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From Arabization to Turkfication Ertugrul and Pakistani Nationalism

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Ertugrul’ sparks questions over Pakistani nationalism
The Turkish drama series is highly popular, but Pakistan needs less, not more, foreign inspiration
By GHAZANFAR ALI GAREWALMAY 28, 2020
Ertugrul.jpg

A family in Islamabad watch the Turkish drama series Dirilis: Ertugrul telecast on Pakistan's state-run channel PTV Home during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo: AFP / Aamir Qureshi
Last October, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested that his countrymen watch a historic action thriller, Drilis: Ertugrul (“Resurrection: Ertugrul”). Aired on Netflix, this Turkish drama series claims international viewership. The Ertugrul craze reached unimaginable heights in Pakistan.

Although Turkish drama series have been aired before in Pakistan, Ertugrul is breaking all the previous records. According to a rough estimate, around 134 million people watched it from April 25 to May 14. As requested by Prime Minister Khan, Ertugrul was dubbed in Urdu and aired on the state-run channel PTV. The viewership of PTV’s YouTube channel has gone above 2 million while the popularity of series increasing with every passing day.

It would be an altogether different debate if, in Pakistan, Ertugrul were projected and perceived just as a drama. However, its depiction and description as a source of inspiration has exposed layers confusion that shroud the issue of nationalism in Pakistan.

In October 2019, Imran Khan expressed his dissatisfaction with the content of Pakistani drama serials. He criticized the national film industry for its imitation of Indian and American cinema. According to him, revival of past Islamic glory, remembrance of Muslim heroes and presenting narratives that are driven by the Muslim world instead of the West were compelling reasons to air Ertugrul.

In many ways, he seems to be right, but what is this Pakistani obsession with importing foreign ideologies, heroes and history when it comes to shaping the contours of nationalism in the country?


Imported confusions?
There are three main layers of confusion in which Pakistaniat (Pakistani nationalism) is shrouded. The first is internal.

Pakistan is a diverse multi-ethnic nation. It is a nation divided among Sindhis, Balochis, Pashtuns and Pathans. Ethnic debates have not been settled. This issue keeps stirring up political troubles on the floors of the National Assembly and the Senate.

The second layer is Pakistan’s affiliation with the Muslim world.

From its inception, the debate that embroiled a nascent Pakistan in never-ending internal strife was its status as an Islamic Republic. Since then, the country has been divided among hardcore religious ideologues and secular liberals, with no moderate scion in sight.

We affiliate ourselves with Saudi Arabia because of our Sunni majority, and with Iran because of the Shiite population in the country. Riyadh and Tehran can be labeled as hardcore religious conservatives in the Muslim world. Pakistan’s associating with them implies a trickle-down effect of religious ideologies in the minds of its nationals.

The perilous effects can be seen in the form of Islamabad’s involvement in Afghan jihad in the 1980s, the Sunni-Shia rift, and mushrooming growth of religious militant outfits in the country.

As if associating with the two poles of the Islamic world were not enough, our statesmen try to bring us closer to Malaysia, known as a progressive, liberal Muslim country. But the saga of Pakistan’s foreign attachments remains incomplete if Turkey is left out. One shade brighter, Istanbul is more progressive than Malaysia. Its progressive Western leanings are hard for Pakistanis to digest. Pakistani viewers, when they became aware of the Ertugrul cast’s Western lifestyles, began to post their resentment on social media.

In the end, what model or nation in the Islamic world do our statesmen want to present for Pakistanis to follow?

The third layer originates from Pakistan’s political inspirations from the Western world.

When Pakistan was a British colony, it followed the British political system. However, later on, when a parliamentary form of government did not go well with on-again, off-again military interventions, the US presidential system began to trend. To this day, Pakistani politicians and relevant stakeholders are unable to decide exactly which form of government suits the country. The pendulum of power keeps swinging from a parliamentary to a presidential system while the nation remains confused.

is now live. Linking accurate news, insightful analysis and local knowledge with the ATF China Bond 50 Index, the world's first benchmark cross sector Chinese Bond Indices. Read ATF now.

