3 Haziran 2013 Pazartesi

THE DANGER OF EXTREMISM - Didem Rahvancı

The Islamic world has long been wrestling with the danger of extremism and radicalism. Although the number of those attempting to make extremism part of Islam is not large, there are still many people who believe this minority. These people are also portrayed as Muslims in the media. The people in question generally come to the fore with hatred, threats, fear and rage, implement violence and thus manage to remain on the agenda. The word “Muslim” has always brought to mind these people’s loveless aspects, and that has always suggested war, hatred and rage.

Extremists who claim to be Muslims proclaim the religion they establish on the basis of their own rules to be Islam. But that religion has nothing to do with Islam. Such people are generally unaware of the error they find themselves in. These people engage in intense activities in order to depict things described as lawful and fine in the Qur’an as unlawful, inflicting lack of quality on the Islamic world and portraying Islam, a religion of peace, as one of war and hatred. Asked about the source of the nonsense they append to the faith, they can never produce any evidence from the Qur’an. Most of them ignorantly violate our Almighty Lord’s verse “You who have iman! do not make haram the good things Allah has made halal for you, and do not overstep the limits. Allah does not love people who overstep the limits” (Surat al-Ma’ida, 87) by trying to make delights praised by the Qur’an unlawful. As a result, they produce their own cold religion of hatred, devoid of quality.

The fact is that Islam is a religion of love, affection, beauty and happiness.

In contrast to the false religion of the extremists, Allah states in the Qur’an that Islam is a religion of beauty, quality and felicity:

Islam is based on love:

Allah loves to loves. In the verse “As for those who have iman and do right actions, the All-Merciful will bestow His love on them” (Surah Maryam, 96) our Almighty Lord reveals how Muslims have love in their hearts, not hatred.

There is no hatred for the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) in Islam:

Love and affection for and protection of the People of the Book are fundamental. In verse 5 of Surat al-Ma’ida, Almighty Allah makes if lawful for Muslims to eat food prepared by Jews and Christians. The same verse also permits Muslims to marry women from the People of the Book. In other words, according to this verse of the Qur’an, a Jew or a Christian is not to be hated, she is a Muslim’s wife and beloved with whom he will live in the hereafter. In verse 169 of Surat al-A’raf, Allah reveals there are “a group who guide by the truth” among the Jews. In verses 113, 114 and 199 of Surat al-‘Imran, verse 52 of Surat al-Qasas, verse 162 of Surat an-Nisa’, verse 62 of Surat al-Baqara and verses 12 and 69 of Surat al-Ma’ida, Allah reveals the existence of “Jews and Christians who have a deep faith in Allah.” He promises them a fine reward. So according to the Qur’an, the People of the Book, who some radicals regard with hatred, are the friends and even the wives of Muslims.

In Islam, everyone can read the Qur’an in his own language, everywhere and under all circumstances:

In the verse “And remember the Signs of Allah and the wise words which are recited in your rooms.” (Surat al-Ahzab, 34) our Lord reveals that the verses of the Qur’an should be read all the time and that their wisdom should be grasped and not forgotten. The Qur’an can be read at all times and in all places. There are no commandments about not touching the Qur’an. The important thing is to understand it. Therefore, everyone must read it is his own language and grasp the wisdom of its verses. According to verse 44 of Surat az-Zukhruf, in the hereafter all Muslims will be asked about the Qur’an, which the radicals hang on a wall and forget or read in Arabic and fail to understand. Therefore, nobody must be led astray by the radicals into abandoning the Qur’an and their acts of worship.

There is no sorrow in Islam:

Islam is a religion of joy and happiness. Allah says that Muslims should laugh and be happy. According to the Qur’an, weeping and sorrow are features of the people of hell. Of them, Allah says, “Let them laugh little and weep much.” (Surat at-Tawba, 82) therefore, a Muslim has a responsibility to live in a way that will be pleasing to Allah, by laughing and being happy and joyful.

