AlpErTunga
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I have read posts from a brother Turk as well as from Hon Alamgir, who obviously view Ata Turk in a different light. As a student of history, specially history of non Arab muslims; history of Turks and Ottomons is very close to my heart. I would take this opportunity of noting down what I think about Kemal Ata Turk.
Firslty the Tukish Khalifas. Initially Ottomon Turks only called themselves Sultans. From 1517 ( Selim -1) Turkish Sultans assumed the title of Khalifa or Allah's Representative on Earth. This was not the traditional Khilaafat but actually self proclaimed. This was used as an excuse to conquer other Islamic states such as the Mamlukes of Egypt. This resulted in Sultan Selim-1taking over the control of holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Mamluke rulers, despite having control over Hijaz, out of respect of the Abbasides, installed one of the Abbaside line as Khalifa in Cairo, even though real power as Sultans was always theirs.
If one scrutinizes character of the Turkish Sultans in Islamic context, their assumption of the title of Khalifa appears to be a travesty. Most of them drank heavily, had hundreds of wives and harams and made laws contrary to Islam. For example, Sulaiman the Magnificient (Qanuni) made a law that among the Royal Princes, whosoever wins the power, will kill all the rest of the princes of royal blood. This rule was later changed and unsucessful claiments were kept in golden cages. Pray tell me, is this the act of a Khalifa??
Ottomon power declined due to the reasons that all empires decline; nepotism, palace intrigues, corruption and moral turpitude; in short rot from within. By the late 19th Century she was known as 'Sickman of Europe'. There were no doubt many attempts to cure the ills such as reforms by Mehmat II ( Tanzimaat of 1839 ) but it only delayed the inevitable. Russo - Turkish wars of 1877-1879 was the beginning of the end. Young Turks movement of 1908, Balkan wars of 1912 and WW1 hurried up the end. All Ottomon Caliphate did was to provide a symbolic figure for the muslim ummah, nothing more. I respect Ali brothers immensely but IMO they were being naive when they launched the Khilaafat movement. What were they saving??
This piece of history is partly true; but wide partly...
They were fighting the English. Real culprits in the fall of the Ottomon empire were the Arabs. Wahabis waged war against the Ottomon Turks and were finally defeated in 1813 (Mohammad Ali Pasha of Egypt) and Hijaz recoverd for the Ottomon Kahlifa. Has any mullah dared to issue fatwa against Wahabis who took up arms against the Khalifa tul Muslimeen ??
Muslim Arabs again sided with the English in WW1; this resulted in the loss of Syria, Jordan, Plaestine, Iraq and Hijaz from the control of the Turkish Khalifa.
That's the thing, I repeat oftenly...
Sorry... I could not get the meaning of MMA...I know that MMA cringe at the name of Kemal Ata Turk.
I admit that he was no angel. For example, initially Enver Pasha was one the heros of the young turks and led the Coup d'etat of 1913.
And this coup d'état caused that Ottoman Empire became a German puppet and joint to the WW1...
He was also a military genius and was responsible for the British defeat of Dardanells. He was sidelined by Kemal Ata Turk and now virtually forgotten.
Enver Pasha has no action about Dardanelles Victory. This info is completely wrong.
IMO Kemal Ata Turk, except for his banning to reading of Quran in Arabic and trying to purify the Turkish language by removing all Arabic and Persian words, was an exceptional leader.
Do you think these are negative reforms? Do you know when reform and Enlightenment Age begun in the Europe? It begun with translation of Bible from Latin into German by Martin Luther... What does it mean? Real religion only can be lived by being understood by people... Otherwise pope was selling the key of the Heaven and the church was getting richer and richer... This is the medieval mind... I like Arabic and Persian but I hate Arabic and Persian in my mothertongue, Turkish.
We need one in Pakistan to get rid of the Talibaan/ Al Qaeda menace.
All world has need, unfortunately...
No doubt I believe that Islam is for ever and for all ages. But perception of what is true Islam change over time. Wahabis were at one time called the biggest enemy of Islam and today are the leaders of Sunni Islamic world in form of Saudi Arabia.
And I suggest you to search for roots of Wahabism... You will find Britain, again...
Thanks.