On the ABC TV show “The View,” Rosie O’Donnell, who is a familiar face to the American public, made a surprise comment to her co-host, who described the event as, “Attacks by Islamic militants against free people.” Without beating around the bush, Rosie replied, “In this country radical Christians are as big a threat as radical Muslims.” This statement shocked many. The famous talk show speaker began talking about the religious actions of the Bush Administration, in spite of the fact that there is separation between church and state. Then another participant, attempting to fend off the heavy criticism that the American media was not much accustomed to, exclaimed, “But we don’t bomb our own country!” But to no avail! Rosie defended herself saying: “But we bomb innocent people in other countries. We were actually not threatened by Iraq and Afghanistan. We can never bring peace by making war.” After the show, there was a big reaction to Rosie’s comments in news bulletins and forum pages. There were responses mentioning World War II and the Taliban and even those saying, “The dog howls, but the caravan moves on.” You can find details regarding this event on Internet sites for Sept. 13. Protesting this incident, some Christian organizations are now demanding an apology from Rosie.
When I heard about the above-mentioned event, I remembered a meeting I attended in Sun Valley where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was a speaker. There, an important speaker pointed out that radicalism had increased all over the world. This is normal because radical movements get their power from the extreme elements of groups they deem to be enemies. In that respect, radicalism is not just the problem of one idea or belief, it is a problem for all mankind. It is dangerous because of what it does and because of what it incites opposing groups to do. Moreover, no radical group can persuade another person or group to become peaceful or tranquil. Think for a moment: If a radical person or group sees it as their duty to kill innocent people because they are “obeying” their holy books, can the “enemy” prove their interpretation wrong?
When radicalism is mentioned, Muslims always come to mind. Some extremist groups have responsibility here, but so does the global media that cover these events with prejudice. It is the sacred duty of true Muslims to actively oppose this and show the beauty of Islam. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that the same is true for Christianity and Judaism. Today, people are feeling the effects of radical Christian and Jewish groups’ prophecies regarding critical topics like the Promised Land, Armageddon, and the Messiah. Those who always speak of radicals from one front don’t see the oncoming waves that threaten their own shores. The pope’s unsettling comments were a mistake from this perspective. On one hand, we could err by defining almost everybody as radical; on the other hand, we could err equally as much by treating true radicals with an air of moderation.
A few days ago Istanbul hosted an excellent meeting. Top-level authorities from world media giants participated in programs sponsored by the Dogan Group. Former American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger chaired the panel to which I was also invited, and he asked me an interesting question: “Why don’t Muslims oppose radical groups?” I was befuddled. In short, I felt I had to say, “They do; if they didn’t, radical groups wouldn’t be this marginal.” The Islamic world is not sufficiently understood; this world’s inner richness becomes captive to the negative images created by extreme elements. The solution is obvious: Every religion should bring its extreme members to justice; moreover, it must do this with intelligence, logic and patience. Otherwise, the price of radicalism will be very high.
September 19, 2006
