http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/359201
Il y a quelque temps, au cours d´un programme télévisuel auquel j´étais invité, nous avons longuement parlé des travaux que nous menons à partir de Bakou en direction du monde turc. Finalement, nous sommes à nouveau arrivé à la conclusion qu´il était nécessaire, tant au niveau de l´état que dans le peuple, non seulement de créer un mouvement d´ intérêt pour les pays avec lesquels nous avons des liens de cœur, mais également de renforcer les relations déjà existantes avec ces pays. .

La dissolution de l´Union Soviétique a fait émerger de nouvelles possibilités sur l´arène internationale mais ces nouvelles possibilités ont été comprises par certains soit comme des opportunités commerciales, soit dans le cadre d´un esprit néo-colonialiste. Dans ce contexte, le seul pays ayant une approche différente était la Turquie, parce qu´il y avait des liens culturels et nationaux avec ces états émergents. Avec la présidence de Turgut Ozal et certaines initiatives entreprises par une partie de la population sensibilisée à cette proximité culturelle, un certain nombre de travaux furent accomplis. Il n´en demeure pas moins que ces initiatives restèrent de loin insuffisantes.

La conjoncture actuelle a modifié la donne, tant dans l´espace culturel turc qu´en Europe.

L´évolution rapide du monde moderne exerce une influence non négligeable sur le destin des pays et peut modifier de fonds en comble des stratégies à long terme que l´on prenait pour sûres. La tendance à la polarisation en blocs rivaux au niveau international constituera également une problématique en soi.

En particulier, nous devons nous interroger plus avant sur ce que la Turquie entend par Union Turque et mieux définir ce concept.

Bien que les travaux scientifiques en cette matière soient trop peu nombreux, il est important que nous puissions expliquer cette problématique à notre peuple et l´amener à se l´approprier.

Tout peuple possède un idéal national. Ce grand idéal, que nous nommons irrédentisme, est de rassembler et de réunir les individus et peules liés par des traditions culturelles et linguistiques communes. Chez les Turcs, cet idéal ne s´appuie pas sur la réalité d´une unification territoriale, il doit se concevoir comme une union économique et culturelle.

Alors qu´au cours du 20ième siècle encore, appartenant à des langues, des religions et des races différentes, les européens s´entredéchirèrent dans des guerres fratricides, ils ressentirent néanmoins le besoin, fût-ce par nécessité, de se réunir et de constituer l´UE.

L´Europe, dont toutes les relations entre membres sont fondées sur le principe de l´intérêt commun, est également en train de contribuer à la préparation de divers types de relations avec les pays non-membres.

L´Union Européenne en effet tant au niveau des municipalités que des universités et même des simples individus octroie des aides et met sur pied des fonds en Turquie. Que demandera-t-elle plus tard en échange? C´est une autre question.

Si nous pouvions développer une telle collaboration entre les pays turcs et l´étendre aux pays voisins et aux pays musulmans, cette collaboration étroite que nous aurions entre nous se transformerait en structure ayant un poids sur la scène internationale.

Nous pensons que l´Union des pays Turcs est une des voies principales menant à l´Union des pays musulmans. Il convient que notre peuple, qui pendant des siècles, s´est fait le porte-drapeau de l´Islam, s´atèle à cette tâche sans perdre de temps. Lorsque nous considérons la situation des pays ayant appartenu au territoire ottoman, nous voyons qu´ils sont en attente d´un tel mouvement, si restreint soit-il. En effet, ces pays sont en recherche de cadres leur permettant une certaine unification, que ce soit l´union des pays arabes ou les organisations d´unions commerciales de la zone Pacifique.

Nous avons tous la responsabilité de nous ouvrir à ces demandes qui se tournent vers nous. Ces initiatives doivent toutes être bien considérées et il faut aussi jeter des pas concrets. Il convient donc de mettre sur pied de grands projets intéressant à la fois le présent de notre pays que son avenir. C´est la première condition pour devenir un grand état. D´une ligne s´étendant du Kosovo et de la Bosnie jusqu´au Turkestan Oriental, l´existence d´une Union Turque fera apparaître le plein potentiel des pays turcs, potentiel occulté par le monde pendant de nombreuses années.

Pourquoi la Turquie n´a-t-elle reconnu que tardivement le Kosovo?

L´indépendance du Kosovo a couronné la lutte d´un peuple qui a vécu de longues années sous la répression et qui a payé un lourd tribut pour son autonomie. Cette nouvelle a provoqué, comme cela avait été le cas pour la Bosnie,une grande joie dans le pays frère qu´est la Turquie. Avant la déclaration officielle d´indépendance, on pensait que la Turquie serait le premier pays à reconnaître le Kosovo. Des demandes en ce sens arrivaient en du Kosovo. Pourtant, la situation s´est développée différemment. Le fait que les pays occidentaux se sont empressés de reconnaître ce nouveau pays alors que les pays d´Europe Orientale avaient une approche nettement plus réservée a donné naissance à des débats houleux. Que la Russie ait mentionné le cas de Chypre comme exemple pour s´opposer à la reconnaissance du Kosovo fut un développement positif pour la Turquie.

L´opposition à cette reconnaissance de l´Azerbaidjan et de la Géeorgie coïncidait, quant à elle, avec la défense de leurs intérêts. Si la Turquie avait été l´un des premiers pays à reconnaître le Kosovo, cela aurait pu porter préjudice à ses relations avec l´Azerbaidjan et la Géorgie, l´un de ces pays étant confronté au problème du Haut Karabakh, l´autre aux mouvements séparatistes en Ossétie du Nord et en Abkhazie. Mais, en ne faisant pas partie des premiers pays à reconnaître le Kosovo, la Turquie s´est assuré le soutien de Moscou quant à la question chypriote et n´a pas pris le risque d´un refroidissement de ses relations avec l´Azerbaidjan, pays frère. Elle s´assura ainsi les avantages nécessaires de la situation.

L´activité de notre politique étrangère jouera certainement un rôle important dans la résolution de certaines crises à venir. Néanmoins, nous constatons qu´au niveau de la politique internationale, une séparation de plus en plus net se fait entre l´Ouest et l´Est.

Alors que le bloc de l´Est, centré autour de Moscou et de Pékin, provoque une certaine inquiétude dans les pays occidentaux, il ne constitue pas encore actuellement un problème pour la Turquie… Le but principal du Nouvel Ordre Mondial est de diviser les pays et de créer de petits états destinés à être des satellites de l´Occident. Considérant cela, l´indépendance du Kosovo pourrait être demain la cause de nombreux bouleversements sur la scène internationale.

M. Fatih Öztarsu - interesclub.org]]> Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:06:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/359201 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/218839
Bir zamanlar hoşumuza gitmeyen, dilimize uygun görmediğimiz kelimeleri büyük bir zevkle dışladığımızdan olsa gerek, toplumsal olarak bir türlü çözüm üretemediğimiz sorunlar baş göstermiş. Belki dildeki arıtıma kurban giden ilk kelime “hıyar” kelimesi olmuştur. Bu beş harfli ve andıkça yeşil rengini, dolayısıyla bitkiyi hatırlatan kelime o kadar da küçümsenecek bir yapıya sahip değil. Bitkisel anlamda ona “salatalık” demişiz. Yani bir çok sebzeyle karıştırılarak yapılan salataya uygun bir malzeme... Ama tomato ve potato gibi ismi yabancı kökenli sebzelerin adını belli şekle sokmak dururken sadece hıyarı ele almış ve onu salataya en uygun malzeme olarak nitelemişiz.

Oysa hıyar sadece salatalık bir mahiyette anlam taşımıyor. Salata karma bir yapıdır: domates, patates, biber, soğan, sarımsak, limon, maydanoz ve marul başta olmak üzere bir çok bitkinin bir araya gelmesiyle oluşan kozmopolit bir yapı ! Bunca bitkinin yanısıra hıyarın nicel ve nitel olarak kaba duruşu onu salatanın ana malzemesi gibi görmemize sebep olmuş. Sanki sadece hıyarlar salataya malzeme oluyor da salatalık deyip geçiştiriyoruz.

Zamanla bir anlam kayması yaşatmışız hıyar için. Onun bitkisel özelliğini bir yana bırakıp toplum içinde kişileştirmişiz. Bir soru geliyor aklıma; hıyar değersizmiş gibi salatalık olarak adlandırıldı. O halde buna rağmen neden kasti olarak halk içinde hıyar etkileri oluşturulmaya çalışılıyor? Değersizliği seviyor mu toplum?

“Hıyar gibi adam” deriz. Bu, onun yeşil veya bitkimsi olmasından değil, hıyarlığından kaynaklanır. Zaten salatalık malzemeye de hiç benzemiyor. Çoğu zaman kendimizi de hıyar gibi hissettiğimiz olur. Halktan ayrı bir duygusal yapıya sahip olur veya dışlanır, yalnız kalırız. “Kendimi hıyar gibi hissediyorum, beni doğrasalar Akdeniz cacık olur” Bu durumda da üçüncü bir hıyar anlamı ortaya çıkıyor. Son bir anlam da şudur : Bazen ya bilmeden ya da bilerek bazı kandırmacalar düzenleriz. O zaman çevremiz bizim hıyarlık yaptığımızı söyler. İşte burada da bitkimsi hıyar karakteri kendini gösterdi.

Demek ki neymiş? Bitki hıyar, halktan olan hıyar ve bireysel (individual) hıyar. Buraya kadar her şey tamam. Ama aklımıza yine bir soru takılıyor : Madem hıyar bu kadar bütüncül ve tüm toplumu kucaklayıcı bir mahiyete sahip olarak, insani vaziyette bizde şekil buluyor, neden halkın salata olduğunu düşünmeyelim?

Evet halk bir salata. Envai çeşit sebzelerden meydana gelen, yeri gelince doğranan yeri gelince sıkılan bir kozmopolit salata ! Kimisi bu yapı içinde hıyarlık görevini üstlenir kimisi muşmula. Bazen limonlar bile sıkarız olayların içine.

“Salata halk” sosyolojik olarak önemli bir iddia. Üzerinde durulması gerek...

