Jim Murphy

Did you mention Article 301 during your meeting, the Hrant Dink trial or Turkey's continuing denial of the Armenian Genocide?

Posted by Hrag on April 02, 2008 at 03:33 PM BST #

Oh dear,Jims doing the Turkey Trot again. Since promoting Turkey and Israel seem to be his specialities I suppose we must get used to it though whatever he writes on the subject comes across as a strange mix of a Hollywood publicity agent using every trick to promote-in this case- a horror film and frankly simple insanity He starts by saying Turkeys importance is shown by Istanbul-'A massive and impressive city' In many ways I would agree.Its packed full of historical treasures and the Bosphoros with its cheap boat buses is exciting-do visit. But he ignores the other realities.He cleverly uses 'massive'.Why not the more obvious- 'hugely populated'? It has between 12 and 15 milion people and is growing very quickly. Just as Turkey would be the biggest country in the EU so Istanbul would be its biggest-and most poverty stricken city And its ancient historicity extends to the people and the present tension on the streets.Those thousands of swarming resentful young men with that down trodden look found in any poor dictatorship-most wearing cheap black suits-presumably a kind of accepted uniform-too bright western clothing being presumably as unacceptable as Islamic costume-and the noise of the call to prayer-nothing romantic here but a huge 500 watt blast that almost has westerners kneeling in deference. The sense of oppression is everywhere.Using my video camera one dark night I was mistakenly stopped by policemen-apparently Turks are not allowed to video in the streets. And all the time the awareness of the small percentage of the rich and secular in their blocks of luxury flats probably at smart cocktail parties with Mr Murphy.... 'It is a gateway between Christianity and Islam' That is meaningless Hollywood garbage.The two religions are totally separate whatever gloss is put on their heritages by desperate Christian leaders trying to prop up their own declining flocks. I have great espect for Islam-I have a number of Arab friends..I have by chance shaken hands with Gaddafi -Saddam Hussein-the Emir of Kuwait and Lady Thatcher-yet I have always noticed the subtle depressing changes that come over intelligent Muslim girls even from rich families as they enter their teens and become aware that the walls of social restriction are closing in.The entire culture of Christian Europe would change with Turkish entry. Murphy says 'In the EU Turkey will gain influence-thats certainly true-but do we want that? Murphy says'It will not only be the voice of one proud nation' It is certainly proud and with America one of the most fanatically nationalistic nations in the world having behind it the force of a billion Muslims.' Do we want those kind of colossal pressures in the EU? Murphy says 'It shouldnt reform to please the EU but for its own people' Well if thats the case,why hasnt Turkey made the reforms already? And here we should look at a recent article in the International Herald Tribune 1st April 08 by Stephen Castle headed 'Backsliding in Reform in EU States' Apparently ,surprise surprise,the recent EU entrants have slowed down on the reform promises they made to get into the EU and are now even backsliding regarding their commitments,much to the consternation of Brussels which has indicated that apparently- 'The maturity of political culture and civil societyin these new entrants was never measured' It would perhaps be better if Murphy stopped wasting his time promoting Turkey and assuring then that entry is a done deal and concentrated on sorting out the present problems with the latest entrants who are already causing Brussels so much trouble. I am sure viewers of the videos on view here will have noticed Mr Murphys remarkably quiet, soft and seductive voice. It is a voice that could certainly lure any unwary person up a dangerous dark alley-and he is using it here to do precisely that.

Posted by Lord Truth on April 03, 2008 at 05:09 PM BST #