The victory of the Justice and Development Party in Turkey in November may

herald a significant new development for modernizing Islam the formation of

a party with Islamic roots that, like Europes Christian Democratic parties,
plays by the secular rules of governance despite its religious inspiration. How
this experiment fares will do much to affect not only the composition of Europe,
but how Islam interacts with the liberal civilization of the West as a whole.
Orhan Pamuk, perhaps Turkeys most famous writer today, discusses this topic
with Greek NPQ editor, Michael Skafidas. Other contributions to this section

Islam, Soft and Hard

include Wole Soyinkas reflections on the Muslim fanatics rampage against the

ORHAN PAMUK

This computer
filecontest
is the
property
of Steven
Miss World
in Nigeria,
forcing its relocation
to LondonRachwal
(where it was
WOLE SOYINKA

won by Miss Turkey). Sonia Gandhi, the widow of Rajiv Gandhi and leader of the

in the age of terrorism. Abudrrahman Wahid, the Muslim leader and former

opposition
Congress Party
in India, discusses
the example ofownership
Indian tolerance
Design. Steven
Rachwal
Design
maintains

VALRY GISCARD DESTAING

president of Indonesia, and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, discuss the

of this
file at all times, and only authorizes
SONIA computer
GANDHI
bombing in Bali by radical Isalmists.

JOS RAMOS-HORTA

the use of this file to make film and printing plates

ABDURRAHMAN WAHID

one time. Any additional use of this file, whether for

sales, alterations or copying is strictly prohibited with

out written permission and fair compensation to

Steven Rachwal Design.

WINTER 2003

that the organizers agreed to shift the date for the finale out of respect for Ramadan,

Nigerian soil, the fundamentalist agenda mounted a rampage. It was not sufficient

, In order to stop the Miss World pageant from taking place on

W N L.

S, M

N N . A

WOLE SOYINKA

Beauty and the Beast

the Muslim season of fasting and purification and lest it be

The pattern has become weari

forgotten peace. It was not sufficient that, as yet another

somely familiar an imagined

concession, the absurd decision was taken that the competitors

slight or disrespect, even

This
computer file is the property of Steven Rachwal
head of state, President Olusegun Obasanjo, had earlier agreed
would not appear in swimsuits in the finale. Additionally, the

governmental failure to promptly

to receive the contestants in a courtesy call; he withdrew in

acquiesce in unreasonable

Design.
Rachwal
Design
deference toSteven
Muslim sensibilities.
All these merely
whetted themaintains ownership
appetite of the beast of intolerance, to whom a superficial loss of

demands that infringe on the

civic rights of others, and the

of this
at all times, and only authorizes
face can computer
only be assuaged by a file
loss of lives.
The newspaper that allegedly committed the offense,

response is violence unleashed

on an unsuspecting populace!

publication that gave offense. This apology was sententiously accepted by Muslim

the use of this file to make film and printing plates

ThisDay, published fulsome apologies and retraction of the

and the Supreme Islamic Council, laying emphasis that the newspaper in
oneleaders
time.
Any additional use of this file, whether for
question showed contrition and remorse.

stern rebuke to the fanatic hordes that swept through the streets of Kaduna,

Nothing in the statement of the Muslim leaders, however, considered an

sales,
alterations or copying is strictly prohibited withexpression of remorse necessary for the loss of innocent lives nor administered a

held to have wounded the sensibilities of others. A society that tolerates the murder

as mine, and the nature of due response that is permissible when such freedoms are

later, the issue of the freedom of expression must be addressed within societies such

of mayhem whose flare-up now appears to have been temporarily doused. Sooner or

ThisDay, the indicted newspaper, since my intention is not to fan awake the embers

I shall withhold comment for now on the appropriateness of the apology of

unsuspecting populace!

infringe on the civic rights of others, and the response is violence unleashed on an

even governmental
failure toDesign.
promptly acquiesce in unreasonable demands that
Steven
Rachwal

The pattern has become wearisomely familiar an imagined slight or disrespect,

outburning
written
permission and fair compensation to
and butchering.

WINTER 2003

response is a society that is breaking apart beyond all remedy.

For now, let this be clearly understood: the alleged offense by the newspaper
which merely reported the comment made by a citizen was only an excuse.
Anything at all, anything or nothing, would have served as the trigger of a
predictable rioting. If an offending statement had not conveniently appeared, the
rioters would have invented one or rioted without one. The minds that we are
dealing with feel obliged to prove, time and time again, that they would go to any
lengths to impose their concept of appropriate human conduct on their immediate
society and even on the world.
The parameters of offense are now totally without definition and have turned

of innocents, or incitement to murder, as the interpretation of due and legitimate

infinitely expansible. While they deny others the right of freedom of expression, they
This computer
file is the property of Steven Rachwal
exercise theirs in the form of bloodletting. The streets of the ancient city of Kaduna
are awash with blood because of a group of bigoted murderers who will not accept

Design. Steven Rachwal

maintains
that itDesign
is the right of
others to express ownership
themselves in the

The streets of the ancient city

glorification of the human body.

of this computer file at Perhaps

all times,
only
at this pointand
it is necessary
for meauthorizes
to repeat my views

of Kaduna are awash with blood

because of a group of bigoted

on beauty pageants in general. I have always considered them a

frivolity that
does nothing
the condition
of womanthe use of this file to make
film
andto enhance
printing
plates

murderers who will not accept

that it is the right of others to

hood. However, this edition, its originally scheduled

location in a nation whose mostly peaceful secular coexistence

one time. Any additional
use of this file, whether for
has been brutally shattered, not once but repeatedly in recent

express themselves in the

glorification of the human body.