Evet, hıyarların toplumsal olarak rolü asla reddedilemez. Onlar toplumun belkemiğidir. Hıyarlık edilmezse mevcut düzenin kıymeti anlaşılamaz. Bu hıyarlar kimi zaman devrimciliğe soyunur kimi zaman katı laikçiliğe. Hatta fundamental dinci göründükleri de vakıadır hani. Hıyarlık bu ya! Salata düzeni sanki sadece kendilerinden oluşuyormuş gibi salatayı öz varlıkları olarak görürler. Bazı tatlandırma girişimi olarak limon veya sirke dökülmesi anında harekete geçip hıyarlıklarını sergilerler.

Bir hıyar deyip geçmeyin. O bitkisel anlamda bizden kaba ve uzak ama toplumsal olarak bir o kadar da yakın... Hıyarların varlığı bitmedi ve bitmeyecek...


Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU
http://tacmahal.org/yazioku.asp?page=39 ]]> Thu, 14 Jun 2007 15:26:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/218839 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/202213 by Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU


Brenda Shaffer works to define cultural domination on states' foreign or domestic affairs in "Is there a Muslim Foreign Policy?"article. With some examples, Shaffer is explaining this event us. Firstly, Shaffer begin the article with Huntigton's thesis: "The Clash of Civilizations"

Samuel Huntigton’s thesis bases on idea that culture has main role in defining of policy. Also Brenda Shaffer agrees with Huntigton’s thesis. Shaffer says that culture is main mechanism for diplomatic relations. Shaffer interprets culture as specific culture of country's within religion, history and civilization.

Western scholars researched about Islam effection in Muslim countries after 11 September terrorist act. They looked at Muslim scholars, historians, diplomats and generals. They understood Islam effection as strong as nuclear weapons. But this is not a physical thing, this is an ideology. And they speeches to newspapers, politic journals a subject that has a title as "Do Muslim countries act differently than Non-Muslim States?"

On the other hand, Shaffer interests about this subject under the psychological perspective. Human beings are often driven by culture according to Shaffer. Also, human behavior effects on to state affairs. But state acts partly different from human behaviors. We can give example from philosophical history: Some philosophers think that the state is a thing like human. But it is systematically human. The state’ action is like people's actions. State is big form of human and human is small form of the state. As behavioral psychological meaning has different dimensions.1

Shaffer gives an example about different state decision-making. Some Muslim countries have Anti-American people as behavioral. But these states make alliance with the USA like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. Commonly we can see incongruent actings between states policies and people behaviors.

Shaffer's Caspian perspective has common beliefs. According to Shaffer, all Caspian countries have been influenced by Islam effection after from the Soviet Union. And now they have Islamic perspective on their state affairs. But Shaffer judges all Caspian and Middle Asia area as Islamic effection zones. But it is not totally like that. Today these countries are secular except Iran...

http://lightmillennium.org/2007_20th/mfoztarsu_culture_politic.html ]]> Fri, 11 May 2007 16:33:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/202213 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/198557
Uluslararası organizasyonlara katılın!

Ülkemizin sahip olduğu en büyük “potansiyel kuvvetli” kesimi teşkil eden gençliğin “düşünce-fikir-kalem” ile kendilerini geliştirmekle birlikte ülke gelişiminde de önemli rol oynayacağını her platformda dile getirmekteyiz. Arkadaşlarımızın da bunun için gayretlerinin artması gözlerden kaçmayan bir durum. Farkındalık durumu geliştikçe çalışmak için gerekli olan şevk kendisini gösteriyor.

Dünya hızlı bir küçülme hareketi içerisinde. Ülkemiz de Tanzimat döneminden beri küreselleşen dünyaya kültürel, bilimsel ve sosyal alanlar başta olmak üzere pek çok konuda ayak uydurmakta. Bu durum, iletişim organlarının da aynı ölçüde gelişmesine yol açmıştır. Veya teknolojik gelişmelerin bu hareketi hızlandırdığını söylesek daha doğru olacak. İstediğimiz bilgiye çok kısa sürede ulaşabildiğimiz bu çağda düşüncelerimizi aktarabileceğimiz platformlar da kendilerini göstermekteler. Özellikle uluslararası organizasyonların büyümesi ve çoğalması, evrensel paylaşımın önünü açtı. Sosyal bilimlere ait dallarla ilgili olarak kendinizi ifade edebileceğiniz, gerek ulusal gerekse uluslararası coğrafyadan arkadaşları edinip beyin fırtınası oluşturabileceğiniz, belki de hayatınıza yön verecek oluşumlarla karşılaşabileceğiniz birçok platform var. Bunlardan ikisi kendi işlevlerine göre önem taşıyorlar. İlki, Avrupa ülkelerinden katılımın yoğun olduğu World Student Press Agency adını taşıyan “evrensel gazete” özelliğindeki Avrupa merkezli platform. Bu platforma sosyal bilimlere ait alanlarda makale ve araştırma-inceleme türü çalışmalarınızı gönderebilir ve evrensel gazete vasıtası ile görüşlerinizi dünya gençliği ile paylaşabilirsiniz. Platformun resmî dili İngilizce olmakla beraber editör kurulu yayın için her türlü direktifi gösteriyor.

Tanıtmak istediğimiz diğer uluslararası platform ise Taking It Global adını taşıyan; İngilizce, Fransızca, İspanyolca, Türkçe, Arapça, Rusça ve Çince yayın yapan platform. Buraya katılımın sağlanmadığı bir ülke bulunmamakta. Her ülkeye ait olarak müstakil web sayfası bulunmakta. Bir nevi uluslararası öğrenci örgütlenmesi de diyebileceğimiz bu ortamda dünya genelinde gerçekleştirdikleri konferanslar, paneller ve buluşmalara da davetiye alabiliyorsunuz. Dünyanın karşılaştığı temel problemlerle ilgili olarak çalışmalarda bulunabilir, imkân dahilinde ilgili ülkelere gidebilirsiniz. Platformun Türkiye kolu da pek çok koldan faaliyet göstermekte. Dünya gençliği boş durmuyor. Çalışmalarda yer almak isteyen sizler de kolayca bu faaliyetlere katılabilirsiniz. Bilim denince akla sayısalcılığın geldiği ülkemizde sosyal bilimlere ait bu tür çalışmalarla bilim görüşünün de değişmesi için çalışmamız gerekiyor. Ayrıca gençliğin şikâyetçi olduğu atalet ve rehavet gibi problemler de bu aktif çalışmalarla aşılacaktır.

Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU / Bakü

http://genclik.zaman.com.tr/?bl=10hn=463 ]]> Sun, 06 May 2007 09:09:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/198557 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/197355
Haussman’ın Paris’i

Paris’i Haussman inşa etmiştir modern dönemde. Tabii Paris’i inşa ederken Haussman Napolyon’un büyük desteğiyle yapmıştır ne yapacaksa. Örneğin her yolu Champs et Lycées meydanına çıkarma fikrini o yürürlüğe koymuştur. Sebep bana göre 1828 ile başlayan Sosyalist/İşçi Hareketin durdurulmasını sağlamaktır. Çünkü bu meydanda o dönem dizilen toplar ayaklanan işçilere çok kolay yöneltilmiş ve burada bir katliam yapılmıştır. Bunun yanında Haussman’ın Paris’inde artık merkeziyet hakkı dinden kraliyete ya da iktidara geçmiştir. Ve bugünün modern insanlarının mabedi haline gelmiştir bu kent.

Modern Bireyin Paris’i

Paris’te bugün insanlar metroda yaşarlar. Bizler insanları sabah ulaşım, akşam televizyon ve gece uyku hengâmesi içinde buluruz Paris’te. Bireyler kendilerini toplumdan soyutlamış bir şekilde yaşarlar orada. Benim Suriye’de gördüğüm toplumsal hayat Paris’te yoktur. Modern birey televizyon kölesi gibidir. O her daim ona bağlıdır. Suriye’de insanların bana yönelttiği bir soru var. Diyorlar ki: “ Paris’te herkes çok kültürlü değil mi?” Bu soru her zaman beni güldürmüştür. Kendine kendilerine bile yetmeyen kültürleri vardır çoğu insanın Paris’te. Çünkü modern Paris sadece zenginlerin Paris’i değildir; o aynı zamanda banliyöde yaşayan insanların da Paris’idir.


Geleceğin Paris’i

Geleceğin Paris’i bana göre tüm yeteneklerini yitirmiş yaşlı bir insan gibi olacaktır. Yani tarihine gıpta ile bakan ama tüm her şeyi başka kentlere ve özellikle Asya kentlerine kaptırmış kıskanç bir yaşlı kent olacaktır. Seçimler Fransa’nın kaderini belirleyecekken aynı zamanda Paris’in de kaderini belirleyecek bence. Çünkü artık Paris yapacağı yapmış hayattan el etek çekmiş bir insan gibidir. Bu insanı mutlu etmek mi yoksa sadece güçler dengesinde yerini almak mı Fransa’nın yeni hükümeti için önemli olacaktır. Bence ikinci seçenek. Ve böylece düzensiz göç ve banliyölerin ikinci insan muamelesi görmeleri gerçeği Paris’i gerçekten tahtından indireceğe benziyor.


Françoise Dimanche
http://tacmahal.org/yazioku.asp?page=23 ]]> Fri, 04 May 2007 21:56:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/197355 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/179437
Türklere, Türkiye’ye bakışınız nasıl?

Türkiye Cumhuriyeti ikinci ve eşi olmayan bir devlettir. Tarihi imparatorluklarla devam ede gelen ve üzerinde Cumhuriyet kurulan başka bir devlet yoktur. Geçmişteki öf ve adetlerini, değer ve inançlarını hiçbir zaman göz ardı etmeden yeni bir devlet olarak cumhuriyet kuruldu. Siz böyle bir nimete sahipsiniz.

Bu değerler (milli ve manevi değerler) bize atalarımızın emaneti değildir. Bu değerler bizim elimize geçen ve bizden sonraki nesillere ulaştırılması gereken birer emanettir.

Ben gelecek adına ne yapmalıyım?

