Gauck's response about death penalties in Egypt was about Germans and Europeans. There is a death penalty but not the Egyptians who are sentenced to it
If a European begins a sentence with "we Europeans" and he is intending to talk particularly about the rest of Europe, think twice there! Because, most probably he will forget universal values and global realities in a few seconds. If there is apparent dirt in the situation, he will clean his hands and then withdraw into his shell quietly.If he continues his words with "we Europeans" with a kind threat and humiliation, you should not be surprised.
I do not know whether you followed or not, during a joint press conference between President Abdullah Gül and his German counterpart Joachim Gauck, journalists asked them what they thought about the death warrants in Egypt. Gül began his statement with, "These are incomprehensible decisions and it is impossible for us to accept these sorts of punishments."That is to say, he drew the universal line even in the beginning. As for Gauck, he gave a national reaction in a naive and ridiculous manner, as if he was asked about a death penalty which was given because of an ordinary crime. He said, "There is no death penalty in Germany." Then Gauck spoke of preserving the "colonial distance" between Europe and "the other world". "We Europeans do not make sense of capital punishment. We are anxious about it," he said. He also called Egypt's military junta a "transition period" and demanded a more balanced judgment. That was all.The picture that remained after Gauck's response:A colonial solidity that does not take Egyptian people's demand and struggle for democracy as seriously as the demands of leftist groups in Turkey's Middle East Technical University.
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We all understand that digital technology and new economy excited all of us in the recent years. Additionally, there is no one like us in attributing mystical meanings to calendars.Once the 21st century is mentioned, we think that the 20th century will go away completely.
We think that change of political strategies will also force the Western mind to change. This is really too superficial and an optimistic Outlook.There is still no genuine universe for the concepts of universal values, democracy and law. The West uses these notions in line with its own pleasures and interests.
Now, I think of Camus' masterpiece novel "The Stranger." The novel starts at the scene of a murder. The novel's protagonist, Meursault, kills an Arab. But the reason of his killing is not clear. Meursault's mother dies, his mind is confused and it is hot outside. That is all. The murderer's megrims make him overlook the humanity of the murdered. The murdered is not addressed with a name. From the beginning of the novel to its end, we know him as "Arab" and there is no information about his past. Thus, we care more about Meursault's blues while failing to understand the sorrow of what Arab left behind. "The Stranger" is a novel which has directive hints in understanding neo-colonialist mentality.
Now, take all of these into consideration and visualize: You are asking Gauck about death penalties in Egypt. He immediately talks about Germans and Europeans. He is drawing a complicated picture in which there is a death penalty but not the Egyptians who are sentenced to it. Is this not also the case for the whole of Europe in terms of their attitude toward Syria? They are against murder and the murdered. That is why the world always rotates in the same path. The West always wins, whereas it loses senses of humanity and justice.
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