Erdogan scapegoats Zoroastrians

[MD]

Don’t be ungrateful, Erdoğan tells protesting workers at rally

"Apparently referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), he also claimed to have documents proving that they teach Zoroastrianism in mountain camps."

Typical

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Don’t be ungrateful, Erdoğan tells protesting workers at rally

"Apparently referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), he also claimed to have documents proving that they teach Zoroastrianism in mountain camps."

Typical

My immediate thought is this is a result of Erdogan's attempt to increase direct Islamic influence on Turkey's government. If he can convince enough people that the PKK are teaching a foreign religion then he might be hoping to turn enough of his supporters against them on religious grounds; making it that much harder for Turkish Kurds to have their calls for nationhood taken seriously.

 

[MD]

My immediate thought is this is a result of Erdogan's attempt to increase direct Islamic influence on Turkey's government. If he can convince enough people that the PKK are teaching a foreign religion then he might be hoping to turn enough of his supporters against them on religious grounds; making it that much harder for Turkish Kurds to have their calls for nationhood taken seriously.

Some Kurdish separatist groups are trying to create new ways to separate themselves from their neighbours, so they look at Zoroastrianism as a cultural symbol rather than a religion.

The religion isn't all that foreign, it was the main religion of the Kurds up until a few centuries ago. The Kurds were probably the hardest Zoroastrians to subdue, and it took several Arabic and later Iranian campaigns to subdue and convert them. The battles were fierce, with many times the Islamic armies losing. But they won through attrition.

You are however right on your Erdogan analysis, he is using this as an excuse to create a new sense of Islamic nationalism in Turkey.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Some Kurdish separatist groups are trying to create new ways to separate themselves from their neighbours.

The religion isn't all that foreign, it was the main religion of the Kurds up until a few centuries ago. The Kurds were probably the hardest Zoroastrians to subdue, and it took several Arabic and later Iranian campaigns to subdue and convert them. The battles were fierce, with many times the Islamic armies losing. But they won through attrition.

And there's the religio-political and historical context I was lacking. Regarding the bit I emboldened; Zoroastrianism may not be too different from Islam - at the end of the day for some people it just has to be not-Islam and that by dint of the fact makes it bad.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

Well as we've learned recently it turns out this was true - that the Kurds are converting back to Zoroastrianism. I thought it was Erdogan stirring the koolaid but apparently not.

 

[MD]

Well as we've learned recently it turns out this was true - that the Kurds are converting back to Zoroastrianism. I thought it was Erdogan stirring the koolaid but apparently not.

I think it still is Erdogan stirring the Koolaid, the numbers of Kurds converting is around 50-100k, the vast majority are Muslim.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

I think it still is Erdogan stirring the Koolaid, the numbers of Kurds converting is around 50-100k, the vast majority are Muslim.

That's just the number that link gave. It'll be damn near impossible to independently verify to any degree of accuracy; not with all the chaos in the area just now. It'd have to wait until populations have settled and peace returns. Who knows we might even see new Zoroastrian temples being built in Kurdish regions!

 

[Jimmybawa]

And there's the religio-political and historical context I was lacking. Regarding the bit I emboldened; Zoroastrianism may not be too different from Islam - at the end of the day for some people it just has to be not-Islam and that by dint of the fact makes it bad.

Zoroastrianism is the diametric antithesis of Islam in that there are no rules proscribing this or promulgating that .

You are instead encouraged to use your intellect and make decisions based on simple basic tenets that any ethical person would observe ordinarily anyway.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Erdogans may come, stay and go; but such encouragement/endorsement will make Turkey more fundamentalist. That is what happened to Pakistan in Zia-ul-Haq's time.