times, has been a critical event. Nigeria, in case anyone has

sales, alterations
or
copying
is strictly prohibited withforgotten, is that nation of more than states where a calculating political animal
suddenly unsheathed the sword of religious fundamentalism for purely political

out written permission

and
fair
compensation
tostates.
gains, setting a dangerous
example
that has
been followed by eight other

The governor of that state, Zamfara, declared his intention to rule the state on

various violent manifestations that we have witnessed since then, stemming from that
declaration, mostly engineered, have been a pursuit of a secessionist political agenda
that attempts to disguise itself in religious robes. The amputation of the hands of
thieves followed shortly, in defiance of the provisions of the nations criminal code
which let this be emphasized does grant Sharia laws their legitimacy, but sets
unambiguous limits on its application in the administration of justice.
The most notorious punitive measure of the Sharia states, however, has been the

strictly Sharia
principles. This, as I stated repeatedly, was an act of secession, and the
Steven Rachwal
Design.

WINTER 2003

sentencing of two women to death for alleged adultery. The first was acquitted on

judicial murder of the utmost sadism to be buried up to her neck and stoned to

appeal, on a technicality, while the latter, Safiyat, remains under that threat of

states is prepared to go that far. So what we are witnessing are simply sanguinary

step beyond the line of no return and, for a number of reasons, none of the seceding

the world that it will not, and the Sharia states understand this. To kill Safiyat is to

No, the sentence will not be carried out. The Nigerian government has assured

death. This will not happen, however.

incursions into the cohesion of the Nigerian nation, acts of

Given a choice between the

states are determined to assert a degree of autonomy that is not

bearded wannabe Taliban face

enjoyed by the rest of the member states and need not be

of any protagonist governor of

defiance intended to warn the government that the rebellious

compatible with the provisions of the constitution that define

This
computer file is the property of Steven Rachwal
the state known as Nigeria. When a state acts outside a constitu

Sharia, uttering his impreca

tions against the beauty contest

tion, it has effectively seceded from the entity that is governed

Design.
Steven Rachwal Design maintains ownership
by that constitution.

on television, and the sight of

sylphid aspirations of femininity

Yes, a beauty pageant is a trivial indulgence, and some may

of this
computer
file
atof womanhood.
all times,
argue that
it even diminishes the
status
How- and only authorizes

on parade, I have no hesitation

in opting for the latter.

ever, given a choice between the bearded wannabe Taliban face

against the beauty contest on television, and the sight of sylphid aspirations of

any protagonist
governor
of Sharia,
uttering his imprecations
theof use
of this
file
to make
film and printing plates

on parade, I have no hesitation in opting for the latter. Unfortunately, our

onefemininity
time.
Any additional use of this file, whether for
world is infested by minds to whom lissome limbs only evoke dreams of amputation.

In any case, Mr. Universe contests are equally ludicrous exercises in exhibition-

A lovely face makes them fantasize, even salivate on the messy pulp that will be left
sales,
alterations or copying is strictly prohibited withat the end of some Stone Age stoning ritual.

the Nigerian nation!

frivolity acquired such profundity in the pluralist character that is the very essence of

States I deliberately took time off to argue against the boycott. Never has a

place where a boycott was threatened such as South Africa, Italy and the United

assumed serious sociopolitical dimensions. Whenever my travels took me to any

version being held in Nigeria, it became something other than a beauty contest and

From the moment that I learned of sectarian opposition to the female Universe

assertive and literal than the tightly packaged crotches of the male ballet dancer.

Universe Rachwal
competitors wear skimpy
pants with recognizable bulges, only slightly less
Steven
Design.

those grotesque abdominal muscles and the flexing of improbable biceps. Mr.

outism,written
and
compensation
to
and I have yetpermission
to hear of any riots taking
place fair
on account
of the exposure of

WINTER 2003

community, saddening and enraging, but the organizers of the beauty contest, as
well as the participants, must understand that they are totally free of guilt. The guilty
are the storm troopers of intolerance, the manipulators of

Destruction of property and human massacres are always traumatic events in a

feeble-minded but murderous hordes of fanaticism.

The phenomenon of intolerance

The nation will mourn the dead and render aid to the

is eating up a world that can only

maimed and bereaved, but that same nation must understand

that it will itself join the graveyard of nations if it fails to uphold

the principles of plurality, choice and tolerance. The phenomenon of intolerance is

eating up a world that can only survive on peaceful coexistence. The accommodating are in retreat on so many fronts, little understanding that every abandoned space

survive on peaceful coexistence.

of coexistence is immediately occupied by the aggressive agenda of fanatics. They

This computer
file is the property of Steven Rachwal
advance again and again to demand and seize more concessions, more demands on
the way of life of others. The mind of the zealot is an insatiable dark hole, engorging

Design. Steven
Design
maintains ownership
all thatRachwal
makes life light and
bearable.

of this computer file at all times, and only authorizes

the use of this file to make film and printing plates

one time. Any additional use of this file, whether for

sales, alterations or copying is strictly prohibited with

out written permission and fair compensation to

Steven Rachwal Design.

WINTER 2003