TAGGED:Imran KhanOpinionPakistanTurkey
GHAZANFAR ALI GAREWAL

Ghazanfar Ali Garewal is a lecturer in the international relations department of the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad and coordinator of the department. He holds an MS degree in international cooperation from Yonsei University, Seoul, an MSc in international relations from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and an MA in English from NUML. More by Ghazanfar Ali Garewal

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Pakistan – the cradle of one of the most ancient Indus Civilization – has been suffering from the identity crisis since its independence in 1947. The conflict of identity crisis was evident since the very beginning as the political elite was mostly influenced by the Western culture while among the common masses, the Islamic roots were embedded. To bridge the gap, the common ground was found in the shape of the Arab. The emotional association of Pakistani public with the Arab land, especially Saudi Arabia, and the financial and political benefits of Pakistani political elite with the Arab Monarchs, helped both the state and the society to start a joint venture. However, today, the trend seems to be altering towards Turks as Arabs have started to lose their charm.

Pakistani society remained an inclusive platform over which the traditions of Sufism flourished. The moderate nature of the society began to fumble when the Arabization was introduced in the 1980s. The Arabization brought with itself the segments of fundamentalism and “Salafism” i.e. to return to the practices of forefathers. Hence, any new practice was termed as blasphemous which bred the sectarianism in the country. The formation of sectarian groups, target killings and the rise of Islamist parties were the notable features of this process.

Arabization was the by-product of the funding for Afghan Jihad. As the religious factor motivated the masses to fight the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, US arms and KSA funding helped in establishing the madrassahs and training the students. Resultantly, in the name of Islam, the foreign ideology was inculcated in the minds of the masses and Arabization became synonymous with Islamization. However, two factors supplemented the diminishing status of Arabization within the Pakistani society. One is the arrival of Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman, who introduced the modernization while the second is the weakening status of Arab Monarchs in the region and beyond.

Thus, the Pakistani elite and society who relied upon the Arabs for the interpretation of Islamic norms were left in disarray. The vacuum was filled by yet another player who has the history of enjoying the equally dignified status in the Pakistani society i.e. the Turks. Turks have had the important role within the context of subcontinent considering the Mughals who traced their roots back to the Turkish origin. Another important factor is the honour of Ottoman Empire which was greatly celebrated among the Muslims of the subcontinent. The Khilafat Movement against the dismantling of the Empire was the testimony of the sentiments of Indian Muslims.

Regionally, Turkey is eyeing at reviving its status of being the leader of the Muslim World. The Islamist roots of Justice and Development Party from which President Erdogan belongs and the subsequent ideology of “Neo-Ottomanism” indicate Turkey’s intentions. Along with that, its rivalry with the Saudi Arabia has both the historic and strategic essence.

Historically, it was the House of Saud who collaborated with the British in disintegrating the Ottoman Empire and establishing the independent Arab states. Strategically, the greater engagement of Turkey in the neighbouring states along with its opposition to Israel for Quds has bestowed it the distinguished status among the common Muslim masses. Conversely, the growing relations between Arabs and Israel have indoctrinated the sense of betrayal among the Muslims. However, ironically, Turkey stands as one of the major trading partners of Israel in the region and beyond.

Nevertheless, the growing affiliation of Pakistani public with Turkey also lies in latter’s support for the cause of Kashmir upon which Arabs generally remained silent. The cultural intervention through Turkish Drama Industry has also captivated the minds of the public. Recently, the decision of PM Imran Khan to air the Turkish Drama Serial “Diliris Ertugrul” have had the mesmerizing effect on the Pakistani public who feel “revealed” after knowing the “Islamic History”. All of this is an attempt to keep the relevancy of the Islamic values among the public. As Arabs remained the cradle of Islam, Turks generally dominated the Islamic history from late 1200s to early 1900s.

