Hurriyet, Turkey
June 6 2009
Ä°hsan Ã-zkeÅ? speaks about Atatürk, Alevis and
minorities
ISTANBUL – Ä°hsan Ã-zkeÅ? is not an unknown person. He
sprang to national attention recently when he conducted the funeral
service of the late Türkan Saylan who led the fight against
leprosy in Turkey and provided tens of thousands of liras in
scholarships for young students around the country.
Ã-zkeÅ? was born in Borum in 1957 and went to the Ankara
Ä°mam Hatip High School. He then graduated from the Islamic
Institute at BaÄ?larbaÅ?ı and served as the mufti
(Muslim jurist) in several locations around Turkey. He also studied
hadith (religious traditions) in Egypt. Later on he ran as a
candidate for mayor for Istanbul’s Ã`skudar district for the
Democratic Left Party, or DSP, and still later as an Istanbul
parliamentary candidate from the Republican People’s Party, or
CHP. After the elections he was appointed to Adana and then
retired. He is a specialist in hadith and the interpretation of the
Koran.After Ã-zkeÅ? performed the funeral service in which
he praised Saylan, he was accused of trying to whitewash her. His
response to that was that Saylan didn’t need anyone to offer excuses
for her. He pointed out that there was no place in Islam for saying
bad things about people at their funerals. While Saylan was
undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, the state prosecutor wanted her
picked up for questioning within the context of the Ergenekon Case in
which many well-known people have been accused of conspiring to
overthrow the government. Unfortunately, there are people who so
hated her and were such enemies that they were still sticking their
tongues out at a 74-year-old dead woman, Ã-zkeÅ? told the
Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "Of course nobody can
be forced to love Türkan Saylan but at the least the command
of Islam needs to be applied. You have to be silent. She’s with God
now. It’s not right to speak against her," said Ã-zkeÅ?.
"The press showed Türkan Saylan as nonreligious. I am a retired
man of religion and I am also an expert on religion. I’m not just any
old person. I have spent years speaking on religion. In Islam, if
someone says he is a Muslim, you have to take that person’s word for
it. No one can say you aren’t a Muslim; no one has the authority to do
so. Her wanting to have a Muslim funeral at a mosque shows that she
had a tie with Islam. It bothered her that some were making
unsubstantiated accusations that she was unreligious. It made her so
uncomfortable that she said this on television. But she was so sick by
that time that she had to leave the answers and the struggle to
others. Türkan Saylan didn’t deserve these things. She was
extraordinarily hurt, extraordinarily distressed," he said.
Ã-zkeÅ? said his view is that every man of religion should be
open to people, greet them and embrace them. He had met Türkan
Saylan on a number of occasions and considered her such a lady, polite
and respectful. He wrote a book titled "Extinguishing Faith" and later
had an opportunity to present it to her. He had wanted to visit her
but due to personal reasons he hadn’t been able to. For that he feels
very sorry. He said he regretted it even more when he learned that he
was being asked to lead the funeral service for her.
How did he personally see her? He described her as an unusual person,
hard working, principled, full of excitement and life, and someone who
was willing to sacrifice for others. He pointed to the work Saylan did
on leprosy. She became interested in those affected by leprosy and
spoke out in public many times on the subject. She also raised money
to present some 40,000 students with scholarships. Ã-zkeÅ?
quoted the Prophet Mohammed, "The person who provides the means for a
good act is as if he had done the good act."
Many see the principles of Atatürk and religious concepts as
two very separate irreconcilable views. It’s as if a supporter of
Atatürk cannot be Muslim. To which Ã-zkeÅ? replied,
"Atatürk didn’t just do a service to the people in our country
but to the whole of the Islamic world as well. He was an example to
the Islamic world that was under colonial domination. He was the
leader and monument of independence. Just think, what if
Atatürk had not established the Turkish Republic, if we were
still under occupation, if small little mini-states were established,
what would be the condition of people today? Because of Atatürk
we have the freedom to worship in mosques," said Ã-zkeÅ?.
"Atatürk is misunderstood perhaps under the influence of
enemies abroad or because he is thought to have been someone who was
far from religion. Atatürk invited the Islam teachers at
Ramadan. He had the Koran translated as well as the hadith of the
Prophet and other books that have served as big sources of the
religious information in Turkey. The quality of the translations was
such that nothing better has been produced since then. I was the mufti
who read the memorial service on Nov. 10 [anniversary of
Atatürk’s death]. Of course these views exist, and will
continue to do so, because our people don’t know much about religion
and because they remain under the influence of those who manage them,
so unfortunately there is enmity against Atatürk and it is
mistaken."
