More than any other nation in the world, Turkey has conveyed its extreme anger in reacting to a recent Swiss referendum that bans the construction of minarets in Switzerland.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul said the vote was a "disgrace" for Switzerland. Turkey's Minister for European Affairs Egemin Bagis made an appeal to Muslims in which he asked them to withdraw their money from Swiss banks, and urged them to choose Turkish banks.
It is ironic that Turkey is so upset with Switzerland for banning minarets, because Turkey has suppressed Christian freedom and growth in its Islamic country for many years. Turkey's anger with Switzerland illustrates par excellence the adage that says "people who live in glass houses should not throw stones."
Today, it is almost impossible to build a new church in Turkey, or even return an old unused church to its original use, according to the Asia News website.
Despite promises by Turkey several months ago that it would soon reopen the Orthodox Theological School of Halki -- which Turkey shut down in 1971 -- nothing has been done about its reopening. Moreover, there is no sign that it will reopen anytime soon.
Although the Turkish government has been reassuring the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch for several years that steps would be taken with respect to religious freedom, Christians continue to have a difficult time finding a church that is open. Many Christians in Turkey continue to experience social discrimination; consequently, they choose not to show their religious identity in public.
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