However, in the quest of finding the appropriate meaning of Islam, the Pakistani political elite has always compromised on the indigenous values. The “import” of Islam from Arabs and Turks has weakened the socio-religious fabric of the Pakistani society. In the name of Islam, the foreign ideologies have been the intruding factor among the public which confuses them with the brand of Islam. Under the President Erdogan, the Turkish Nationalism has blended itself with the Islamic consciousness, resulting in the Pan-Islamist version of Turkey, otherwise known as Neo-Ottomanism. Through the Pan-Islamist approach of Arabs, Pakistan has already bore the consequences in the wake of intolerance, now the replication of the same approach through the Turkish version would not be of any benefit. In order to evolve in the international politics, the state must maintain its own identity and ideology rather than being the party to the geopolitical rifts.
 
Those people who are complaining about Ertugrul were quiet when Hollywood and Bollywood dramas were watched 24 7 in Pakistan. Music, dancing, filth is acceptable but not Islamic drama?

Whatever is shown in Ertugrul is very similar to Pakistani culture and religion. I watched all 5 seasons and couldn't see any difference.

The extreme secularist are complaining because Ertrgrul shows Muslims as being brave, successful, fair, warriors, protecting women rights, respecting parents and Holy Book. This is against their modern westernized way of life and for them we need to learn from the west, not Islam.

The extreme fundamentalist are complaining because Ertugrul is showing the true face of Islam and not an imported 18th century ISIS ideology, they cant digest the fact that the Islam for 1400 years and 1000years in Pakistan is different from their version which caused one of the greatest fitna in the Islamic history, from accusing Muslims of falsely committing shirk, kufr, bidah to suicide bombings, from attacking and digging graves of Allah almighty beloved people to twisting Quran and sunnah with false translations.
 
PakAlp said:
Those people who are complaining about Ertugrul were quiet when Hollywood and Bollywood dramas were watched 24 7 in Pakistan. Music, dancing, filth is acceptable but not Islamic drama?

Whatever is shown in Ertugrul is very similar to Pakistani culture and religion. I watched all 5 seasons and couldn't see any difference.

The extreme secularist are complaining because Ertrgrul shows Muslims as being brave, successful, fair, warriors, protecting women rights, respecting parents and Holy Book. This is against their modern westernized way of life and for them we need to learn from the west, not Islam.

The extreme fundamentalist are complaining because Ertugrul is showing the true face of Islam and not an imported 18th century ISIS ideology, they cant digest the fact that the Islam for 1400 years and 1000years in Pakistan is different from their version which caused one of the greatest fitna in the Islamic history, from accusing Muslims of falsely committing shirk, kufr, bidah to suicide bombings, from attacking and digging graves of Allah almighty beloved people to twisting Quran and sunnah with false translations.
Click to expand...

I mean I am not a liberal I criticize the elite bougouise liberals occupying sections of Pakistani society but there is another form of bougouise that exist the pseudo religious filled with confused individuals who want to tie us to Arabs,Turks and Persians do we lack self esteem as a people we have kaleidoscope of nationalities straddling the Indus River Valley and basin cmon
 
So in short people are complaing whose agenda the drama is not coinciding with, and people who are not complaining are those who have their agendas aligned with it?

regards
 
Last edited:
OsmanAli98 said:
I mean I am not a liberal I criticize the elite bougouise liberals occupying sections of Pakistani society but there is another form of bougouise that exist the pseudo religious filled with confused individuals who want to tie us to Arabs,Turks and Persians do we lack self esteem as a people we have kaleidoscope of nationalities straddling the Indus River Valley and basin cmon
Click to expand...

Only one confused are you mate lol. Not us.

Pakistan was made on the basis of Islamic ideology driven by Muslim nationalism....not some ethnic mumbo jumbo. We Pakistan regard anyone who served/fought to advance the cause of Islam as our hero. Be it Kurdish Salahudin, or Turkic Ertugrul/Ottomans, or South Indian Tipu Sultan. For us, these heroes fought for the glory of Islam and protection of Muslim peoples through different ages.

