Salafism in Turkey: The Challenges of Spreading in a Sufi Society

Volume 5|Issue 25| Mar 2017 |Articles

Abstract

It is difficult to imagine an influential presence for Salafism in Turkey despite the talk of the "spread" of Salafism there. This must be accompanied by methodological questions that articulate the challenges related to the intellectual environment of the Turkish society. It also relates to the historical context and political competition amongst the Sunni community. One question is "How could Salafism have such a powerful presence in a Sufi society, whose empire had adopted the 'opinion approach' of Abu Hanifa and Maturidi and whose modern republic had adopted the philosophy of the West and secularism?" Both are contrary to the Salafi approach based on tradition and the literal commitment to the texts of the Quran, Hadith and the sayings of 'al-Salaf a-Saleh'. Another question is "How can Salafism overcome the historical and psychological barrier in Turkey that formed as a result of Ottoman-Saudi disputes at the beginning of the nineteenth century and whose intellectual effects have continued until a recent time?"

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Emad Kaddorah

Head of the Editing department at the ACRPS. He holds a PhD in International Relations and Middle East Studies from Sakarya University in Turkey. He obtained a Master's degree in Defense and Strategic Studies from Pune University in India, and has worked as a researcher and senior editor at a number of research centers, including the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research in Abu Dhabi (1998-2012), and the Middle East Studies Center in Amman (1994-1997). His published works include Turkey: An Ambitious Strategy and Constrained Policy, a Geopolitical Approach(2015). His research interests focus on Geopolitics, International Relations and Turkish Studies.

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