was all about? or how mainstream muslims evaluate
it? or even deny it?

Oh, of course. That is why your Armenian friends don't like Turkey. Yes, I understand. However, it is not true in an overall sense that Turkish people hate Christians, simply not true. What happened to the Armenians is a long time ago. Japan, for example, committed atrocities on China at that time too. Japan also refuses to accept responsibility. But we know that Japan is not full of monsters, and neither is Turkey. Your 'distant' relative may have a similar reason to hate Turkey. If you want to believe the worst, then do. You obviously want to be full of hate. I know that Turkish people are friendly and warm hearted and do not have a problem with people of other religions. It may depend on where you live in Turkey. The east is more religious and fundamentalist. Like the south in the US. Like the Bible Belt. Narrow minded, ignorant, uneducated people who like to hate and enjoy being prejudiced.

BTW, I'm not going to continue to argue with you about this. I don't invest my time and energy in repetitive nonsense. If you want to be one of those who believes the worst, who enjoys having your bias and anti-Muslim feelings fed by stuff like this, then do it. I find people who think like that to be entirely tiresome and not worth spending any time on. I've told you the reality. You can, and probably will, choose not to accept it. I'm done.

Esmeralda-----you have again said NOTHING ------silly platitudes and even filthy lies.
When did I say that my relative "hates turkey"??? As to the armenian genocide----
your trivializing that gross atrocity is OBSCENE 1915 is not all that LONG AGO---
it is recent enough that as a young woman I attended the death bed of an elderly lady
who saw her whole family hacked to death------back then

your comments are not only obscene-----they are self serving and vulgarly ACCUSATORY---as in "who the hell do you think you are"?? "i decorated a tree in Turkey"-----so?

My patient was left orphaned as a little girl over the dead bodies of her parents and her
siblings MURDERED by the hatred that you claim never existed because you decorated
a christmas tree. The lingering memory haunted her deathbed. People are dying today-------christmas ----based on the hatred you claim does not exist-----because you decorated
a tree. Way back in the 1930s-----my grandfather lost his brothers and their wives
and children to the fact that people like you decided there was NO REAL PROBLEM ----
since that time------millions of biafran children starved and died in the dust because of
NO REAL PROBLEM--------hindu kids from east pakistan dropped dead in their tracks---
same issue---NO PROBLEM --------thousands of sudanese kids remain enslaved---
NO PROBLEM

 

[Sunni Man]

I am not pro-Muslim, pro-Jew, pro-Christian or pro-any religion or any creed, nationality, race, etc. I despise prejudice in any form. I am pro-truth. I know the truth I experienced in Turkey. I lived in and traveled throughout the Western part of Turkey. I have traveled extensively in the Greek islands as well. In both places I saw the remnants of villages, including derelict mosques and churches, and I talked to the people Sadly, though they once lived together, side by side, and their cultures are very similar, they are like feuding kin, feuding cousins. It is very sad.

Thank you for your informative posts Esmeralda.

Unfortunately, people like irosie and Sally are totally blinded by raging hate.

And these two rabid haters will never acknowledge the reality that the vast majority of Christians and Muslims get along just fine in most Middle East countries. ......

 

[irosie91]

I am not pro-Muslim, pro-Jew, pro-Christian or pro-any religion or any creed, nationality, race, etc. I despise prejudice in any form. I am pro-truth. I know the truth I experienced in Turkey. I lived in and traveled throughout the Western part of Turkey. I have traveled extensively in the Greek islands as well. In both places I saw the remnants of villages, including derelict mosques and churches, and I talked to the people Sadly, though they once lived together, side by side, and their cultures are very similar, they are like feuding kin, feuding cousins. It is very sad.

Thank you for your informative posts Esmeralda.

Unfortunately, people like irosie and Sally are totally blinded by raging hate.

And these two rabid haters will never acknowledge the reality that the vast majority of Christians and Muslims get along just fine in most Middle East countries. ......

right----they are getting along fine in Syria ----right now.

for real information -----talk to christians from Iraq, iran, Egypt, -----even
MUMBAI regarding the love affair between christians and muslims

of for even better info-----talk to christians from the BALKANS -----now---
if there is any people in the world who HATE-----it is both christians and muslims
from the Balkans BOSNIA was no surprise to me when I learned that
SERBS were facing off with muslims

of course---everyone knows that blacks in the south of the USA were overjoyed
at being enslaved and picking cotton. In between picking they played the banjo.

I did mention that my husband was born in a shariah cesspit-----he has encountered
muslims from the same country right here in the USA-------who INSIST
that jews were DELIGHTED -----"back home" almost as happy as UNCLE REMUS
singing ZIPPITY DOO DA

 

[Sally]

I am not pro-Muslim, pro-Jew, pro-Christian or pro-any religion or any creed, nationality, race, etc. I despise prejudice in any form. I am pro-truth. I know the truth I experienced in Turkey. I lived in and traveled throughout the Western part of Turkey. I have traveled extensively in the Greek islands as well. In both places I saw the remnants of villages, including derelict mosques and churches, and I talked to the people Sadly, though they once lived together, side by side, and their cultures are very similar, they are like feuding kin, feuding cousins. It is very sad.

Thank you for your informative posts Esmeralda.

Unfortunately, people like irosie and Sally are totally blinded by raging hate.

And these two rabid haters will never acknowledge the reality that the vast majority of Christians and Muslims get along just fine in most Middle East countries. ......

But, Sunni Boy, it is your fellow Muslims who are blinded by hate that they are busy murdering innocent people all over the place. By the way, why not go to Turkey and check it out for yourself to see what is going on?

 

[Sunni Man]

........................................................^^ Exhibits of rabid haters 'A' and 'B' directly above. .....

 

[Sally]

........................................................^^ Exhibits of rabid haters 'A' and 'B' directly above. .....

Give it a rest, Sunni Man, with your asinine comments. The sad thing is that the Shia and Sunnis hate each other so much that they are busy murdering each other. Even you would like to see the Shia done away with because now you have become a proud Sunni man and the Shia are Infidels in your eyes.

 

[Sunni Man]

No doubt ....