It does not mean we are trying to act Turkish or Kurdish instead of Pakistanis. We are not (some tribes in Pakistan are indeed Turkic/Persian/Arab btw. For example: Ahmed Shuja Pasha....the ISI chief...was from one such tribe). Its time you clarify your own confusions that you developed reading inchoate theories online and watching too many videos from Alt-right fellas like Spencer or Fuentes etc. Google what the word 'inchoate' means, it'll clarify a lot.

If you have any questions, ask away. I'll be glad to clarify your confusion on Pakistaniyat and our basis of existence (Muslim nationalism), and so on. I understand you did not get educated in Pakistan so its hard for you to truly understand how Pakistanis think about their nationalism (which is not exclusionary like the ethnic nationalism---but its positively inclusionary based around Islam, not just one ethnicity).
 
OsmanAli98 said:
I mean I am not a liberal I criticize the elite bougouise liberals occupying sections of Pakistani society but there is another form of bougouise that exist the pseudo religious filled with confused individuals who want to tie us to Arabs,Turks and Persians do we lack self esteem as a people we have kaleidoscope of nationalities straddling the Indus River Valley and basin cmon
Click to expand...

Hi, I think we as a Muslim should know our goal/purpose of muslim's life. We believe an Arab PBUH as our prophet, a book written in Arabic, and single common God, and believe in the brotherhood and equality of every believer. If for an Indian Muslim a Mongolian Muslim is a hero this shouldn't bother us as we are all equal and should have a common goal. I dont know why anyone can force others to have a certain type, race or a tribe to be their heroes even they dont believe in the same religion or value system, even if our ancestor comes back to life they would fight with us and they may become our biggest enemy and force us to leave our homes, there will be no harmony because of our different beliefs. If a person want to inspire from an ant or an animal let him be as long as he does not spread mischief.
 
OsmanAli98 said:
Ertugrul’ sparks questions over Pakistani nationalism
The Turkish drama series is highly popular, but Pakistan needs less, not more, foreign inspiration
By GHAZANFAR ALI GAREWALMAY 28, 2020
Ertugrul.jpg

A family in Islamabad watch the Turkish drama series Dirilis: Ertugrul telecast on Pakistan's state-run channel PTV Home during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo: AFP / Aamir Qureshi
Last October, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested that his countrymen watch a historic action thriller, Drilis: Ertugrul (“Resurrection: Ertugrul”). Aired on Netflix, this Turkish drama series claims international viewership. The Ertugrul craze reached unimaginable heights in Pakistan.

Although Turkish drama series have been aired before in Pakistan, Ertugrul is breaking all the previous records. According to a rough estimate, around 134 million people watched it from April 25 to May 14. As requested by Prime Minister Khan, Ertugrul was dubbed in Urdu and aired on the state-run channel PTV. The viewership of PTV’s YouTube channel has gone above 2 million while the popularity of series increasing with every passing day.

It would be an altogether different debate if, in Pakistan, Ertugrul were projected and perceived just as a drama. However, its depiction and description as a source of inspiration has exposed layers confusion that shroud the issue of nationalism in Pakistan.

In October 2019, Imran Khan expressed his dissatisfaction with the content of Pakistani drama serials. He criticized the national film industry for its imitation of Indian and American cinema. According to him, revival of past Islamic glory, remembrance of Muslim heroes and presenting narratives that are driven by the Muslim world instead of the West were compelling reasons to air Ertugrul.

In many ways, he seems to be right, but what is this Pakistani obsession with importing foreign ideologies, heroes and history when it comes to shaping the contours of nationalism in the country?


Imported confusions?
There are three main layers of confusion in which Pakistaniat (Pakistani nationalism) is shrouded. The first is internal.

Pakistan is a diverse multi-ethnic nation. It is a nation divided among Sindhis, Balochis, Pashtuns and Pathans. Ethnic debates have not been settled. This issue keeps stirring up political troubles on the floors of the National Assembly and the Senate.