Bu günden itibaren kişi kendini sorumlu olduğunu bilmelidir, dünden değil.

Ben yarın doktor, mühendis olacağım değil, ben yarının ülkesinin sorumlusu olacak biriyim. Öyleyse kendimi bu gün ülkenin sorunlarının sorumlusu olarak bilmeli sorumluluk duymalıyım.

Siz dünyanın en zeki insanısınız. Peki, hafızanız da çok güçlü mü?

Zekâ ve hafıza birbirinin karşıtı değildir. Zekâ ve hafıza aynı da değildir. Bazlarında zekâ, bazılarında hafıza güçlü olabilir. Bazılarında her ikisi de olabilir. Ama bende hafıza problemi var. Bir okuduğumu unutamama gibi bir problem...

Sizin icadınız ne? Neyi icat etmeye çalışıyorsunuz?

Dünyanın en son icadı insandır. Elektrik yüz sene önce yoktu. Su, hayat olduğu günden beri var. Ama sudan elektrik keşfetme söz konusu oldu. Ben bir şey keşfetme peşinde değilim. Ben insanlar içinde keşfedebilen “en”leri keşfetmeye çalışıyorum.

devamı : http://tacmahal.org/haberoku.asp?page=33 ]]> Tue, 10 Apr 2007 14:23:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/179437 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/177735
Faydalı durumları kendimize saklamak yeterli ama toptan girdiğimiz bu farklılık tünelinden maalesef bazı temel değerlerimiz zedelenmiş olarak çıkıyoruz.

Herşey eğitimden başlayıp yine eğitimde biter. Milli eğitim sistemimizde çok güzel bir süreç var. İlkokul birinci sınıftan dördüncü sınıfa kadar esas bilim “hayat bilgisi” adı ile sunulur. Bundan sonra fen ve sosyal bilgiler olarak ikiye ayrılır. Lise sonuna kadar ise yine alt dallar oluşur. Bunlar verilebildiği kadar verilir daha doğrusu öğrenci alabildiği kadarını alır. Ülkemizde eğitim devr-i daimi uzun yıllar bu şekilde uygulandı. Bugün toplumumuzda artan yozlaşma ise halkımızın eğitimi ile ilgili bazı soru işaretleri oluşturuyor.

Acaba eksik olan nedir?

Eksik olan şey; vatandaşa sahip olması gereken temel bilincin uygun şekilde verilmemesi veya kimliğinin oluşmasına çok az olumlu tesirde bulunmak. Avrupa toplumlarında vatandaşlık bilinci, devlete ve millete karşı görevler, doğa bilinci, bilime olan eğilim, kişinin hak ve hürriyetlerinden haberdar olması gibi konular mevcut eğitim sistemleri ile insanda ulusal kimlik bilincinin oluşmasını sağlıyor. Ve bu yüzden ilerlemeler kaydediliyor.

Şu ana kadar bahsi geçtiği üzere eğitilmiş bir kuşağa sahip olan ülkemizin yapması gereken nedir? Elbette köklü değişiklikler birden olamaz. Fakat var olan yara belirli yöntemlerle tedavi edilmeli. Yirmi sene sonra her şeyimizi emanet edeceğimiz bu genç kuşak yetişkinler sınıfını oluşturacak. O halde bir yerden el atmalı meseleye. Üniversiteden geriye doğru bir akış sağlayacak bilinç öğretim zinciri oluşturulmalı. Üniversite ve liselerde belli süre için kişinin temel hak ve hürriyetlerine sahip oluşu ve toplumsal ilişkilerinin nasıl sağlamlaştırılması gerektiği ile ilgili teorik ve uygulamalı bir ders oluşturulmalı. Bu ders, kişinin yaşadığı ülkede nasıl bir yapıya sahip olduğunu öğretecek Vatandaşlık Bilgisi, toplumsal yapının ne olduğu ile ilgili bilgi sahibi olacağı Sosyoloji, halk ve kişi arasında ne tür iletişimin oluştuğunu anlayacağı İnsan İlişkileri, vatandaşın ne tür hak ve hürriyetlere sahip olduğunun farkına vardıracak Yasal Haklar ve içinde yaşadığı, farklı değerlere sahip insanların bulunduğu ülkede farklılıklara ne tür bakış açısına sahip olması gerektiği ve bunu nasıl uygar bir insanın davranış seviyesine getireceğini öğreten Karşılaştırmalı Dinler ve Etnik Kimlik başlıkları ile sunulmalı. Bu ders öyle düzenlenmeli ki her fakültede zorunlu olmalı ve her lisede okutturulmalı. İşin uygulamalı kısmı ise insanımızın toplum korkusu kâbusunu bitirecek türden olmalı. Tek ders ile bu bilgiler aşılanmalı.

Genç insanın büyüğüne saygısı küçüğüne sevgisi, toplumunun problemlerine yapıcı yaklaşımları, farklı değerlere saygılı bakış açısı toplumun yapısını iyileştirecek durumlardır. Madem kökten değişmiyor hiçbir şey, o halde yarayı tedavi edebilecek türden adımlar atılmalı.

Toplumumuzun ruh hali magazin, popüler mantık, şiddet, müstehcenlik gibi uyuşturuculardan dolayı bozulmakta. Aile yapısı değerini kaybetmekte. Eğitim alanında bu tür faaliyetlerle güzelliklerin olacağına inanıyoruz. İster Kimlikoloji olsun ister başka birşey, adını beraber koyalım. Bunlara acilen ihtiyacımız var. Özellikle genç arkadaşlarımızın bilinçli şekilde hareket etmesi çok önemli bir konu. Siz ne dersiniz peki?

M. Fatih Öztarsu
http://www.tacmahal.org/yazioku.asp?page=6 ]]> Fri, 06 Apr 2007 17:52:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/177735 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/164973
Mozambique is a mistreated country which had his share of the colonialism like the other African countries. We know that Portugal is also active in that geography of which Europe profit every inch. Portugal kept his effect up for a long time until the Mozambicans drove them away from this region 30 years ago.

In the county governed with capitalist economic system, all the balances that would be useful for Portugal were ready. But all the development plans disappeared when the native people drove them away. The communist system which tried hard to rule the country after the capitalism managed to continue ruling even by force. Occident who didn't have his profits lost, caused to the civil war in the country. The conflicts between the government and the people came to an end with efforts of Anglican Church to bring together the representatives of the people and the governments. The country obtained nothing more than harm at the end of the civil war. At the end of that agreement the campaign, "collecting weapons from people", was started and until that time 600.000 weapons has been able to collected. When we look at the weapons collected it surprises us that they come from Russia, England, and USA. Shortly, it can be called a civil war supported outwardly. A tableau of the people who doesn't know for what they fight and who obtained the greatest harm.

The development of the country becomes slowly. Having harm more than a profit of the communism is also a factor to this. This system wasn't accepted in this area because of the fact that the people have a mentality that consists of a leader and forming group. And the government is being effected by the collapse lived in 1991. After that the commerce of the country has been brought to a moderate atmosphere. One of the biggest postwar problems of Mozambique in which a person working in an average job earns 40 $, is the sweeping of the mines in the north region. Mine Research Commission states that the mine maps belonging to that time are lost and extensive mine researches are stopped because the attention of worldly public opinion is attracted to Iraq and Afghanistan. Henceforth, there, the mortal weapons are used to make a work of art. Messages on the useless of these weapons are being given to the people. The authorities, who say that even for the children imitation weapons shouldn't be bought, state that people can go forward if they take their lesson from the history. Today, even in British Museum the work of art called "the Life Tree" that the people made from the weapons takes part. In the country in which ideological fixed ideas will disappear in time, in some of the streets the names of the ex-communist-leaders take part. But people's longing to democracy and endeavoring for realizing this makes us happy.

Fishing has the greatest part for people's making their life. In Mozambique which is a port country, a small Turkish educator group takes part. We don't have any economical activity there yet. We want to keep our expansionist policy up there too and we thank to Sezai Kara and the other Turks who represent us there after Ottoman. The main after all is the conflict between people and systems has continued during centuries. The thing that changes the movement of happenings: exterior forces, methods that the people applied, geographical features and events lived. Today Africa is changing and becoming conscious. It is enough that it is set free. External effects having lasted too many years wore them out but they believe that they will have the required strength for rising. It is enough at least. These people lived under slavery for centuries but the ones who have lived under slavery for too many years, haven't wanted to rise and who misses the times under slavery astonish us.

These are the situations rooting from unconsciousness. The ones who have gained the consciousness are being assimilated to the other ways. The only thing to do is to remind the past and to supply national consciousness. To state that the dialogue is more important than the conflict.

Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU
American Magazine The Light Millenium
http://www.lightmillennium.org/2006_19th/mfoztarsu_mozambique.html ]]> Fri, 02 Mar 2007 22:10:00 EST http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/164973 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/42856
Mozambique is a mistreated country which had his share of the colonialism like the other African countries. We know that Portugal is also active in that geography of which Europe profit every inch. Portugal kept his effect up for a long time until the Mozambicans drove them away from this region 30 years ago.

In the county governed with capitalist economic system, all the balances that would be useful for Portugal were ready. But all the development plans disappeared when the native people drove them away. The communist system which tried hard to rule the country after the capitalism managed to continue ruling even by force. Occident who didn’t have his profits lost, caused to the civil war in the country. The conflicts between the government and the people came to an end with efforts of Anglican Church to bring together the representatives of the people and the governments. The country obtained nothing more than harm at the end of the civil war. At the end of that agreement the campaign, “collecting weapons from people”, was started and until that time 600.000 weapons has been able to collected. When we look at the weapons collected it surprises us that they come from Russia, England, and USA. Shortly, it can be called a civil war supported outwardly. A tableau of the people who doesn’t know for what they fight and who obtained the greatest harm…

The development of the country becomes slowly. Having harm more than a profit of the communism is also a factor to this. This system wasn’t accepted in this area because of the fact that the people have a mentality that consists of a leader and forming group. And the government is being effected by the collapse lived in 1991. After that the commerce of the country has been brought to a moderate atmosphere. One of the biggest postwar problems of Mozambique in which a person working in an average job earns 40 $, is the sweeping of the mines in the north region. Mine Research Commission states that the mine maps belonging to that time are lost and extensive mine researches are stopped because the attention of worldly public opinion is attracted to Iraq and Afghanistan. Henceforth, there, the mortal weapons are used to make a work of art. Messages on the useless of these weapons are being given to the people. The authorities, who say that even for the children imitation weapons shouldn’t be bought, state that people can go forward if they take their lesson from the history. Today, even in British Museum the work of art called “the Life Tree” that the people made from the weapons takes part. In the country in which ideological fixed ideas will disappear in time, in some of the streets the names of the ex-communist-leaders take part. But people’s longing to democracy and endeavoring for realizing this makes us happy.

