“Ikiwa dini yoyote ingepata nafasi ya kutawala Uingereza, bali Ulaya, ndani ya miaka mia ijayo, huenda ikawa ni Uislamu” --George Bernard Shaw Wanasiasa wa Ulaya wameanza kutilia shaka hadharani kuhusu kuingia kwa Uturuki katika Umoja wa Ulaya. Waziri wa Fedha wa Austria, Karl-Heinz Grasser, alisema kuwa uanachama wa Uturuki “ungeweka madai makubwa mno kwa Ulaya.” Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Hispania, Miguel Angel Moratinos, alikiri wiki mbili zilizopita, baada ya kura za maoni za Ufaransa na Uholanzi, kwamba “bila shaka” kukataliwa kwa hizo kura mbili “kutaathiri” mipango ya upanuzi zaidi. Kura za maoni nchini Ufaransa na Uholanzi zilionyesha kuwa upinzani dhidi ya uanachama wa Uturuki ulikuwa mojawapo ya sababu kuu zilizotolewa na wapiga kura kwa kupinga katiba ya Umoja wa Ulaya.

“If any religion had the chance of ruling over England, nay Europe within the next hundred years, it could be Islam” --George Bernard Shaw uropean politicians have started to raise doubts in public about Turkey’ s entry with the EU. Austrian Finance Minister Karl-Heinz Grasser said that Turkish membership “would make excessive demands of Europe.” Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos acknowledged two weeks ago, after the French and Dutch referendums, that “without a doubt” the two rejections were “going to affect” further expansion plans. Polls in France and the Netherlands showed that opposition to Turkey’ s membership was one of the key reasons voters gave for opposing the EU constitution.

Maendeleo ya hivi karibuni yanapinga vikali madai ya Abdullah Gul ya Desemba iliyopita kwamba uamuzi wa Umoja wa Ulaya wa kupanua mazungumzo ya uanachama na Uturuki unachangia utulivu wa nchi hiyo ya Kiislamu na unaipa nafasi mpya barani Ulaya na katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu. Hivyo, uhusiano wa Umoja wa Ulaya na Uturuki hauegemei tena juu ya Uturuki kufanya mageuzi makubwa ya kisiasa na kiuchumi.

The latest developments pour cold water on Abdullah Gul‘s claim last December that the European Union's decision to extend membership talks with Turkey contributes to the Muslim country's stability and gives it a new position in Europe and the Islamic world. Thus European Union’ s relationship with Turkey no longer rests on Turkey undergoing extensive political and economic reforms.

Badala yake, uhusiano wa siku zijazo kati ya pande hizo mbili utaamuliwa na mambo mawili makuu.

Rather future relations between the two will be decided by two major factors.

Kwanza ni "mgongano wa ustaarabu", jambo ambalo ni dhahiri kwa wanasiasa pamoja na watu wa Ulaya na Uturuki kwamba mgongano huu hauepukiki na unaendelea. Valery Giscard d'Estaing, aliyekuwa rais wa Ufaransa, wakati mmoja alisema kuwa kuingia kwa Uturuki, kama nchi ya Kiislamu na yenye nguvu iliyo nyingi zaidi Asia, kungekuwa "mwisho wa Ulaya". Leo kauli za Giscard hazirudiwi tu na wanasiasa wenzake wa Ulaya, bali pia zimeenea sana miongoni mwa wananchi wa Uingereza, Ufaransa, Ujerumani na nchi kadhaa nyingine. Kuna hisia kubwa ya chuki dhidi ya Uislamu (Islamophobia), ambayo imeenea katika eneo hilo na kuamsha kumbukumbu za zamani za Ukhalifa wa Ottoman ulioitawala mambo ya Ulaya. Vilevile, Waislamu wa Uturuki wanapinga kujiunga na Umoja wa Ulaya. Wanaogopa kwamba watanyang'anywa utambulisho wao wa Kiislamu na kulazimishwa kukubali maadili ya Magharibi. Kwa mfano, lawama za Umoja wa Ulaya kuhusu mpango wa Uturuki wa kupiga marufuku uzinzi zilifutwa haraka na Ankara. Jambo hili liliwakasirisha Waturuki wengi na kuongeza wasiwasi wao kwamba Ulaya ililenga kwa makusudi maadili ya Kiislamu.

The first is the ‘clash of civilisations’ and is pretty obvious to politicians as well as the peoples of both Europe and Turkey that this clash is inevitable and ongoing. Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the former French president once said that the entry of Turkey, as an Islamic and mostly Asian power, would spell "the end of Europe". Today Giscard’ s remarks are not only echoed by fellow European politicians, but are widely shared amongst the populations of Britain, France, Germany and several other countries. There is a deep sense of Islamophobia, which has swept the region and rekindled past memories of the Ottoman Caliphate dominating the affairs of Europe. Equally, the Muslims of Turkey are opposed to joining the EU. They fear that they will be stripped of their Islamic identity and forced to adopt western values. For example EU’ s chastisement over Turkey’ s plan to outlaw adultery was quickly reversed by Ankara. This angered many Turks and only heightened their anxiety that Europe was intentionally targeting Islamic values.

Hali hii kwa sehemu inatokana na mazingira ya hofu yaliyosababishwa na vita vya Marekani dhidi ya Uislamu, na kwa sehemu nyingine inatokana na mzozo wa karne nyingi kati ya Ukristo na Uislamu. Mgawanyiko huu wa mitazamo hauwezi kushindwa, isipokuwa tofauti za kiitikadi kati ya tamaduni hizi mbili zijadiliwe na kutatuliwa. Kuendelea bila mazungumzo kama hayo kutasababisha kushindwa, bila kujali maendeleo yoyote yatakayofikiwa katika kutimiza malengo ya kisiasa na kiuchumi yaliyowekwa na Umoja wa Ulaya.

