AWARENESS OF HISTORY

Progress Is Impossible without the Resources of History

Both historical and cultural values bear great importance for every nation. People can learn about their historical past, culture, the rise of their civilization, and progress from the extensive pages of history.

In the same way that people occasionally rejoice at their memories of the past, nations also enrich their material and spiritual lives by remembering and speaking of the spiritual knowledge and victories of the past. Indeed, even if minds are encased in falsities and fabricated knowledge, the truth exists in the unclouded leaves of history. A nation whose history is sound and glorious and whose people are of outstanding virtue can never be distant from its history. It is a vital duty of a society that desires and strives to endure to preserve its own history; such a society is sheathed in national awareness.

Indeed, the pages of history bear the signs of the steps a nation will take in the future. To phrase this in another way, the future is a reflection of the past. It is impossible to progress without knowing what a culture or civilization was capable of in the past; a people/culture/civilization is imbued with its history. It is vital to recognize how our ancestors ruled and influenced by accurately preserving their traditions, customs, and values in order to look to the future with hope. Those who are familiar with their past can look to the future with hope and security. In addition, those who simply boast of their history and tales they experienced in the past, who are unable to manifest acts that will be mentioned by others in the future, cannot be classified as having a significant awareness of history. Historical awareness is not being content or consoling oneself with history, but is rather preserving and learning from history, and having its spirit, its force as support as one progresses into the future. Nations who protect their own values, who bear an infallible inner faith and significant determination in their general structure never face destruction. There have been many forces which strived to distance the Turkish people from their historical awareness and historical values, including various conspiracies and deceptions. In particular, it is the duty of the younger generation to be alert for such individuals who achieved this to a certain extent in the past, learning about their history from the most accurate, truthful sources. Preserving historical awareness and living in compliance with the nation’s principle values are embedded in the spirit and essence of this great society. It is quite probable that those who were influenced to neglect their history will awaken to this grave mistake, recuperate and return to those old days once again. When we look back in history, the most explicit indication of this is that following the fall of the state constituted by the Turkish nation, a new state continued to reign for centuries. We should never forget that if we are able to live a dignified, sound and honorable life today, this is due to our history. Indeed, our history proves that those who were sincerely committed to the teachings of their faith, culture and civilization always progressed; and to the contrary, those who patterned their lives on the values of others and ignored their own history destroyed their national solidarity and brotherhood. In view of this, there is great need for a generation who can contemplate both the past and the future. It is necessary to progress with knowledge and understanding, to learn advanced technology without straying from our own spirit and neglecting our culture.

They Never Die

Nineteen years had passed since the Battle of Gallipoli. The village of Anafarta (Suvla) had only just begun to recover from the war. Almost all of the members of the younger generation were orphans of martyrs. Mustafa, a shepherd, was one of these young men. Mustafa took his sheep to graze early in the morning as he did every day. On one particular day Mustafa wandered closer to the mountains than usual. He avoided grazing the sheep on the grounds where the martyrs were killed, being concerned that he would disturb the spirits of the martyrs. Whenever the sheep strayed, immediately he would gather the flock together by reciting various supplications.

On one particular day Mustafa realized that the sheep had wandered quite far away and he began to panic. He rushed towards the mountain reciting the prayers. On the mountain there were two cypress trees. Even the slightest breeze made the tree branches rustle and sway. By this time, the sheep had reached a spot beyond these trees. He immediately ran in front of the sheep and began to drive the flock back. As they returned, the sheep were supposed to pass between the two trees. But to Mustafa’s surprise, something astonishing happened. The flock of sheep avoided passing through the trees; as soon as they reached the trees they began to disperse to the left and right.

It was almost as though the sheep were trying to avoid walking over the ground beneath the trees. Mustafa became curious and began to utter to himself, There is something strange here. He felt a chill deep inside. Since that day, he never allowed the sheep to go near the trees. Mustafa was curious regarding the mystery of that particular place. Every day he would leave his flock at the bottom of the mountain and walk up to the trees. Mustafa felt a sense of tranquility there that he could not understand.

One day he fell asleep beneath the tall trees, and when he woke up the darkness of night had long overshadowed the skies. Immediately he looked around for his sheep. He began to walk down the mountain when suddenly a light appeared. This was very strange. Mustafa stood still in astonishment. He felt a sense of excitement deep in his soul. A beam of light gradually descended between the two trees. Mustafa stood rubbing his eyes in amazement. His sheep were a short distance away. Huddled together, they also stood gazing at the spot where the light had descended. After a short time, the beam of light disappeared.

Mustafa led the sheep towards the village excitedly. As soon as he entered the village, he immediately hurried to see the governor because he had no father to share his emotions with. The governor listened to the innocent young man carefully. He too was excited because he had also seen the beam of light in the sky.

Early the next morning, the governor gathered a few of the villagers and headed towards the mountain. They were all curious and full of suspense.

“I wonder what it could be!”

“Maybe one of the eminent companions of God is buried there!”

“If that is the case, we should not disturb his spirit.”

“Yes, but the people should learn what it is!”