Fishing has the greatest part for people’s making their life. In Mozambique which is a port country, a small Turkish educator group takes part. We don’t have any economical activity there yet. We want to keep our expansionist policy up there too and we thank to Sezai Kara and the other Turks who represent us there after Ottoman. The main after all is the conflict between people and systems has continued during centuries. The thing that changes the movement of happenings: exterior forces, methods that the people applied, geographical features and events lived… Today Africa is changing and becoming conscious. It is enough that it is set free. External effects having lasted too many years wore them out but they believe that they will have the required strength for rising. It is enough at least. These people lived under slavery for centuries but the ones who have lived under slavery for too many years, haven’t wanted to rise and who misses the times under slavery astonish us.

These are the situations rooting from unconsciousness. The ones who have gained the consciousness are being assimilated to the other ways. The only thing to do is to remind the past and to supply national consciousness. To state that the dialogue is more important than the conflict.

Mehmet Fatih ÖZTARSU
http://www.tacmahal.org]]> Mon, 04 Sep 2006 18:53:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/42856 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41952
« L’image obscure d’Islam dans l’Occident irrite les Musulmans dans l’Orient. Quand je suis allé à la Mecque j’ai dit aux Musulmans que le coupable de ça est vous-même et vous avez toute l’endosse de ça. Parce que, à cause d’ils n’ont pas raconté bien l’Islam réel au monde occidental, ce qui écoute ces choses fictives, peut y croire. Le laxisme et bien plus le mutisme des Musulmans orientaux en métier de description d’Islam avait né une telle ouverture de savoir que un exploiteur religieux dans l’Occident peut entraîner le fait que l’ethnie fait des fautes. »

Avant 40 ans, Malcolm X qui a reflété l’image réelle d’Islam dans l’Occident, a nous raconté la perdu de prestige que le monde Islamique vivra ultérieurement, a fait l’avertissement de ça et a conseillé que nous, les Musulmans, entrons dans une dialogue stricte avec l’Occident et racontons l’Islam réel.
Malcolm X était l’assistant d’Elijah Muhammad qui était le chef de « Nation of Islam (Nation d’Islam)», qui disait que la religion réelle de la race noire est Islam, et était la personne fieffée qui racontait l’Islam dans l’Etats-Unis.
Mais Islam présenté aux américains par Elijah, était un Islam complètement irréel et, était présenté aux hommes comme une religion commentée selon Elijah, lui-même. À cause d’il n’y avait pas eu un leader religieux, un pays ou une communauté islamique jusqu’à ce temps-là qui avait raconté l’Islam, Elijah, qui pensait au fait qu’il peut faire adopter un religion importée, imaginait lui-même comme un sauveteur présenté de Allah pour le monde occidentaux et disait ça comme une condition aux gens acceptant l’Islam. Même s’il était une fausse voie, Malcolm X, qui voulait lutter pour sa religion, avait appris seulement d’Elijah que; « la race noire est plus supérieure que les autres, l’homme blanc est démon et Islam est seulement pour eux, donc, les noirs africains. »
Après les années Malcolm X, qui alla à la Mecque pour remplir sa mission de pèlerinage, vécu le choc de sa vie quand il y a vu les gens blancs, blonds carmins, noirs, de toutes les couleurs, de toutes les races qui étaient ensemble, faisaient sa prière dans la même ligne, mangeaient dans la même table. Désormais, ses idées, sa croyance, son point de vue sur les sociétés mondiales. Grâce à cette situation, il s’est aperçu le fait qu’Islam diffusé aux Etats-Unis soit incorrect et aux reportages réalisés il ne reproche pas à ce qui avaient diffusé ce style incorrect mais au monde Islamique :
« L’image obscure d’Islam dans l’Occident irrite les Musulmans dans l’Orient. Quand je suis allé à la Mecque j’ai dit aux Musulmans que le coupable de ça est vous-même et vous avez toute l’endosse de ça. Parce que, à cause d’ils n’ont pas raconté bien l’Islam réel au monde occidental, ce qui écoute ces choses fictives, peut y croire. Le laxisme et bien plus le mutisme des Musulmans orientaux en métier de description d’Islam avait né une telle ouverture de savoir que un exploiteur religieux dans l’Occident peut entraîner le fait que l’ethnie fait des fautes. »
Dans la première moitié de 20ème siècle, à cause de ce qui travaillent imposer ses idées aux gens en utilisant Islam, dans ce pays, la diffusion de la religion droite avait devenu difficile, un grand mur de préjugé avait existé et réalisation de cet événement important avait été en retard jusqu’aux années futures. Quand même, ici, les associations comme Nation of Islam, qui a une mentalité fausse, ont du partage de culpabilité, le monde Islamique a le plus grand partage dans ce schéma.
Quand on voit le monde entier, la religion dominante dans le Nouveau Continent est le Christianisme. Dans ces territoires, jusqu’à ce temps, Islam n’a pas été raconté, au contraire, I’idéologie de « haine conte Islam » a été diffusé d’ici. Quant à l’Extrême-Orient, avant 100 ans, aux gens extrême-orientaux, qui étaient dans une cavité religieuse, par les Européens, les prêtres ont été envoyé par les bateaux et on a eu l’intention de remplir ce cavité avec le Christianisme. En fait, les chiffres officiels montrent ça clairement : Au Japon, en Corée du Sud, %25 de la population sont Chrétiens mais il y a une situation excentrique que, quand on regard les livres d’Histoire, le siècle passé, on tombera sur le fait que une chance trop importante existe. Donc, les temps où les prêtres étaient envoyés par les bateaux à l’Extrême-Orient, dans le règne de Sultan Abdulhamid II, le Japon veulent les hodjas pour apprendre l’Islam. Le prince japonais dit que : « Envoieriez sept personnes à nous pour le fait que nous apprenions l’Islam et nous vous envoierions les officiers pour le fait que vous les occupiez dans la défense. » Aldulhamid qui était très désolé pour ne pas répondre à cette dialogue positivement dit que : « j’envoierais non sept mais sept cents personnes, s’il n’y avait pas les questions d’Anatolie qui sont trop mixtes.
L’idéal des ancêtres était d’entrer dans un territoire pour l’humanité. En fait, ce temps, quand on regard les terres que nos ancêtres ont conquises et jugées au long des siècles, on verra le fait que l’on n’ait fait tort à personne, on ait fait les importantes lois pour sécurité d’eux et les noms des villes aient été sauvegardés et vivifiés jusqu’à ce temps.
Allah avait crée les gens dans une telle belle manière qu’Il nous annonce le fait que l’humain soit un être qui doit n’être pas gaspillé dans tous les cas. Master des Mondes (sas) adopte l’humain comme un telle important être qu’Il va plusieurs fois chez Ebu Cehil, l’incrédulité de qui l’on est sure, afin qu’il ne soit pas un gens qui vivra le fléau de Allah. Quand on entre dans la Mecque, Il dit que : « les gens qui entrent dans la Kaaba, ou chez Ebu Sufyan se sauveront. » Donc, à ce temps-là il donne une telle valeur à un gens qui ne croit pas à Allah avec l’espoir que sa fin soit le salut. On est communauté d’un Prophète (sas) qui avait commandé à un Compagnon qui travaillait à arrêter des obstacles de sa mère mécréante, de ne pas faire les conduits qui peuvent offenser sa mère. Quel significatifs sont-ils ces vers d’Ahmet Yesevî :
« C’était sunna, n’offense pas le gens même s’il était sacrilège
Allah se plaint de ce qui a un cœur dur, de ce qui offense des cœurs. »

Dans ce siècle, que l’humanité va à la polarisation, que l’anarchie et le terrorisme deviennent les phénomènes triviaux, que l’on travaille pour supprimer la valeur de l’humanité, les actions de tolérance des Musulmans, qui s’est récemment aperçu quelques beautés, avaient commencé à donner ses fruit et pour l’action commune le fond avait été complété. Chargé de cours à la fac. Ursula Spuler participé au symposium « Reconstruction d’idéologie Islamique au 20ème siècle et Bediuzzaman » réalisé en 1992, décrit la scène qu’il veut voir ou qu’il a vue comme ça : « Les Turcs à Koln avaient envoyé un appréciable message de voeux à la papauté pour le Pâques. On exprimait l’importance du papa qui est originairement polonais dans l’événement du sauvetage du bloc oriental du communisme. On exprimait que, comme une lutte associative contre communisme, les Musulmans avaient défalqué les Russes d’Afghanistan. Le message continuait comme ça : « À même temps, on s’aperçoit que ; notre mission n’a pas fini après tous les événements De même façon que vous avez expliqué, l’humanité a besoin de la foi et du nouveau ordre mondial. » Ce message de voeux de Pâques avait été écrit avec le système de réflexion de Said Nursî. En fait, Said Nursî avait envoyé un très bel travail de lui au papa de temps-là en 1951.
Spuler, qui a été obligé des belles impressions qu’il a vues par les Musulmans, explique ceux-ci dans le prolongement de la causerie : « Bediuzzaman déclare dans son travail intitulé Munazarat que ; on peut être ami avec les Juifs et les Chrétiens en vivant comme un Musulman. Il avait vu les Chrétiens et l’Allemagne, qui a formé avec une belle tradition chrétienne, comme un grand ami dans la guerre contre toutes les ennemies des religions.
Les expressions de Safa Mursel, qui a participé au même symposium, nous déclareront sur ce que l’on doit faire : « Si une compilation entre les religions on peut attendre le fait que le Christianisme veuille ça premièrement. Ses expressions-ci sont suffisantes pour donner les opinions requises :
« Le Christianisme s’évanouira ou bien abandonner ses armes contre l’Islam. Le Christianisme s’est abîmé quelques temps et transformé au Protestantisme. Le Protestantisme s’est abîmé aussi. Il s’est approché à la Unification. Il prépare à s’abîmer encore une fois. Il profitera et s’abîmera ou bien verra la réalité d’Islam qui est connective pour la principal du Christianisme en face de lui-même et capitulera. Et la religion réelle des Chrétiens, qui a converti à Islam et qui abandonneront ses superstitions, sera d’accord et aideront à l’Islam. »
À propos, on est dans une importante position. On est dans une plus importante position au regard des événements que l’humanité s’est expérimentée. Dans cette tranche de temps que toutes les possibilités sont devant nous, donc on peut dire que dans « la tranche d’or de temps », avec les possibilités que l’on possède, on peut être un prétexte au fait que les sujet qui avait été signifiés par de Notre Master (sas) qu dernier Savant s’unissent dans une unique voie. Dans la tranche d’or de temps Allah supprime toutes les obstacles devant nous, n’importe quoi ils veuillent. Tant que notre intention est pure. « L’intention des Musulmans est mieux que son action. »

