Ponte Academic Journal Mar 2016, Volume 72, Issue 3 |
Language, Religion and Islamic Nationalist Movements in Turkey Author(s): RECEP GULMEZ J. Ponte - Mar 2016 - Volume 72 - Issue 3 doi: 10.21506/j.ponte.2016.3.26 Abstract: This study investigates Islamic movements in Turkey to reveal their views on language, using an inductive method. It is concerned with relation between religion, language, and Islamic identity. Language is an integral part of the creation of nationalism and national identity as well as religion. Language and religion have always contributed to the creation of identity now as a whole then seperately. Building a secular and nationalist identity has always been challenged by Islamists or ethno-nationalist separatist movements, especially in Turkey. Following the declaration of the Republic of Turkey, the debate on language and religion broke out, and Islamist groups opposed secularism. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) being in power, orders and communities, which are the actors of political Islam, have re-emerged, and are sociologically participants in every layer of society. The views of Islamic movements on national culture and language, whether they act according to the transformational Turkey in the Middle East are points of interest in this study. Whether Islamic movements with ummah approach to people is nationalist or adapts a kind of linguistic nationalism is the question this paper deals with. This study comparatively examines Turkish-Islam synthesis that demonstrates the relation between language and religion in Turkey and reveals the development of religion and language in the secular environment of the West. Ideological tendencies and views on language, of the Nur movement, the Nakshbandis, and Sulaymanists in an inductive manner, based on the votes they cast for political parties are also treated. This study first examines the relationship of language and religion with nationalism, and presents the views of the aforementioned movements on the Turkish language. However, the aim is inductive, which is based on previous studies and the tendencies of the movements towards political parties. This study will contribute to the studies on the relation of language, religion, and ethnic identity. The results suggest that Islamic movements, actors of political Islam in Turkey, contribute to the researches on linguistic nationalism and religious identity.
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