Monday, April 16, 2012

Religious Liberty vs. Secularism in Modern Turkey

Excerpts from Mustafa Akyol's 4-13-2012 lecture at the University of Oklahoma about his book "Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty."

During his lecture Akyol talks about the "secularism police" that, until recently, made sure that women DID NOT wear a head scarf in Turkish universities.

During the question and answer session a student asks for clarification and he explains the difference between French secularism (the model for Turkish Kemalism) and the American ideal of separation of church and state.

Finally, he responds to a question as to whether Turkey is becoming an Islamic state.

Link to video of the complete lecture and dialogue session (54 minutes).

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