The second layer is Pakistan’s affiliation with the Muslim world.

From its inception, the debate that embroiled a nascent Pakistan in never-ending internal strife was its status as an Islamic Republic. Since then, the country has been divided among hardcore religious ideologues and secular liberals, with no moderate scion in sight.

We affiliate ourselves with Saudi Arabia because of our Sunni majority, and with Iran because of the Shiite population in the country. Riyadh and Tehran can be labeled as hardcore religious conservatives in the Muslim world. Pakistan’s associating with them implies a trickle-down effect of religious ideologies in the minds of its nationals.

The perilous effects can be seen in the form of Islamabad’s involvement in Afghan jihad in the 1980s, the Sunni-Shia rift, and mushrooming growth of religious militant outfits in the country.

As if associating with the two poles of the Islamic world were not enough, our statesmen try to bring us closer to Malaysia, known as a progressive, liberal Muslim country. But the saga of Pakistan’s foreign attachments remains incomplete if Turkey is left out. One shade brighter, Istanbul is more progressive than Malaysia. Its progressive Western leanings are hard for Pakistanis to digest. Pakistani viewers, when they became aware of the Ertugrul cast’s Western lifestyles, began to post their resentment on social media.

In the end, what model or nation in the Islamic world do our statesmen want to present for Pakistanis to follow?

The third layer originates from Pakistan’s political inspirations from the Western world.

When Pakistan was a British colony, it followed the British political system. However, later on, when a parliamentary form of government did not go well with on-again, off-again military interventions, the US presidential system began to trend. To this day, Pakistani politicians and relevant stakeholders are unable to decide exactly which form of government suits the country. The pendulum of power keeps swinging from a parliamentary to a presidential system while the nation remains confused.

is now live. Linking accurate news, insightful analysis and local knowledge with the ATF China Bond 50 Index, the world's first benchmark cross sector Chinese Bond Indices. Read ATF now.

TAGGED:Imran KhanOpinionPakistanTurkey
GHAZANFAR ALI GAREWAL

Ghazanfar Ali Garewal is a lecturer in the international relations department of the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad and coordinator of the department. He holds an MS degree in international cooperation from Yonsei University, Seoul, an MSc in international relations from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, and an MA in English from NUML. More by Ghazanfar Ali Garewal

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Click to expand...
what a load of rubbish....
Did Mera Sultan or Isqe mamnu question the nationalism of Pakistanis? It did not..
then why is this giving a few sleepless nights.....
 
One rarely expects the prime minister of a nation to become a cheerleader for a television show. But, in October 2019, that is exactly what Pakistani leader Imran Khan did. And with it, he unleashed a phenomenon that has since gripped his nation and become the talking point among fans and critics alike.

That the drama series in question is Turkish and not Pakistani only adds to the intrigue.

Dirilis: Ertugrul is a big-budget series that depicts the prehistory of the Ottoman Empire. It is based on the life of the 13th-century Muslim Oghuz Turk leader, who was the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

The show takes the name of the father and presents his tribe as a band of plucky rebels caught between Christian crusaders, Byzantine warriors, and fearsome Mongols. The scene is set for his tribe to invoke Islam and triumph against all odds. The premise is set, historical facts are manipulated for dramatic effect, and the production values are suitably overblown.

Since the show first launched in Turkey in 2014, it has become a hit and a money-spinner for all involved, also airing on Netflix, with Turkish and English subtitles, since 2018.

Perhaps that should have been the end of it. The very nature of our insatiable appetite for TV drama means fans move on to the next big thing. In this case, they did not.

In praising the show and ordering Pakistan's national broadcaster to dub it into Urdu, Prime Minister Khan unwittingly became, if not the show's executive producer, certainly something close.

His move made Ertugrul accessible to a far bigger audience and subsequently helped make it even more of a hit TV show internationally. It was instantly popular when it aired with Urdu translation on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and it only continues to get bigger.