Quality, cleanliness, beauty, art, science, education, fineness and being well-groomed are important in Islam:

People who have for years claimed to stand for Islam with filthy and badly maintained clothes are trying to make a religious law out of a piece of nonsense. Yet in the verse “Purify your clothes. Shun all filth.” (Surat al-Mudaththir, 4-5), Allah advises Muslims to keep their clothes and homes clean. He advises them to reflect and grow in knowledge. The Qur’an describes the palace of the Prophet Solomon (pbuh) as one of the finest examples of beauty and esthetics. For that reason, Muslims must be the best-groomed, best-quality and most cultured people in the world.

Quality is essential to all aspects of life for a Muslim. But those who misinterpret Islam seek to present and live by a conception of Islam that is devoid of quality. For that reason, some people equate Islam with the kind of life these people live and therefore oppose the Qur’an. Because of these people’s peculiar ideas, Muslims are exposed to strong criticism in many countries. Because they generally depict an ill-kempt, filthy and ugly life style that is incompatible with Islam and the Qur’an as actually being Islam. They behave with no quality in their eating habits, clothing and speech. And they are determined to maintain that lack of quality. They establish a model intended to totally eradicate beauty and regard it as a sin. They claim that someone who is ugly and ill-kempt is full of takwa. They do not listen to music, they do not like paintings, they avoid people and do not speak, and they never compliment anyone. Because of these strange ideas, they themselves actually detest their lives because of the lack of quality they experience at every moment.

Something comparable in this world to the beauty and quality that Allah creates in paradise is only possible by living by true Islamic values. Compliments, winning people over, altruism, consideration, peace, love, affection, compassion, democracy, freedom of ideas, having fun, joy, pleasant architecture and being attractive and well-groomed all have a place in the true Islam.

Extremists who forfeit all blessing sin this world, who regard the blessing of love as the opposite of Islam and who equate pleasant homes and clothes and living amid blessings with those who abandon Allah seek to portray religion as living in poverty. Yet Allah has made believers worthy of all blessings. He refers to those who try to make His blessings as lawful as follows in a verse:

Say: ‘Who has forbidden the fine clothing Allah has produced for His slaves and the good kinds of provision?’ Say: ‘On the Day of Rising such things will be exclusively for those who had iman during their life in the dunya.’ In this way We make the Signs clear for people who know. (Surat al-A’raf, 32)

Beauty, joy, quality, happiness, modernity and affection all exist for Muslims. That is the Muslim model in the Qur’an. The Muslim in the Qur’an is intelligent and educated. He is modern and outward-looking and high-quality. The Muslim in the Qur’an eradicates hatred and brings love. The Muslim in the Qur’an tries to instill love instead of sorrow, and peace instead of conflict. The Muslim in the Qur’an is attractive, well-groomed, well-dressed, pleasant-smelling and lives in a spotless home. That is why they have no need for wealth or to cover or uncover their heads. Beauty, modernity, nobility and quality, immaculate clothes and a well-maintained body, fine language and a loving, radiant face all emerge naturally.

The Islamic world needs peaceful and enlightened people who apply the true Qur’an. The false model that seeks to add nonsense to Islam, that makes lawful things unlawful and that brings rage and hatred to the world must be abandoned. For that reason, true Muslims who abide by the Qur’an must show the world the model of the Muslim in the Qur’an, must be exceptionally high quality and loving and must educate those people who misinterpret Islam. And that is what Allah wants from us.

TURKEY’S AIM IS NOT ONLY TO SAVE THE SYRIAN REFUGEES, BUT TO ESTABLISH PEACE ACROSS THE WORLD - Didem Rahvancı

Clashes in Syria between Assad loyalists and the resistance are continuing uninterruptedly. Some 700,000 people have now left Syria, while those who are left face a huge struggle to survive. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees is trying to find the financial resources to cope with the crisis. A great many of the refugees are being housed in camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

The United Nations say they are concerned that the number of people leaving the country because of the fighting that has persisted for 2 years will rise to 1 million within four months, while the UNHCR says that 2-3,000 people are crossing to neighboring countries every day.

