Kemal Ataturk's Islamic Modernism

This assignment delves into the concept of Islamic modernism as exemplified by Kemal Ataturk. It examines his views on Islam, freedom of religion, and cultural constraints, and how these ideas influenced later thinkers like Saira Khan. The essay provides a comparative analysis of their perspectives, highlighting the commonalities in their approaches to re-interpreting Islam for the modern world.

Running Head: History 1
History

History 2
Introduction:
Islamic Modernism and revival are considered as two approaches from different replies, and both
these approaches operate within the framework of Islam to Western colonial influence. In other
words, political decline of Muslim powers in the 18th Century. Islamic modernist faces different
types of criticism or rivalry. The technological, scientific, and legal achievements of the west
mainly intended to overcome an apparent contribution in the development of Islamic Societies.
Revivalists of Islamic objected to Western colonial exploitation of Muslim Countries and also
the imposition of western secular values1.
This essay answer the question “How do you think Kemal Ataturk would have responded to later
Islamic modernists such as Sheikh Kabir and/or Saira Khan?”. Lastly, paper is concluded with
brief conclusion.
Islamic modernism:
Ideas of Islamic modernist mainly encourage the re-interpretation of Islam which would fit in
with the modern world. These ideas were formulated during the last decades of the 19th century
on the basis of the acknowledgement that world of Muslim lost their position across the globe.
Number of modernists believes that reason of this loss was lack of understanding of Muslim
countries in context of understanding of science. There were number of countries which were
influences by the idea of Islamic modernists such as Turkey, India, Egypt, etc2.
The evolution of Turkey in the early 1900s was considered as one of the biggest evolution which
results in drastic social and cultural changes in the history of Islam. In few short years, Empire of
Ottoman was collapsed and it was also considered as breakdown of Islamic history, and this
result in development of new secular nation known as Turkey. It must be noted that, costs of
these changes are still recognized in the Muslim World. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938)
was an officer of Army, and he was the person who founded an independent Republic of Turkey.
He was considered as biggest Islamic modernists. As stated by Mustafa Kemal’s, the Turks were
a great nation before they accepted the Arab’s religion. When Turkey adopted the religion of
Arab’s, that time religion adopted by them does not combine the Arabs, the Persians and the
Egyptians with the Turks to constitute a nation.
Idea of Mustafa Kemal related to Islamic history helped him in pushing his national agenda. By
using the Turkish identity as a rallying point, Kemal influenced few officers of unite former
Ottoman in the war of independence during the period of early 1920. With the help of these
officers he expelled the forces of the Greeks, British, and French.
1 PMR, Islam and Modernity, < https://pmr.uchicago.edu/sites/pmr.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/Masud_Islamic
%20Modernism.pdf>, accessed on 26th February 2018.
2 MOHD ELFIE NIESHAEM JUFERI, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: The Enemy of Islam (2005), <
https://www.bismikaallahuma.org/history/mustafa-kemal-ataturk-enemy-islam/>, accessed on 26th February 2018.

History 3
By the year 1922, Kemal allowed the Turks to get free from the boundaries of foreign occupation
and grabbed the opportunities by establishing the modern Republic of Turkey, and this
establishment was led by the Grand National Assembly, the GNA, in Ankara3.
Kemal unrestrained the member of the family and because of this People’s party was created and
this party becomes dominant in the politics in Turkey. Kemal also established Kurds armed
rebels for the purpose of suppressing the minority. These minorities include almost 20%
population of the Turkey. Ataturk established the tribunals for the purpose of suppressing the
rebels, and these tribunals passed order against the Kurd and even killed some of these rebels. On
the other hand, this tribunal also banned the publication of different Liberal, conservative, and
Marxist publications. Ataturk introduced new policies related to economy for the purpose of
ensuring economic dependence of the turkey. For all this purpose, he established a strong party
and strong army for suppressing the oppositions and rebels, and he became successful in his idea
of modernization4.
It must be noted that, Kemal was not against the Islam, but he understands the actual meaning of
Islam. He supported freedom of the religion and tried to convey the actual meaning of the Islam.
In other words, his idea of modernization of Islam was developed for changing the wrong image
of Muslim world5. There are number of Islamic modernists who support the ideas and policies of
Kemal.
Presently, Saira khan also supports the idea of Islam modernist and demands the breakdown of
all cultural constraints imposed by Islam on their followers. She mainly abandoned the
restrictions imposed on Muslim women by the Islamic priests such as wearing Hijab. In other
words, it can be said that Saira follows the path of Kemal Ataturk and also supports his idea of
modernists6. Saira Khan understands the true meaning of Islam and refused to follow these
cultural constraints. Similarly, Kemal Ataturk understands the actual purpose of the Islam and
does not supports cultural constraints.
Kemal Ataturk ideas definitely provide support to these modern modernists and also encourage
them to follow this path by understanding the true meaning of Islam. Kemal also supported the
3 Ejaz Ahmad malikjada, Modernization, Amanullah Khan and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk: A comparative review of
Modernization process, <
http://www.academia.edu/8326219/Modernization_Amanullah_Khan_and_Mustafa_Kemal_Ataturk_A_comparati
ve_review_of_Modernization_process>, accessed on 26th February 2018.
4 History, KEMAL ATATÜRK, < http://www.history.com/topics/kemal-ataturk>, accessed on 26th February 2018.
5 Ruhi Figlali, Atatürk And The Religion Of Islam, < http://www.atam.gov.tr/dergi/sayi-26/ataturk-and-the-religion-
of-islam>, accessed on 26th February 2018.
6 Mirror, Apprentice star Saira Khan on racism, headscarves and the new man in her life, (2012), <
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/apprentice-star-saira-khan-on-racism-425317>, accessed on 26th
February 2018.

History 4
idea of these new Islamic modernists and provide aid in developing this architectural modern
thinking.
Conclusion:
Ideas of Islamic modernist mainly encourage the re-interpretation of Islam which would fit in
with the modern world. Kemal was not against the Islam and he understands the actual meaning
of Islam. He supports freedom of the religion and tries to convey actual meaning of the Islam to
peoples.

History 5
References:
Ejaz Ahmad malikjada, Modernization, Amanullah Khan and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk: A
comparative review of Modernization process, <
http://www.academia.edu/8326219/Modernization_Amanullah_Khan_and_Mustafa_Kemal_Atat
urk_A_comparative_review_of_Modernization_process>, accessed on 26th February 2018.
History, Kemal Atatürk, < http://www.history.com/topics/kemal-ataturk>, accessed on 26th
February 2018.
Mirror, Apprentice star Saira Khan on racism, headscarves and the new man in her life, (2012), <
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/apprentice-star-saira-khan-on-racism-425317>,
accessed on 26th February 2018.
Mohd Elfie Nieshaem Juferi, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk: The Enemy of Islam (2005), <
https://www.bismikaallahuma.org/history/mustafa-kemal-ataturk-enemy-islam/>, accessed on
26th February 2018.
PMR, Islam and Modernity, <
https://pmr.uchicago.edu/sites/pmr.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/Masud_Islamic
%20Modernism.pdf>, accessed on 26th February 2018.
Ruhi Figlali, Atatürk And The Religion Of Islam, <
http://www.atam.gov.tr/dergi/sayi-26/ataturk-and-the-religion-of-islam>, accessed on 26th
February 2018.