http://www.tacmahal.org ]]> Mon, 14 Aug 2006 17:24:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41952 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41366
http://www.harunyahya.com/prophetmuhammad06.php ]]> Sun, 30 Jul 2006 10:47:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41366 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41245
http://www.tacmahal.org/detay.php?id=1546

]]> Thu, 27 Jul 2006 06:28:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41245 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41147

http://www.tacmahal.org/detay.php?id=1557 ]]> Tue, 25 Jul 2006 12:10:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41147 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/41101 understanding of his past,
can not comprehend his present and,
thus, can not build his future."

Author, Composer, Singer, Producer and TV Personality
------------------------------------------------------

A Man of the Turkish People who successfully put his name to many firsts and records

Baris Manço was born in the maternity ward of Zeynep Kâmil Hospital in the Üsküdar district of Istanbul, during the night that linked the 1st to the 2nd of January in 1943. No doubt, his parents wanted to express the longing of all humanity that had been living through an infernal and devastating war for almost 5 years, and in a cry of hope they named their little baby "Baris!" Baris means 'peace' in Turkish and this occasion marked the first time ever a baby was given this name in the country. Their son certainly did not disappoint the family: by the time he had rejoined his Creator in Heavens, he had left behind a series of important work that was prepared and crafted with the aspiration that it may serve as a guide for 'humanity to live in peace.'


Baris Manço, after successfully completing his secondary education at the Galatasaray Lycée (enrolment number: 1018, nickname: Small Bear) in Istanbul, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Liège, Belgium, in 1969. As a manifestation of his interest in languages of the world, he was fluent in Turkish, French, English and Japanese, and could comfortably carry a conversation in German, Arabic, Dutch, Spanish and Italian.


The wealth of knowledge and culture that Baris Manço retained from his family, his nation, his education, his lifetime experiences and, especially, from the gifts with which nature had blessed him at birth, provided him with the ability to forge direct, warm and mutually enriching communications with countless people from all walks of life in more than sixty countries.

The first time Baris Manço performed on stage was at a small town wedding party in 1958. He quickly attracted attention with his band Harmoniler (Harmonies) that he had formed with his classmates during the festivals held at Galatasaray Lycee's Tevfik Fikret conference hall [named in dedication to a great man of Letters who also had been one of the school's former directors]. During a long career of 41 years that ensued, Baris Manço shared his particular music with many musicians, some of whom were international performers who admired the music created by him and his bands Mogollar and Kaygisizlar . From the time he finished his military service as a Lieutenant in the artillery division of the Turkish Army until his passing on January 31, 1999, his musical career was identified with that of his band, Kurtalan Ekspres; the latter was named after a modest train that leaves Istanbul's Haydarpasa Train Station every evening for a 3-day journey across Anatolia, from Northwest to Southeast, that fulfils a not-so-modest task of connecting the largest city of Turkey, once the capital of the Eastern Roman and Ottoman Empires, to the ancient Mesopotamian town of Kurtalan.


"Peace at Home - Peace in the World"

Baris Manço composed more than 200 songs including both the music and lyrics. He has not given to me the task of appraising his work but it certainly is popular since many of his songs were translated into Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, Japanese, Hebrew, French, English and Dutch, and were a part of the repertories of artists singing in those languages.

Proverbs and sayings (Atasözü in Turkish, literally 'words of ancestors') flourished in the songs of Baris Manço, which were written in simple forms using an 'almost childish' language. Thus, the work seems very easy to understand though, paradoxically, gives rise to quite deep thoughts and emotions. In fact, Baris Manço patiently embroidered not only his songs but also his 2 television programs during the last 11 years of his life, 'From 7 to 77's' and 'Full Gallop', around the double axis that constitutes the Principle of Kemalism: "Peace at Home - Peace in the World." On one hand, he addressed the Turkish people as a whole with themes touching upon the Republic of Turkey, national unity, solidarity and brotherhood among people and World peace; on the other hand, the messages were clearly designated to the individual, the Citizen of Earth, provoking him to think about subjects such as honesty and excellence at work, equality, justice, modesty, respect for the nature and for others, love for his offspring, importance of family, importance of education, knowledge and understanding of the past. Baris used to say: "One who does not possess a good understanding of his past, can not comprehend his present and, thus, can not build his future", trust in himself and others, internal peace and personal freedom. Here is an example of his attempt to keep his messages simple and consistent: one of his songs is named, with a pinch of humour, 'Let me see you read: B-e-a-r!'. The 4th page of the Turkish daily Milliyet's Sunday edition, which he directed between 1992 and 1994, was also entitled 'Let me see you read!'.

Curiously, the first foreign publication that printed a picture of Baris Manço, heralding him as 'Turkey's rock idol' was the National Geographic Magazine, on page 380 of its March 1973 issue. During the years that followed, Manço appeared in hundreds of international newspapers, magazines and broadcasts over five continents, including Italian sports daily (and thus not musically-oriented) 'Corriere dello Sport' which sells more than a million copies a day. As a result, on his long list of Copyrights and royalty receipts one can come across the names of countries as distant and diverse as Venezuela, Congo or Malaysia.

Baris Manço, during his artistic career of 41 years, not only took stage thousands of times in all the large and small cities of his home country but also in Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Congo, Argentina, the United States, Russia, Turkish-speaking Turkic Republics and Regions of the former Soviet Union, Arab countries, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and France; and was invited to various radio and television shows in these countries.

Smile from one world citizen

The television career of Baris Manço began when in October, 1988, TRT1, the first channel of the national television in Turkey, accepted the conception of an entertainment program with a strong cultural and educational content, primarily addressing children but, as its name suggested, being mindful of a wider audience 'from 7 to 77' while sprinkling Manço's music between segments. The objective proposed and realised by this program was to show that the Citizens of Earth are always capable of smiling even when they find themselves in an environment tainted with devastation and misery. In other words, the program wanted to present an alternative to the so-called 'realistic press' by remaining faithful to truth. By the time the 378th and final episode had aired on December 6, 1998 this program had reached hundreds of millions of viewers domestically and also internationally thanks to the broadcasts via the Turkish satellite system TURKSAT. In order to produce the episodes during the 10 years and 3 months that the show lasted, Baris Manço travelled from the Equator to the Poles, visiting more than a hundred countries and regions over 5 continents, covering more than 600 thousand kilometres in search of the 'smile from one world citizen' and brought that smile to another elsewhere.


The second TV program of Baris Manço was called '4X 21: Dolu Dizgin' which may be translated into English as '4 X 21: Full Gallop'. This high quality music/talk show, which was brought to the TV screens by TRT1 on 52 Thursdays (on 4th day at 21 - 9pm - between October, 1992 and the end of 1993, remains in the annals of Turkish television perhaps as the most memorable production for the variety and diversity of its guests. 'Dolu Dizgin' had the distinction of being the first in Turkey to invite artists from the Turkic-speaking Republics and Regions of the former Soviet Union. During the end-of-year episode that was broadcast on December 31, 1992, it also became the only show that was able to bring together more than 500 children and 4 leaders of state on its stage with live participation from 5 cities that constitute the corners and the center of the Anatolian Peninsula, as well as from Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Cyprus.

Many achievements in Baris Manço's 41-year career were officially recognised through more than 300 trophies and prizes, and were rewarded with the following titles and decorations:

Republic of Bulgaria: Golden Orpheus of art and music, Varna (1980)
Turkish American Society: honorary member, New York, USA (1989)
Republic of Turkey: Ambassador of Art, Ankara (1991)
Hacettepe University: Honorary Doctor of the Arts, Ankara, Turkey (1991)
Soka Gakkai University: International Medal of "Culture and Peace", Tokyo, Japan (1991), for having put his music in the service of the World peace
Kingdom of Belgium: Knight of the order of Léopold II, Brussels (1992)
Republic of France: Knight of the Arts and Letters, Paris (1992)
Pamukkale University: Honorary Doctor of the Arts, Denizli, Turkey (1995)
Min-On Artistic Foundation: Supreme Medal of Honour, Tokyo, Japan (1995)
City of Liège: Honorary Citizen, Liège, Belgium (1997 )
Republic of Turkmenistan: Honorary Turkmen Compatriote, Askabad (1998)
University of Askabad: Honorary Professor, Turkmenistan (1998)

When Baris left us shortly before midnight on January 31, 1999 he was the husband of Lâle (Tulip) and the father of 2 boys: Dogukan (Blood of East) and Batikan (Blood of West).

You can find more information regarding Baris Manço, his career and his music at http://www.barismanco.de

A final note: the gifts by which the Creator had blessed him; the first name that his parents gave him; his life of 56 years spent close to nature and, I believe, lived "almost childishly"; his terrific career of 41 years and his conscientious work created with a lot of love and patience but also with method and courage; the intensity and the sincerity of the pain felt by those who had known him, both domestically and abroad, the day of his passing; and, the boundless growth of the snowball of love that the "Citizens of Earth" expressed to him already makes me believe once more that my brother was "chosen" and he carried out brilliantly the task which he had received. I ask the good God to receive him with open arms.