Pakistan's contradictory identity
It was not money that drove the prime minister's decision, but concern that Islamic values were being eroded in Pakistan, and the fact that Pakistan has always paid respect to leaders of the Muslim world.

Deference to the ancient leaders of the Islamic world has always been part of Pakistan's identity and often the root of its contradictory nature.

Is Pakistan South Asian Muslim? Or is it based in Arab roots as some leaders have pushed? Or is it closer to Turkish culture in origin?

78dce26ef44a4cf6a74e39d4c175a32e_18.jpg

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [Reuters]
Ertugrul in many ways speaks to the identity of Muslim Pakistan, but does it speak to a void in that identity that requires affirmation from something that happened in a faraway land, a long time ago?

"Turkish history and South Asian history are not 'faraway' by any stretch of the imagination," says Mosharraf Zaidi, senior fellow at Pakistani think-tank Tabadlab.

"For decades, modern secular Turkey and modern Pakistan have been extremely close allies. The bonds are historic, military and strategic and since the emergence of AKP under Turkish leader Erdogan, they have increasingly taken on cultural dimensions. Ertugrul's popularity marks an engagement of Pakistanis with the notion of a glorious Muslim past. It marks neither the affirmation of such a past, nor any crisis of identity. It's just a popular TV show."

That it is a popular TV show is beyond doubt. The YouTube channel has millions watching. It is seen as a genuine cultural phenomenon that sparks internet memes, countless social media posts and even Pakistani fans getting upset that the actors in the show are not as Islamic as they would like them to be. Comments on the actors' Instagram pages have seen Pakistani fans show ire that some of the female stars wear non-conservative dress and that one actor is seen petting his dog.

But perhaps even that is a part and parcel of the phenomenon. On the one hand, Pakistani fans are exposed to Islamic history, on the other they are exposed to the culture of modern-day, urban, secular Turkey.

Ertugrul and male viewers
This is not the first time that Turkish programmes have become popular outside of Turkey.

Turkish soap operas set in modern times and based - as soap operas are - around family drama, betrayal and over-the-top acting have also been incredibly popular. But no one has ever referred to them as a cultural phenomenon, perhaps in part because the target audience for soap operas is overwhelmingly female?

Ertugrul offers an alternative narrative to a country with a majority population of under-35s to connect with a past empire associated with conquest rather than fighting against colonialism.
LAALEEN SUKHERA

Laaleen Sukhera writes extensively on Pakistan and is based in Lahore.

"Turkish period drama has been popular across the region for a while now," she says.

"Magnificent Century was dubbed in Urdu too with a predominantly female viewership varying in age. Ertugrul marks the first time that young men make up a significant number of viewers of Turkish programming and that's why it suddenly feels more mainstream and significant in patriarchal Pakistan.

"Ertugrul offers an alternative narrative to a country with a majority population of under-35s to connect with a past empire associated with conquest rather than fighting against colonialism. It's a soapy period drama but whether it inspires big-budget depictions of subcontinental heroes like Razia Sultan and Chand Bibi remains unclear," she adds.

Soft power and the Muslim historical narrative
The fact the prime minister has backed the show with words and action may also speak to his own agenda in establishing Pakistan as a pre-eminent player in the Muslim world.

He has not been shy in saying that Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia should establish themselves as leaders. His first front in establishing that goal seems to be cultural and taking control of the Muslim historical narrative. But in doing so, has he played into Turkey's hands and the soft power it wields? By pushing a TV show based around Turkish Ottoman history, is he doing the Turks' bidding for them?

Ahmer Naqvi is a freelance cultural writer who sees Ertugrul as part of a wider agenda.

"There is definitely an element of the Pakistani state pushing a certain idea of Islamic history, that focuses on conquest and expansionism and that has a long history of being used as propaganda," he says.

"This push has come at the expense of even acknowledging the history of what is now settled Pakistan. So you would know about Muslim general Salahuddin but not about Chanakya, who lived in settled Pakistan, so yes, there is valid concern that the state is pushing a wider history and not its own. In general I would love to see the Pakistani state invest in its own cultural industries."

