The New Fundamentalism
While jihadist attacks fuel Islamophobia, rival fundamentalisms threaten social peace. The author discusses the “new fundamentalism” through the approaches of Olivier Roy and other thinkers.
Author
Erdal Turna
43 articles · Writing for PUGAT 2021–2026 · 5 series
Articles · page 4
Victim (and) Law
The law defines a victim only as someone harmed by a crime, yet unjust arrangements and power struggles also create victims. The author questions the forms of victimhood that fall outside the law.
The Banality and Normalisation of Victimhood
As the state’s mistreatment of a group becomes ordinary, society grows inured to victimhood. The author questions the process that leads from individual trauma to collective victimhood.
The Victim
Every story of victimisation based on names, identities and beliefs hides humanity’s ancient weaknesses: envy, arrogance, anger, hatred. An essay on victimhood.
Espionage and State Secrets
The Turkish Penal Code does not define espionage and does not question the spy’s motivation. This gap can expose civil servants who reveal crimes and journalists who report on them to espionage charges.
Is Metin Gürcan a Spy? Who Is Next?
Espionage is one of the easiest crimes to allege and the hardest to prove. Starting from Metin Gürcan’s arrest, the author questions the political use of espionage charges.
Is Jihadism Part of Political Islam?
The claim that a jihadist organisation has been “finished” is misleading, because members and ideology move on to other organisations. The article questions the relationship between jihadism and political Islam.
What Should a Person Fear?
We fear rulers with a dictator's soul, yet we do not fear failing to live up to what being human demands. The author questions where fear comes from and how power is wielded without restraint.
The Banality of Fear
Fear wounds the heart of the individual and breeds submission in society. The author questions how the culture of fear has become banal and the damage it does to individuals.
Prayer on the Motorway and the Problem of Spiritual Security
Footage of people stopping to pray in the middle of a motorway spread on social media. The author argues that an understanding of religion stripped of spirituality is an individual and social security problem.