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All these brutalities may make us think that the strong and powerful always try to dominate and treat unjustly the less powerful. The fact is, however, that some societies have displayed great mercy and tolerance to the people under their rule regardless of their belief and race. This article tries to give some information about the tolerance of the Ottomans toward minorities, especially the Jews who were mistreated under the Byzantine dominion. They experienced expulsion from Spain after which they were accepted in the Ottoman lands and lived in peace and comfort.
Let us first look at the lives of the Jews during the Byzantines.

Jews of Byzantium

Jews were well-treated in Byzantium. The people of Byzantium did not like the Jews for religious reasons. They regarded them as damned by God since they denied the words of God and allegedly killed Jesus. They thus subjected the Jews to restriction and persecution:

Byzantine Jews were nominally free to follow their own faith, but the Byzantine Emperors excluded Jews from rights of full citizenship and restricted the locations of their settlement and synagogues as well as their rights to engage in trade and professions (Shaw, 1991, p.18).

After Christianity was declared to be the religion of the state by Theodosius 11(408 - 450), conditions for the Jews in Byzantine Empire became worse. Theodosius excluded the Jews from most of the privileges of citizenship while imposing all sorts of burdens on them. He prohibited them from building new synagogues. Soon afterwards, during the reign of Emperor Maurice, all synagogues were changed into churches and Jews were ordered to be forcibly converted to Christianity.

The situation became even worse for the Jews as the Byzantine Empire declined. In order to restore religious unity within the collapsing empire, rulers increased the pressure upon the Jews by reissuing the old legal restrictions and condemning anyone who happened to favour Jews by allowing them to live and work beside Christians (ibid., pp.2l-3).

Jews of the Ottoman State

The collapse of Byzantium was a fortunate event for the Jews under its dominion. Even before the Ottoman State was born, as Seljuk Turks established their state around central Anatolia in the twelfth century, Byzantine Jewry sprang rapidly to their assistance welcoming the tolerance and prosperity which the rule of Islam offered them. Thousands of Jews fled from Byzantine persecution to Seljuk protection. In the following century, Ottoman Turks established their principality in north-western Anatolia. Within two centuries Ottomans had taken over most of western Anatolia and gained control of Syria, Iraq and Egypt in the East. In the West they expanded through South-eastern Europe all the way to Vienna. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent extended the Ottoman rule across North Africa almost to the Atlantic and controlled much of Caucasia.

This Ottoman expansion marked a very substantial change for the Jews of the Middle East and Europe. In complete contrast to their situation under the Byzantines, Jews entering the Ottoman dominions were allowed to practice whatever profession they wished, to engage in trade and commerce without restriction and to possess landed property and buildings in town and country (ibid., p.26). After Sultan Mehmed II (Fatih) conquered Istanbul in 1453, he allowed Jews to settle in Istanbul and carry out their commerce. From the start, Sultan Mehmed II encouraged the emigration of Jews from Europe even more than the Jews already living in the expanding Ottoman Empire itself. Just as the Jews of England, France, Germany, Spain, and even Poland and Lithuania were being subjected to increasing persecution, blood libels, massacres, and deportations, the Turkish rulers of the expanding Ottoman state actively encouraged them to come and live under conditions of tolerance and freedom. Mehmed II himself is said to have issued a proclamation to all Jews:

“Who among you of all my people that is with me, may his God he with him, let him ascend to Istanbul, the site of my imperial throne. Let him dwell in the best of the land, each beneath his vine and beneath his fig tree, with silver and with gold, with wealth and with cattle. Let him dwell in the land, trade in it, and take possession of it.’’



Picture: Visiting by Jewish Person to II. Mehmed

As a result of these efforts, during the three decades following the Ottoman conquest, according to a Turkish register, Istanbul’s population increased to 16,326 households including 1,647 Jewish households. By the mid-l6th century, according to a similar census in 1535, 8,070 Jewish households were listed in the capital city. The city’s Jews numbered some 40,000 — a tenth of the population. Salonica, which had no Jewish population represented in the census of 1478, had 2,645 Jewish households by 1535. (Kedourie, 1992, p.165).

Similar increases were to be found in many Ottoman centres in the Balkans and Asia Minor because the Turks trusted them. They preceded the Greeks and Armenians as bankers, physicians and interpreters, and eventually gathered most of the empire’s trade into their hands (Thubron, 1978, p.189).

The following quotes provide clear evidence that Jews of that time were happy with the Ottoman Empire as well. Rabbi Isaac Tzarfati invited the Jews who were suffering in Germany to the Turkish state:

“…Listen my brethren, to the counsel I will give you. I, too, was born in Germany and studied Torah with the German rabbis. I was driven out of my native country and came into the Turkish land, which is blessed by God and filled with all good things. Here I found rest and happiness. Turkey can also become for you the land of peace. ..If you who live in Germany knew even a tenth of what God has blessed us with in this land, you would not consider any difficulties, you would set out to come to us...Here in the land of the Turks we have nothing to complain of. We possess great fortunes; much gold and silver are in our hands. We are not oppressed with heavy taxes, and our commerce is free and unhindered. Rich are the fruits of the earth. Everything is cheap, and everyone of us lives in peace and freedom. Here the Jew is not compelled to wear a yellow hat as a badge of shame, as is the case in Germany...Arise my brethren, give up your lands, collect your forces, and come to us. Here you will be free of your enemies, here you will find rest...(Shaw, 1991, p.32).”

The most significant example of tolerance Ottomans displayed for the minorities, especially the Jews, is that they opened their land to those who were expelled from Portugal and Spain.

Jews found refuge in Ottoman lands

During the 15th century in Europe, slavery, race discrimination, religious intolerance and the cruelties and atrocities of the inquisition resulted in the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Christians were becoming more powerful and grew confident in the wake of victories over Muslims. The defeat of the Muslims in Spain made things difficult for the Jews who had been living in peace under the rule of Andalusian Muslims. They now faced restrictions and difficulties. As Christian rule solidified, there was less need for Jews, and since they were accused of the death of Jesus, Spanish Jews were subjected to the same persecutions by Christians as had taken place elsewhere in Western Europe. These persecutions and restrictions culminated in a decree of expulsion. After Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain had accepted the capitulation of the city of Granada, they decreed the expulsion of the Jewish population from their united realms.

Since the Jews in Western Europe were already under pressure, the neighboring states of Spain did not seem to be happy about large-scale immigration of Jews. Sultan Bayezid, the ruler of the Ottomans at that time, heard of the evil nature of the king of Spain and the inflictions on the Jews who were seeking refuge and a resting place. He took pity on them, wrote letters and proclaimed that the Jews were to be given a gracious welcome. Despite considerable religious conservatism of his own, Bayezid went on to decree that all Jews fleeing from Spain should be admitted to his dominions without restriction, and with the same inducements that had been offered during the reign of his predecessor. Ottoman officers were ordered to do everything they could to facilitate the entry of Iberian Jews into Ottoman territory, and strict punishments were provided against all those who mistreated the immigrants or caused them any sort of damage (ibid., p.33).

It is estimated that 250,000 Jews came from the Iberian peninsula to the Ottoman realms and settled in all parts of the Sultans territory including modern Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Egypt, and in Anatolia at Bursa, Gallipoli, Manisa, Izmir (Smyrna), Tokat and Amasya. But most commonly they settled in places that became the centres of Jewish life in the Ottoman State in the capital, Istanbul, in Eastern Thrace at Edirne (Adrenapolis), along the shores of the Aegean at Salonica. This made the Ottoman Jewish community not only the largest but also the most prosperous Jewish community in the world, during the sixteenth and early seventieth centuries, a period which constituted the golden age of Ottoman Jewry.

The Ottoman Jews did indeed live in great relief and comfort. They were allowed to follow their religious requirements and build their own synagogues as well as being free to deal in commerce. There is no evidence that shows Jews were forced to change their religion. However, a considerable number of them willingly converted to Islam.

Conclusion

The reason why the Ottomans displayed such tolerance to all minorities under their dominion and why they allowed Jews to enter their territory and live peacefully though they gained no benefit from doing so originates from their religious values.

Islam takes into consideration that Jews, like Muslims and Christians, were a people to whom a Divine Book was sent, although they corrupted it in the course of time. Great figures of the old Testament, like Aron, David, Solomon and Job, are all prophets and, like Jesus Christ, are mentioned in the Qur’an. God chose Moses as the Messenger for the Children of Israel. Jews, like Christians, are considered to be a people of the book, ahl al-kitab, and enjoy special religious tolerance and autonomy.

All ‘people of the book’ were allowed to preserve their religions and recognized as religiously- based communities. They paid a special ‘poll tax’ called harac or cizye. The poor, the sick and the clergy were exempt. All minorities were exempt from military service and they were admitted the right to maintain their own forms of government within their communities. While they lived in great comfort and prosperity, there were some limitations. For example, they could not marry Muslim women or bear arms. Compared to the active persecution to which Jews were subjected in the Christian lands of Europe, the world of Islam was indeed paradise for them (Shaw, 1991, ph).

The modern world may be depressing with its catalogue of holocausts and massacres which continue up until today. However, we can learn from the tolerant attitude shown by the Ottomans towards their Jewish minority that co-existence in peace is possible through the observation of Divine principles. It should give us hope. Our real hope is that all tyrants will give up their cruelty and treat others as fellow human beings.

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Concerning the EU process, it does not seem as if Europe will admit Turkey together with its Islamic identity. “The meeting of the civilizations” is also in vain; it is merely a nice rhetoric. Europe does not accept the existence of any other civilization apart from its own.