At its heart, what Ertugrul represents in this scenario is a battle for the soul of the Islamic narrative and for Pakistan's own self-image.

Does the country have a unique Muslim identity forged via Muslim India, or is it part of the wider history of the Muslim world? The answer to that is what informs its current self-image.

upload_2020-5-29_1-26-57.jpeg

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imran Khan
Imran Khan is a roving correspondent based out of Doha, covering the Middle East and South Asia.
 
@OsmanAli98 your Mudodi thread was closed... unable to respond you about chat with Maulana Mudodi son... Dr Farooq Haider Mododi... it was interesting talk at some common family friends house.
 
OsmanAli98 said:
One rarel
y expects the prime minister of a nation to become a cheerleader for a television show. But, in October 2019, that is exactly what Pakistani leader Imran Khan did. And with it, he unleashed a phenomenon that has since gripped his nation and become the talking point among fans and critics alike.

That the drama series in question is Turkish and not Pakistani only adds to the intrigue.

Dirilis: Ertugrul is a big-budget series that depicts the prehistory of the Ottoman Empire. It is based on the life of the 13th-century Muslim Oghuz Turk leader, who was the father of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire.

The show takes the name of the father and presents his tribe as a band of plucky rebels caught between Christian crusaders, Byzantine warriors, and fearsome Mongols. The scene is set for his tribe to invoke Islam and triumph against all odds. The premise is set, historical facts are manipulated for dramatic effect, and the production values are suitably overblown.

Since the show first launched in Turkey in 2014, it has become a hit and a money-spinner for all involved, also airing on Netflix, with Turkish and English subtitles, since 2018.

Perhaps that should have been the end of it. The very nature of our insatiable appetite for TV drama means fans move on to the next big thing. In this case, they did not.

In praising the show and ordering Pakistan's national broadcaster to dub it into Urdu, Prime Minister Khan unwittingly became, if not the show's executive producer, certainly something close.

His move made Ertugrul accessible to a far bigger audience and subsequently helped make it even more of a hit TV show internationally. It was instantly popular when it aired with Urdu translation on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and it only continues to get bigger.

Pakistan's contradictory identity
It was not money that drove the prime minister's decision, but concern that Islamic values were being eroded in Pakistan, and the fact that Pakistan has always paid respect to leaders of the Muslim world.

Deference to the ancient leaders of the Islamic world has always been part of Pakistan's identity and often the root of its contradictory nature.

Is Pakistan South Asian Muslim? Or is it based in Arab roots as some leaders have pushed? Or is it closer to Turkish culture in origin?

78dce26ef44a4cf6a74e39d4c175a32e_18.jpg

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan [Reuters]
Ertugrul in many ways speaks to the identity of Muslim Pakistan, but does it speak to a void in that identity that requires affirmation from something that happened in a faraway land, a long time ago?

"Turkish history and South Asian history are not 'faraway' by any stretch of the imagination," says Mosharraf Zaidi, senior fellow at Pakistani think-tank Tabadlab.

"For decades, modern secular Turkey and modern Pakistan have been extremely close allies. The bonds are historic, military and strategic and since the emergence of AKP under Turkish leader Erdogan, they have increasingly taken on cultural dimensions. Ertugrul's popularity marks an engagement of Pakistanis with the notion of a glorious Muslim past. It marks neither the affirmation of such a past, nor any crisis of identity. It's just a popular TV show."

That it is a popular TV show is beyond doubt. The YouTube channel has millions watching. It is seen as a genuine cultural phenomenon that sparks internet memes, countless social media posts and even Pakistani fans getting upset that the actors in the show are not as Islamic as they would like them to be. Comments on the actors' Instagram pages have seen Pakistani fans show ire that some of the female stars wear non-conservative dress and that one actor is seen petting his dog.

