Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs
While victimhood has been studied from very different perspectives, the question how secular nation states have instrumentalised religion for the politics of victimhood has not been studied. This paper addresses this gap in the literature on victimhood by analysing the empirical case of Turkey. As i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/10/841 |
| _version_ | 1797513249096204288 |
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| author | Ihsan Yilmaz Ismail Albayrak |
| author_facet | Ihsan Yilmaz Ismail Albayrak |
| author_sort | Ihsan Yilmaz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While victimhood has been studied from very different perspectives, the question how secular nation states have instrumentalised religion for the politics of victimhood has not been studied. This paper addresses this gap in the literature on victimhood by analysing the empirical case of Turkey. As is well known, the constitutionally secular Turkish state, first under the rule of the Kemalists and now Erdoganists, has been using the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to propagate the state ideology to the faithful. This paper shows that the Turkish state has recently been using Islam to construct and disseminate a religious victimhood narrative, mainly based on conspiracy theories via the Diyanet’s Friday sermons. To do this, the article investigates the texts, such as the sermons produced by the Diyanet that are read verbatim, in every mosque in Turkey during Friday prayers that are attended by more than half of the adult male population. The paper contributes to the victimhood literature by showing how religion, i.e., Islam, has been instrumentalised by a secular state in the construction of an Islamist populist and civilisationist victimhood narrative. Further studies are needed to see if and to what extent the Islamist victimhood narrative of the Turkish state has been impactful on the mosque-goers in the country. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:14:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ef4763f63ec4b878a81c3883fe616ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:14:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ef4763f63ec4b878a81c3883fe616ca2023-11-22T19:51:56ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442021-10-01121084110.3390/rel12100841Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious AffairsIhsan Yilmaz0Ismail Albayrak1Faculty of Arts and Education, Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, AustraliaSchool of Theology, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3002, AustraliaWhile victimhood has been studied from very different perspectives, the question how secular nation states have instrumentalised religion for the politics of victimhood has not been studied. This paper addresses this gap in the literature on victimhood by analysing the empirical case of Turkey. As is well known, the constitutionally secular Turkish state, first under the rule of the Kemalists and now Erdoganists, has been using the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to propagate the state ideology to the faithful. This paper shows that the Turkish state has recently been using Islam to construct and disseminate a religious victimhood narrative, mainly based on conspiracy theories via the Diyanet’s Friday sermons. To do this, the article investigates the texts, such as the sermons produced by the Diyanet that are read verbatim, in every mosque in Turkey during Friday prayers that are attended by more than half of the adult male population. The paper contributes to the victimhood literature by showing how religion, i.e., Islam, has been instrumentalised by a secular state in the construction of an Islamist populist and civilisationist victimhood narrative. Further studies are needed to see if and to what extent the Islamist victimhood narrative of the Turkish state has been impactful on the mosque-goers in the country.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/10/841victimhoodconspiracy theoriespopulismcivilisationismseditionAKP |
| spellingShingle | Ihsan Yilmaz Ismail Albayrak Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs Religions victimhood conspiracy theories populism civilisationism sedition AKP |
| title | Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs |
| title_full | Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs |
| title_fullStr | Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs |
| title_short | Instrumentalization of Religious Conspiracy Theories in Politics of Victimhood: Narrative of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs |
| title_sort | instrumentalization of religious conspiracy theories in politics of victimhood narrative of turkey s directorate of religious affairs |
| topic | victimhood conspiracy theories populism civilisationism sedition AKP |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/10/841 |
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