The Muslim world will be modernized with authoritarian policies, this is a basic issue related to the vital interests of the West. However, there will be no models other than the authoritarian modernization policies that have been implemented for 150 years. In other words, the “Non-Western modernities” Nilufer Gole has been working on for years do not have any equivalence in literature. The state imposing modernization serves as the West’s filter, this is what Europe wants. And this makes democratization, the people’s free self-expression, the processes of being effective in the decision mechanisms and the demands of the centrifugal forces, impossible; because the official political filter essentially includes authoritarian and sometimes totalitarian elements, by means of some tricky amendments. In short, the EU process does not promise democracy for Turkey.

“A big struggle is going on in Turkey.” I take close interest in this as a Frenchman and a European. The establishment of the republic in Turkey is important for us. Therefore, the struggle in Turkey is also our struggle,” Jean François Bayart, an influential French political scientist said.

Some intellectuals from Turkey were offended and astonished by these words. As someone who has reflected upon modernity and the Turkish modernization project for years, I am one of those who know quite well that there is no other way of modernization apart from the modernization concept the West itself has suggested. Besides, our struggle with a probelm of this or that depth is not on the agenda of Europeans. Especially the French, whatever you talk with them, they either bring the conversation down to their own problem or do not listen to you at all. They have such an egocentric viewpoint that they expect the world to turn around them. They enthusiastically applaud those who deliver their lectures in French: “That’s it! Your very successful use of French made us happy!” They are rowing against the current, that is to say, against the fluidity of globalization, good or bad. Frankly, they cannot accept an Indian purchasing a French-originated iron-steel factory or a Chinese purchasing a perfume company. This is an insulting situation “damaging national identity,” according to them.

As if France considers freedom only possible for itself and only deems itself worthy of it. Freedom is not a human state everyone can reach and experience, it belongs only to the West and France. The same is valid for democracy, too.

France scared of the EU’s expansion, of the impacts of globalization towards the nation-state and national institutions, structures and especially of Turkey’s probable membership, hides itself in its shell and returns to the oldest cultural sources of the republic and secularism, whose boundary with laicity is nothing but a very thin line. This is a classic modernization project that cannot surmount the frame of the Third Republic it also suggested to us and makes references to the last century, in a sense.

In general, its intellectuals are not aware of anything: The West has always explained Islam and the Muslim world so far. This is no longer useful as the crisis taking place in the heart of the modern world has made many intellectuals in the Muslim world turn towards their own authentic sources as a result of an interaction. The West in no way understands that it can no longer explain and define us and the world with the intellectual material it possesses, even if it comes close to understanding it, it cannot admit it.

Western intellectuals still approve of talking to intellectuals like Orhan Pamuk, who employ a style that insults the country’s deficiencies at any given opportunity and show them as the right address or to “apologizing intellectuals acting like thought officials being inspected.” If you say something different, especially, if you criticize them, if you say you are bored with their headmaster mission, even through allusion, they prefer running away from that platform immediately. Except Oliver Abel.

Ali Bulac, Daily Zaman
http://tacmahal.org/detay.php?id=1551
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Under Islamic law, the receipt and payment of interest is forbidden.

As a result some of Britain's two million Muslims have chosen not to take out conventional mortgages or open bank accounts.

This can leave them having to pay in cash for large purchases, such as houses.

Lease back

Under the HSBC scheme, the bank buys the property and leases it back to the customer over an agreed term.

The customer makes monthly payments made up of rent and contributions towards the purchase price.

HSBC owns the property until customers have made their final payment.

Crucially, at no stage is the customer paying interest - the paying of 'rent' is seen as a fair payment for use of the property rather than a charge for borrowing money.

In addition, HSBC is launching an Islamic law-compliant current account, which has no overdraft or credit card facility.

Money paid into the current account will be administered in accordance with Islamic law and not used for generating interest.

The current account and mortgage products are to be introduced in selected HSBC branches from 14 July.
Huge market

Previously only relatively small institutions such as the National Bank of Kuwait and the West Bromwich Building Society have offered tailored Islamic financial products for UK customers.

Last year a report from market analyst Datamonitor estimated that demand for Islamic mortgages in the UK was so strong that gross advances could reach £4.5bn ($7bn) in 2006.

According to Iqbal Asaria, spokesman for the Muslim Council of Great Britain, HSBC's move is long overdue.

"Some (Muslims) are wracked with guilt because they have broken Islamic law. While others' values are beyond question, they are more pragmatic in order to keep a roof over their family's head.

"HSBC's initiative frees them from this dilemma and is the first step to delivering a level playing field for Muslims seeking financial solutions in the UK."

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Montaigne says that the main motivation for writing his famous Essays was to end his great solitude. Why was he lonely? Why did he feel alone and prefer conversing with his readers in an attempt to reduce his isolation? The answer to this question again can be found in his writings. He came from a wilder region of France, from behind the Alps that divided Western Europe. Thus, he was protected from the ills that the Italian Renaissance had imposed on European mentalities. What made him feel lonely was the meeting of his country with these new ideas and sects, the murder of thousands of people in the war of Saint Bartholomew (1572) on religious pretexts, and the arrival of this “European” attitude to his hometown.2

This isolation preserved Montaigne from the mental crisis that his contemporaries were experiencing. He looks at both the past and the present and future within the possibilities that exist in the “thought from the wilderness.” It is for this reason that he has no prejudices. He is a free man of the world. This fact is demonstrated in his attitude toward the Orient and in particular to the Ottomans, whose images had been so distorted because of established prejudices.

Islam in European Culture

The thesis that supports the idea that there were vital differences between European and Ottoman societies and cultures and the politics of positioning them as opposites who were not willing to come to an agreement should give way to the thesis that there are more complicated and closer relationships between them. A deeper investigation will even allow us to trace signs of a “modern” mentality in the Ottoman culture that reaches all the way back to the beginning of the sixteenth century.3 The Ottomans were interested in European affairs. Many historical readings bring us to a point that the survival of Protestantism owes itself to Ottoman support. It is not too difficult to find other examples.

It is known that Postel and Jean Bodin admired the Ottoman state and its administration in the sixteenth century and they were desirous to transmit these thoughts to their political theory. Likewise, Alan Grossrichard had already demonstrated that the image of the East, which was the “tour de force” of Montesquieu in his Persian Letters, was the representative of a popular ghost—that of despotism—in Europe during the seventeenth century. There are many researchers, from Bryan S. Turner to John M. Hobson, who have stated that both the negative side of European thought, like Hegel, Engels, and Marx, and the positive side, like Max Weber, shared the viewpoint of Orientalism that was against the East and Islam, particularly against the Ottomans. Even now it is questioned whether there is implicit Orientalism in the writings of European travelers—including Lady Montague, who was a most objective person. This list can be easily extended: despite his play Mahomet, which took a very negative view of the East, Voltaire was an admirer of the morality and discipline of the Muslims and the Ottomans. Lord Byron was a lover of Ottoman and Istanbul civilization, despite his political animosity that derived from his love of Hellenism. The “poet of the lakes” Lamertine was awarded with a farm house by Sultan Abdulmecid, as a sign of appreciation for his book A History of the Turks. The father of Jean Jacque Rousseau was a repairer of clocks in Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Goethe learned to read the Qur’an and pray from the Bashkird Turks, who were among the Russians who invaded Germany. Campanella said in his La Citta del Sole (The City of the Sun) that the utopia he had fictionalized had been realized in this world by the Ottomans. The writer of Don Quixote, Cervantes, lost one of his arms in the war of Lepanto, which he fought against the Ottomans; he wrote his novels during his imprisonment after this war inspired by Algerian scholars. The philosopher Leibniz presented a treatise of conquest to the French King in which he discussed how to destroy the Ottomans.

Montaigne

We have to add a new name to this list: Michel de Montaigne. In spite of having a few prejudices, Montaigne was one of the few modern writers who did not let prejudices dominate his view. In the first sentence of his Essays he promised that this book was going to be an honest one. Indeed, he continuously revised and edited his books before each new edition was published, including his essays on the Ottomans. He questioned his thoughts with reference to new sources he read and added new essays.4

In the revised and extended 1595 edition of his book, which was published after his death, he advised French soldiers, whose laxity he had observed during the civil war in Perigord, to take Turkish soldiers for their model. He said that all young French soldiers should learn discipline from the Turkish armies:

Their discipline is very different from and superior to ours. At times of war, our soldiers are more irresponsible and disorderly than at times of peace; on the other hand, Turkish soldiers are moderate and reluctant to behave so, because stealing from the poor is punished with a few lashes in peace time, but very severely at war. Taking away an egg by force without paying money for it is punished with 50 lashes. Moreover, those who steal the most insignificant thing that does not even satisfy hunger nor have any value whatsoever are sentenced to death. I am surprised to read about Selim that when he conquered Damascus on his campaign to Egypt none of his soldiers took anything from the peerless gardens of this city, even though they were unprotected.5

Montaigne, then, was not aware of “Eastern despotism,” a thesis that had been influential since the seventeenth century. Distanced from the influence of this thesis, he mentions how the philanthropic activities of the Turks extended to include fauna and flora, stating that the Turks had charities and hospitals even for animals.

Montaigne was influenced by the unfavorable winds that blew against the Ottomans through France, but he desired to use the Ottomans against his own despots as a mirror. In other words, he used a method that was similar to that of most other French intellectuals, like Montesquieu, after him.

He was aware of the power of habits and how they can capture people and he emphasized how wrong it was to label everything that is opposed to local habit as barbarism. To quote Dr Zeynep Sayin of Istanbul University:

The universal certainty that Descartes tried to find seems impossible for Montaigne because he is not in favor of certainty that is independent from conditions. On the contrary he analyses humans and societies in their differences. “I am not mislead to think that everybody should be like me…It seems reasonable to me to think that there are thousands of different lives.

Finally, Montaigne was aware of the fact that judgments do not carry the claim of universality; they are limited to the conditions in which they emerge. He was not bounded by Eurocentrism and was aware that there are different worlds and different life-styles. He did not try to regulate world according to himself, but rather realized that it is essential to recognize differences. It is probably because of this attitude that Montaigne stands in an exceptional place in Western thinking and why he does not find a place in books of “history of Western philosophy.”