According to UN records, more than 20,000 people in Syria have died since the uprising against the government began in March 2011. Innocent women and children are being killed in bombing attacks on city centers every day. Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu revealed the seriousness of the situation by saying, “We will accept the humanitarian responsibility. But let it be known that the political responsibility lies with the UN Security Council, which has refused to take a decision, just like it did with Bosnia-Herzegovina, despite the death of 70,000 people in the Syrian crisis.”

Turkish Red Crescent President Ahmet Lütfi Akar stated that the number of people fleeing persecution in Syria and living in camps in Turkey was 180,000, and that they had welcomed 70,000 people on the border making their own arrangements or staying with relatives. The Turkish government is doing all in its power on the Syrian border and working at full capacity trying to meet the food, clothing and accommodation needs of around 200,000 Syrian refugees. As a result of the recent aid campaign right across Turkey, 1000 tons of flour was sent to the border region in 40 lorries.

While the resistance and security forces fight it out, Assad shows no sign of being willing to step down and has declared his determination to the whole world in the words “I am Syrian. I was born here. I will protect my people. And I will die here.” But Assad, who has inflicted such persecution on his own people, is ignoring the terrible fates of the Libyan leader Gaddafi and the Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak before him. Everyone knows that Bashar Assad is being maintained on a Russian base. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that “If it is being said there can be no dialogue with Assad without him stepping down, then they need to understand he will not resign. Because we tried to talk him into stepping down, but he has not reached that decision in his own mind.” By that statement he shows he is trying to close the subject with a political reply.

The only reason the attacks in Syria, the persecution of the public and detentions are not coming to an end is that the powers watching and supporting the conflict have been unable to find a politician to replace Assad. Their aim is to bring someone to power in Syria whom they can direct, just like Assad, and use as their pawn. Policies of taking power over other countries always end in thousands of people dying.

Turkey has always helped refugees in all the fighting in the Middle East, in the Iran-Iraq War, in the Gulf War and in the fighting between Israel and Palestine. It has always helped innocent people who have fled to Turkey from their own countries and struggled to survive there. It would be unbecoming of Turkey to turn away innocent civilians, women and children, and abandon them to death. Turkey has shown that this policy has not changed by meeting all the needs of refugee camps housing 200,000 refugees who have fled from Syria, despite the $200 billion impact on its own annual budget.

Turkey has made clear its own weight in all the transitions and events taking place in the Middle East as part of the mission that it has for a long time assumed there. Prime Minister Erdoğan is the first foreigner to address the Iraqi Parliament, the first Sunni leader to visit the Hazrat Ali Mausoleum in Najaf, met with the Shiite religious Ayatollah Sistani in Najaf, and his is the first Turkish prime minister to meet with the head of the regional Kurdish administration in Arbil, Barzani. All these actions are a result of the desire to complete that mission. Turkey is currently focused on shaping the future of the Middle East and uniting the whole Muslim world under a single umbrella. Turkey is the only country that takes every opportunity to speak of the dangers of sectarian conflict and division in the region and that warns all the countries of the region at every opportunity. That is because Turkey is the only country that does not benefit from the tensions and conflict among the domestic and external forces in the region.

Whatever Turkey did in the past, it will continue to do with even more sure steps, opening its doors to refugees massing on its border with even more protective behavior and active political policies. But building camps where refugees can be comfortable and providing them with food and housing is only a temporary solution. The important thing is to avoid such temporary solutions and prepare a temporary refuge zone in the wake of every war that breaks out in the Middle East. The important thing is to enable people in Libya, Syria, Egypt, Palestine and other countries to live as they deserve, in a very free, democratic and modern environment, to ensure they are governed democratically and to put a halt to all the bloodshed in the Middle East. That is why Turkey has concentrated on being the leader of a union extending from Palestine in the Middle East to Indonesia in Asia. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu describes how Turkey has been focused on that aim for many years now: "Turkey’s aim for 2023 is to be a world state. We want to be a world state in 2023. We want to be a state that never makes do with second best and that puts those who go beyond proper bounds firmly in their place."