Minorities in Turkey
When asked about the many minorities that exist in Turkey and why many
think they can’t be open about their religion, Ã-zkeÅ? said:
"It is not right to apply pressure against religion anywhere in the
world or limit it or their freedom of religion. This goes for Muslims
and for Christians as well. When one examines the Koran, it lays down
that those belonging to other religions should be able to practice in
a free atmosphere in their places of worship. If we expect our Muslim
people to be able to worship in other countries, this is most
naturally right for the minorities as well. It is necessary that they
are able to worship in our country in the best form."Referring to how
the Ottoman Empire accepted Jewish refugees from Spain,
Ã-zkeÅ? also pointed out how Christians, Armenians and other
religions were allowed freedom of worship. "It is the most natural of
desires. We are all the children of Adam and it doesn’t suit mankind
or religion if the atmosphere is negative. In creation, men are equal
and in religion they are brothers. That is, if a Muslim you are
religious brothers and if you are not, you become an equal match. Man
is an existence that God has created in the most beautiful form. One
day our Prophet got to his feet when a Jewish funeral procession was
passing. They asked the Prophet, ‘This is not a Muslim funeral, it is
a Jewish funeral.’ Our Prophet says, ‘He is Jewish but he is a man.’
That is our religion, it is a religion based on man. One has to behave
respectfully to everything that God has created. God never created
something for nothing. And from that point of view there is the very
beautiful expression, ‘Be tolerant of the person who was created
because of that creator.’ He is a partner. That partner is our
God. From that point of view let us love, let us be loved. The world
doesn’t belong to just anyone."
About the closing of the Greek Orthodox Theological School on
Heybeliada in 1974, Ã-zkeÅ? said: "I have spoken about my
view on freedoms. As far as I can understand from the press and
publications, this is a state policy or a balance between states. That
is, if Greece does one thing, it will do such and such. If in Cyprus
such and such happen, such and such will happen. That is, as far as I
understand, the situation is one of intergovernmental policy according
to politics. But of course my view is that whatever religion wants to
do and wherever, it can do it but of course within the law.
"My personal view, as Ä°hsan Ã-zkeÅ?, is however much I
want unrestricted freedom and independence, unrestricted understanding
and thought for my own religion, if I want this for all the places in
the world where Muslims live and that respect be shown to a Muslim
friend of mine, and for him to conduct his religious business and have
everything ready in terms of companies and organizations, naturally
the people on our lands, regardless of whatever religion they are,
would consider it natural for their requests to be met. … I don’t
think there’s any religious reason. But I am a man of religion. If I
wish that in other countries it is easy for Muslims to practice their
religion, then whatever minority that lives in our country we want to
provide that ease for them too," he said.When asked about
discrimination toward minorities in Turkey, Ã-zkeÅ? pointed
to the tax system that "has had a tax that is only taken from
minorities." "Where is there a country that taxes its minorities? Such
things happened in the past but now even if democratization is not as
much as wanted, there is a clear amount of democratization. From time
to time local incidents have occurred and because of the
[Israeli-Palestinian conflict] events may have awakened some
concerns." He pointed out that while he was the mufti in Ã`skudar
he had the opportunity to speak with some of the Church’s priests. And
there have been conversations within the context of inter-religious
dialogue. He pointed out that it couldn’t be more natural than for
them to be equal.
Religious education
When asked what he thought about the Koran courses for children in
Turkey, Ã-zkeÅ? said: "For years as mufti we opened Koran
courses and supervised them. I was in the administration and a
teacher. Of course as in every organization there were things
lacking. I can’t say that the Koran courses were perfect. But they
have progressed. Education of the Koran was being given according to
the age of the child. Every year what was missing was identified, but
now I’m retired and I can’t know how education is given and what has
changed. When I was working, the deficiency that I noted was taken
care of."
The Turkish Republic is secular according to the Constitution, yet
there is the Religious Affairs Directorate. "Minorities cannot be tied
to the Religious Affairs Directorate. All of the people working there
are Muslims and it is an organization that serves Muslims. I don’t
think it would be right to gather the Jews under this roof. For them
to be under this roof is as if the religions were united," said
Ã-zkeÅ?, when asked about the directorate’s relationship with
minorities.
"As for the Alevis, I know there are some problems. I want attention
to be drawn to support for the Cem evleri [Alevi houses of worship],
for the Alevis’ wish to have their worship service and cultural
activities. In the Turkish Republic the Alevis have been
ignored. Sunnis get money for Koran courses and for teachers; a salary
has to be given to an Alevi elder. They have to have support for their
culture and beliefs."