Montaigne and the Ottomans

It is thanks to the magnificent study of Clarence Dana Rouillard7 that we learn that in the great world of Montaigne the Orient was identical with the “Turk” i.e. the Ottomans. We are able to see that the Ottoman grew like a flower in Montaigne’s works and that he revised his thoughts and prejudices with new contributions and information with every new edition.

According to Rouillard, Montaigne—like P. Villey who prepared Essays for publication—believed in the necessity of knowing something well before judging it. More importantly, the Orient he identified with the Ottomans played a significant role in terms of widening his vision as it broadened the horizons of his era. According to Rouillard, Montaigne owes the wide vision and pluralism in his essays to the Ottomans to a great extent.

Rouillard, who surprised us with this striking information, firstly analyses Montaigne’s acquaintance with the Ottomans. According to him it is very interesting to observe the development of Montaigne’s knowledge about the Ottomans. Prior to the first publication of Essays in 1580, the only information that we get about Montaigne’s readings is that he got his information on Turks from the Italian history of Guichardin, not from the classics or chronicle writers and historians like Joinville or Froissart. The only reference to the Turks in the 1580 edition was that they partook of food by reclining on comfortable sofas and their belief that Paradise was a sensual abode. However, Montaigne’s curiosity was not confined to the borders of Western Europe and was open to all human activities experienced in modern history.

It seems that Paul Villey, a Montaigne specialist, did not study the 1582 edition of Essays attentively enough. Though rare and insignificantly small, there are some new additions to this edition. We are able to conclude from some points in this new edition that Montaigne read a new study that had been written directly about the Ottomans. Thus we got a clue that Montaigne’s interest about the Ottomans had increased.

As a matter of fact, the number of these clues increases in following editions. For the first time Montaigne encounters direct material concerning the Ottoman world in a Polish history book that he studied and used in the third edition. In this book was an engraving that displayed the celebration held on the occasion of the circumcision of Murad III’s sons. This engraving made Montaigne to think of the Ottoman world, their costumes, and context in a different way. In the last edition to be prepared before Montaigne passed away, his interest in foreign places was at its peak. In this last edition, Montaigne found, read, and analyzed books in Latin that had been written, directly or indirectly about Ottoman history, including the book of Halkokondil on the foundation and rise of the Ottomans and Postel’s De la Republique des Turcs. (He knew Postel—one of the significant intellectual of his time—personally.) There were nearly 50 references to the Ottomans in the last edition of Essays.

“The Turk the warrior!”

It seems clear that Montaigne did not believe in theological explanations concerning the defeat or victory of the Christians against Muslims. For example, he commented very dryly—which is not what one would expect from a European—on the war of Lepanto in 1571 in which the Christians won and which was followed by days of festivities:

A maritime war was won against Turks in the preceding months under the commandership of Don Juan d’Austria; but God was pleased when we saw the reverse many times in the past.

Montaigne desired that his fellow countrymen not put so much importance on this victory because the Turkish army was still standing. He recognized explicitly that the Turks had developed a considerable military force that could only be explained on the basis of material and human power. He related the Turkish ability to establish such a great army to their discipline. According to him, the Turks knew how to use their minds as much as they knew how to fight and this is what made them different from an army of barbarians.

Montaigne thought the acts of the Turks were not restrained merely because of the heavy punishments that were imposed. They were also accustomed to rigid physical discipline and sobriety. This quality made them superior to Western soldiers. He expressed his thoughts as follows:

In order to verify to what extent Turkish armies are more intelligent and behave more reasonably than ours it is enough to say that besides their other virtues they drink only water and eat rice and salty meat. Thus, each of them can carry one month’s provisions with them.

Montaigne explained another influential factor in the success of the Turks which was the Sultan being in command of their armies. Selim I thought that victories that had been won without the sultans leading the armies were not complete and thought it was shameful to be proud of such a victory. However, Montaigne did not treat all sultans identically; he did not have a holistic perspective. He was well aware of the fact that all sultans had different tendencies. According to him, surprisingly, Beyazid II and his contemporary Murad III’s excessive fondness for natural sciences (s’amusants aus sciences) caused harm to their countries; they not only failed to lead their country, but also caused harm.

Montaigne was closely interested in the opinion that espoused that warriors should abstain from the fine arts. He returns to this subject again in his essay “On Pedantry” in which did not only criticize the mistakes and uselessness of a few scientists, but also went further to argue that all kinds of education are useless, if not fatal, especially if education goes beyond the scope of a very few aristocratic minds to reach the general public:

Examples show us that learning the sciences does not make hearts rigid or inclined to fight, but rather more effeminate. The most powerful state nowadays seems to be that of the Turks, and they value weapons and humiliate the arts and sciences.

Montaigne can be excused for this mistaken final sentence, as he was then too distant from the time when samples of Ottoman-Divan literature were to be made available to the European public.

While his contemporaries were calling this so-called aspect of the Turks barbarism—we will not discuss whether this argument was valid or not—Montaigne looked at the issue from a very different perspective, which he claimed was essential for a people to survive. This is an example of Montaigne’s contradictory opinions.

In his essay “On Virtue” Montaigne wrote about the story of a young Turk who dared to challenge the Hungarian King Hunyadi Janos at war, despite lacking experience. This youth, when questioned by Sultan Murad, answered that he learned to be courageous from a rabbit. Fate protected the rabbit from 40 arrows he had shot and allowed it to escape the hunting dogs. The young man believed that the arrow and sword could only function if this was written in fate, and thus fought fearlessly in wars from that day on. A belief in fate was widespread among the Turks. Turkish historians wrote that soldiers felt secure against danger because they believed that the days which they would live were immutable and had already been established.

What Montaigne did was not to accumulate systematic information on a certain topic, but rather he involved in mental exercises. He lists these as the basis of the Turk’s successes in the sixteenth century.

Moral aspects of the Ottomans and Islam

Montaigne preserved his objective standing toward the Ottomans at different times. Although he was critical of many aspects of Turkish society and character, he still did not adhere to extreme definitions or popular descriptions, like the “Barbarous Turk” or the “Lover Turk.” He even tried to alter the image of the cruel Turk in his other essays. He emphasized, for instance, that the Turks had established charities and hospitals for animals.

The only reference to Islam in the first edition of the book is concerned with worldly heaven. Montaigne was an intellectual whose eyes had not been blinded by religious prejudices and he did not refrain from calling some of their religious bigotry “stupidities.” Even when he wrote about the superstitions of the Turks he did not explain the issue in defense of Christianity, but saw such things as errors that could be found on both sides. Thus he was able to preserve the balance that he wanted to establish in his book.

Montaigne was a devout Catholic. He not only dealt with Islam, but also Calvinism and Protestantism, which came to his country from behind the Alps and he criticized the translation of the Bible into local languages, praising the Turks for their respect of the original language of their sacred revealed text. In the end, in one of the best examples of tolerance in Essays, he reminds his countrymen that the Ottomans outstripped them in terms of some Christian values.

Do you want to see it with your own eyes? Compare our traditions and customs with those of a pagan or a Muslim. [You will see that ours is beneath theirs] Although his doctrine is superior, a Christian has to accept the fact that a Muslim we underestimate can teach him many things in terms of justice, affection, and virtues.

The references to Turks increase in later editions of Essays. An interesting letter sent to Mehmed the Conqueror by Pope Pius II and the response sultan gave him is contained in one of them. Another example is Bayezid I’s and Timur’s rejection of mutual gifts. As an example Montaigne shows the pride of Turks in the leader of the Janissaries Hasan Agha, who preferred to die after he had been severely reproved by Sultan Mehmed.

http://www.tacmahal.org/detay.php?id=1542 ]]> Wed, 19 Jul 2006 10:23:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/40875 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/40858
Isn’t this what the Divine Will wants? Isn’t this how the peace process begins?

Such an attitude at individual level brings harmony and balance, whereby the soul reaches tranquillity and calmness.That person will be respected, loved, will become a person to be consulted with, radiate light in all directions. Halos will form around such a person; well-being, happiness will be experienced; the consciousness of eternity will be reinforced.

Halos will widen, communicate with similar halos.Together they spread the messages of love.A common struggle against evil, intolerance, brutality, ignorance will begin. Perhaps it is for the sake ofthe halos of dialogue and peace that we continue our existence…

Halos are structures of culture.They are a body of values formed by knowledge, consciousness, love, faith and conscience…The faith dimension is the paste, texture of these structures of culture. Faith systems that have adopted the understanding of not violating the rights of other people, of help, giving alms, and the understanding of ‘If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also’ adopt the peace culture.

Halos of the peace culture reach an influential position and become stronger if they come together institutionalised and establish dialogue.First, they correct misunderstandings.This way, the grounds for hostility are eliminated.Giving messages to the public, masses mitigate the emphasis on “the other”.

The leader at the centre of the halo goes and embraces the other.Messages of peace spread.When leaders embrace, masses turn towards thought.Their own leader has embraced the leader of the mass they used to regard as an enemy. Some things are happening.They themselves should now embrace their neighbour who is “the other”.

This is how the process of dialogue between cultures or religions begins.

Institutionalisation is solemnity, it means becoming influential.The atmosphere of interreligious dialogue was new for Turkey.There might have been reservations. But why should those sure of themselves and of their faith be reserved…

Religious leaders sure of themselves had gone and talked to Christian leaders before.Their talk had made significant contributions to the universal peace process.

When the world has already ‘become a global village’, when the means of communication can now reach the remotest spots of the earth, you must establish dialogue whether you want it or not.While democratic regimes are becoming universal you cannot run away from the effect of the propaganda of thought and faith.Both Islam and Christianity are religions of communication.Each Muslim is liable with the mission of communicating their own religion.Without dialogue you cannot fulfill your mission to communicate.

The above understanding has led us to the establishment of the Intercultural Dialogue Platform.

http://tacmahal.org/detay.php?id=1552 ]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:48:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/40858 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778 http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/40848 Its name is Tac Mahal. you know this as "Taj Mahal"
There are some useful articles and writers.
Look at this ! And send useful things.
Because this is yours !
http://www.tacmahal.org ]]> Tue, 18 Jul 2006 12:45:00 EDT http://mehmetfatih.tigblog.org/post/40848 38.4072222 27.150277838.407222227.1502778