The governor was determined to solve this mystery. “Of course we should uncover this mystery! It is clear that whatever it is, it is something good. Is this not how they found the graves of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, Aq Shams al-Din, and Ayyub al-Ansari?” Eventually they reached the spot where the light descended. Once again, the two tall trees were swaying in the light breeze. As the men remembered what Mustafa told them, they all began to shudder both with excitement and fear. Indeed, a short time later the men were to see that their excitement and emotions of fear were not in vain. Once again, a light appeared in the sky. It descended gradually between the two trees and then suddenly disappeared. All the men were dumbfounded, gulping in astonishment. The first to compose himself was the governor. He immediately sent a few of the younger men back to the village to bring some digging tools. Before long, the young men returned with shovels and pickaxes and began to dig up the soil between the trees. After digging for a while, they noticed pieces of clothing in the soil. Those standing around the hole looked with curiosity. Suddenly a bloodstained soldier’s uniform appeared. Leaving the shovels to one side, the men started digging with their hands.

It was a soldier, one of the martyrs of Gallipoli, as apparent from the color of the uniform he was wearing. The soldier’s body had been lying under the ground for nineteen years and showed no signs of decay. Then one of the men reminded them of this verse:

Do not think at all of those killed in God’s cause as dead. Rather, they are alive; with their Lord they have their sustenance. (Al Imran 3:169)

One of the soldier’s hands was placed beneath his head, and the other was on his chest. The stripes on his shoulders signified that he was a sergeant. The soldier had lost one of his feet, and a cloth had been tied around the severed limb to prevent the bleeding. Amidst the darkness of the night, the villagers who shuddered at this miraculous event began to call out, “God is great, God is great! There is no deity other than God!”

Then, removing his coat, the governor covered the body of the martyr and said,

“We must inform the authorities. He is a martyr, and everyone should know about this.”

The next day, a huge delegation came from the city. The news spread rapidly throughout the entire city, and it would be no exaggeration to say that all its inhabitants came to the village. The martyr was removed from his grave in front of the crowd. An identification tag that was partly worn was found around his neck. On the identity tag was inscribed “Mehmet” with the number 27. As the martyr was lifted from the grave, signs of blood could still be seen on his clothing and he had a gentle smile on his face. The crowd turned and looked at one another in astonishment, then suddenly everyone began to recite again, “God is great! God is great! There is no deity other than God!”

This land has always resounded with this vibrant message; however, for nineteen years this sound was greatly diminished in the land. Those present carried the body of the martyr in tears, and suddenly the tall cypress trees virtually bowed to the ground. It was as if they did not want to hand over the martyr who had been buried beneath them for years. The men carrying the coffin halted for a moment; as they heard a voice from the heavens, they were speechless.

The people were bewildered. “Why are you betraying him? Did he not share all his emotions, his secrets with you? Leave him so he can move on to his sacred station.”

As soon as this voice was heard, the tall trees rose again. This only occurred once, and many people heard of the event. It was evident that the soldier was not only a martyr, but also a compan- ion of God. Everyone began to call out, “God is great!” The tearful crowd transported the martyr to Gayrettepe. Martyr Sergeant Mehmet was buried in Gayrettepe with the prayers and supplications recited for all martyrs. Beside his grave, a tomb was erected commemorating all the soldiers. From that moment on, light shone down on Gayrettepe, and the cypress trees were now lonely.

The Theater Abolished by Abdul Hamid II

Another example of the bitter struggle against those who abused the Qur’an and the Islamic faith is seen in the life of Abdul Hamid II (who was referred to in school books as the “Red Sultan”) as defined in the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a document named TS-TI, record number 12, page 61, in these words:

Regarding the play written about the sacred reputation of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him:

In the period of the Third French Republic during the presidency of Sadi Carnot, the famous writer Henri de Bornier wrote a dramatization called Mahomet, which was classified as a French comedy (1888). This was included in the program, and the stage rehearsals for the play began (1890). As indicated above, the play insulted Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith. Abdul Hamid II immediately intervened and prevented the play from being staged in French theaters. When the writer, who was expressing his hostility towards Islam and Muslims under the guise of a fanatical Christian, could not have his play performed in France, he attempted to have his play staged in England. Preparations were made for the play to be staged in London’s Lyceum Theatre. Abdul Hamid immediately intervened and prevented the play from being staged in England. Furthermore, in Paris the title of the play was changed to Mahomet’s Paradise, and any points that may be clas- sified as insinuating against the Islamic faith were removed from the play. In 1893 an application was made in Rome to the Italian Foreign Affairs Department regarding a stage play titled Mehmed II, and assurance was given that if the play contained any aspect degrading or humiliating to Fatih Sultan Mehmed or Islam, the play would be banned. Henri de Bornier did not withdraw from staging the play, and when he was selected as a member of the French Academy in 1893, he believed that he had achieved his insidious ambition. A contract was prepared with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and actors in London, and news that the play was to be staged appeared in newspapers. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Turkey intervened once again, and de Bornier was unsuccessful in achieving his goal.