From Istanbul, with love
By Ceylan Ozbudak
Wednesday, 06 February 2013
Ceylan Ozbudak
I am a European, a woman, and a Muslim resident of Istanbul. In a Muslim land, I enjoy a life of freedom and opportunity in a modern, beautiful city, which has been Muslim since 1453. If I am accused of a crime, I have all the due process rights of anyone in Philadelphia or Sydney or Montreal. If I want to travel, I have a car. I have a challenging occupation, a comfortable home; access to the press, and the vote. I enjoy more liberties than any reasonable person would care to exercise. With these blessings, it’s hard not to be puzzled at the great hue and cry, which the sections of the Western press often create about the lack of full democracy or human rights in Turkey. If we in Turkey are not good enough, then which nation among Muslims is acceptable? And as Arabs cry for freedom and democracy after the Arab spring, if not Turkey, which Muslim nation should they emulate?
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