This in part is born out of the climate of fear produced by America’ s war on Islam and in part is due to the centuries old conflict between Christendom and Islam. This polarization in attitudes is impossible to overcome, unless the ideological differences between the two cultures are debated and settled. To proceed in the absence of such a dialogue will result in failure, no matter what progress is made towards achieving the political and economic goals set out by the EU.

Pili ni kwamba Ulaya imeshindwa kuwakubali na kuwajumuisha idadi zake yenyewe za Waislamu, basi nafasi ya kufanikiwa kuwajumuisha Waturuki milioni 70 ni ipi? Chukua mfano wa Uingereza. Waislamu ndio kundi la kikabila lenye hali mbaya zaidi ya kijamii. Mnamo Oktoba 2004 gazeti la The Guardian liliripoti: 'Waislamu walikuwa na kiwango cha juu zaidi cha ukosefu wa ajira, afya duni zaidi, ulemavu mwingi zaidi, na sifa chache zaidi za elimu. Katika mambo mengi, wanawake Waislamu walikuwa na hali mbaya zaidi kuliko wanaume Waislamu.' vi Waislamu nchini Ufaransa na Ujerumani wako katika hali mbaya zaidi. Kupigwa marufuku kwa hijabu, kuhojiwa kiholela kwa vijana Waislamu, na kunyimwa uraia ni miongoni mwa vitendo vya kibaguzi vinavyofanyika dhidi ya Waislamu.

The second is that Europe has failed to accommodate its own Muslim populations, so what are the odds that it can successfully manage the inclusion of 70 million Turks. Take the example of Britain. Muslims are the most socially deprived ethnic group. In October 2004 the Guardian newspaper reported: ’Muslims had the highest rate of unemployment, the poorest health, the most disability and fewest educational qualifications. In most respects Muslim women fared worse than Muslim men did.’ vi Muslims in France and Germany fair much worse. The banning of the hijab, the random interrogation of young Muslims and the withholding of citizenship are at the forefront of discriminatory acts carried out against Muslims.

Zaidi ya hayo, kusita kwa mataifa ya Ulaya kuingilia kati na kuwalinda Waislamu wa Bosnia na Kosovo kunadhihirisha mtazamo wa Ulaya kuelekea Waislamu wanaoishi kwenye pwani zake. Katika fikra za Wazungu, mifano iliyotajwa hapo juu inazidi kuimarisha wazo kwamba Waislamu na Uislamu havioani na usekula.

Add to this, the reluctance of the European powers to intervene and protect Muslims of Bosnia and Kosovo underscores Europe’ s attitude towards Muslims living on its shores. In European minds, the above examples only reinforce the idea that Muslims and Islam are incompatible with secularism.

Haiwezekani kuamini kwamba mgogoro wa sasa kati ya Uislamu na Magharibi, pamoja na dhuluma wanazofanyiwa Waislamu wa Ulaya na Wazungu wenyewe, umepita bila kuonekana na viongozi wa Uturuki. Ikiwa Gul ana nia ya dhati kwamba Uturuki ichukue nafasi mpya katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu, basi angalau anachoweza kufanya ni kusimama imara dhidi ya ukandamizaji wa Ulaya kwa watu wake Waislamu. Hili linaweza kufikiwa kwa Uturuki kudai uboreshaji mkubwa wa hali zao kama sharti la mazungumzo yoyote kati ya Uturuki na EU. Hatua ya ujasiri kama hiyo ingeongeza kwa kiasi kikubwa hadhi ya Uturuki katika ulimwengu wa Kiislamu. Baada ya hapo, Gul anapaswa kutafakari kwa kina historia ya Uturuki ili kugundua jinsi Uturuki ya sasa inavyoweza kuchukua nafasi mpya barani Ulaya. Angehitimisha haraka kwamba ilikuwa tu katika Uislamu na chini ya kivuli cha Ukhalifa ambapo Uturuki ilishika nafasi ya juu kati ya mataifa ya dunia. Wakati huo, Wazungu waliokandamizwa walikuwa wakitamani haki ya Ukhalifa na walitamani kuwa sehemu yake. Je, watu wa Konstantinopoli hawakumwomba Sultani Mehmed awakomboe kutoka dhuluma ya Konstantino?

It is hard to believe that the current clash between Islam and the West and the injustices committed by Europeans towards their own Muslim populace has escaped the notice of Turkish leaders. If Gul is serious about Turkey occupying a new position in the Muslim world then the very least he can do is to stand firm against Europe’ s oppression of its Muslim populace. This can be achieved by Turkey demanding a significant improvement in their circumstances as a precursor to any talks between Turkey and the EU. Such a bold gesture would dramatically increase Turkey’ s standing in the Muslim world. Thereafter, Gul should dwell profoundly on Turkey’ s past in order to discover how the present Turkey can occupy a new position in Europe. He would quickly conclude that only in Islam and under the shade of the Caliphate did Turkey occupy a pre-eminent position amongst the nations of the world. Back then, the oppressed Europeans used to yearn for the justice of the Caliphate and longed to become a part of it. Did not the people of Constantinople implore Sultan Mohammed to liberate them from the tyranny of Constantine?

Juni 14, 2005

June 14, 2005