But perhaps even that is a part and parcel of the phenomenon. On the one hand, Pakistani fans are exposed to Islamic history, on the other they are exposed to the culture of modern-day, urban, secular Turkey.

Ertugrul and male viewers
This is not the first time that Turkish programmes have become popular outside of Turkey.

Turkish soap operas set in modern times and based - as soap operas are - around family drama, betrayal and over-the-top acting have also been incredibly popular. But no one has ever referred to them as a cultural phenomenon, perhaps in part because the target audience for soap operas is overwhelmingly female?

Ertugrul offers an alternative narrative to a country with a majority population of under-35s to connect with a past empire associated with conquest rather than fighting against colonialism.
LAALEEN SUKHERA

Laaleen Sukhera writes extensively on Pakistan and is based in Lahore.

"Turkish period drama has been popular across the region for a while now," she says.

"Magnificent Century was dubbed in Urdu too with a predominantly female viewership varying in age. Ertugrul marks the first time that young men make up a significant number of viewers of Turkish programming and that's why it suddenly feels more mainstream and significant in patriarchal Pakistan.

"Ertugrul offers an alternative narrative to a country with a majority population of under-35s to connect with a past empire associated with conquest rather than fighting against colonialism. It's a soapy period drama but whether it inspires big-budget depictions of subcontinental heroes like Razia Sultan and Chand Bibi remains unclear," she adds.

Soft power and the Muslim historical narrative
The fact the prime minister has backed the show with words and action may also speak to his own agenda in establishing Pakistan as a pre-eminent player in the Muslim world.

He has not been shy in saying that Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia should establish themselves as leaders. His first front in establishing that goal seems to be cultural and taking control of the Muslim historical narrative. But in doing so, has he played into Turkey's hands and the soft power it wields? By pushing a TV show based around Turkish Ottoman history, is he doing the Turks' bidding for them?

Ahmer Naqvi is a freelance cultural writer who sees Ertugrul as part of a wider agenda.

"There is definitely an element of the Pakistani state pushing a certain idea of Islamic history, that focuses on conquest and expansionism and that has a long history of being used as propaganda," he says.

"This push has come at the expense of even acknowledging the history of what is now settled Pakistan. So you would know about Muslim general Salahuddin but not about Chanakya, who lived in settled Pakistan, so yes, there is valid concern that the state is pushing a wider history and not its own. In general I would love to see the Pakistani state invest in its own cultural industries."

At its heart, what Ertugrul represents in this scenario is a battle for the soul of the Islamic narrative and for Pakistan's own self-image.

Does the country have a unique Muslim identity forged via Muslim India, or is it part of the wider history of the Muslim world? The answer to that is what informs its current self-image.

View attachment 636370
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Imran Khan
Imran Khan is a roving correspondent based out of Doha, covering the Middle East and South Asia.
Click to expand...

was done as an emergency measure to keep people busy during lockdown..as well as to show respect for Turkish figures.
great thinking by the PM.
 
What is going to happen exactly?

Would we start taking pride in Turkey? Most already do and when we have visited and tell them we’re originally from Pakistan, they treat us like some frikkin celebrity, so are they suffering with identity crisis or infi-complex?

Would we start having interest in learning Turkish language? We live in a globalised world, knowing other languages is an asset. I wish I knew them all.

Would we betray Pakistan’s interests over Turkey’s? You are joking mate and they already allign for the most part.

Would we aspire to become like Turks? Ertugrul and Yusuf Emre are role model projects, if we can learn from their way of life - honesty, bravery, pride in nation. Who will suffocate to death? Nobody.

FYI Turkish dramas didn’t suddenly showed up on telly yesterday. They have been popular since past 6/7 years starting with ask memnu.

You are what your origin is. I am Pakistani, I could go anywhere and I would not say I am British or Black or Chinese - I would say I am Pakistani. Then when they say oh like Indian? Then we have a problem. Indian identity threatens us not Turkish - the world isn’t confusing us with them but a nation of many gods not even a muslim country bloody hell.
 

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