One of the things that strikes one the most while reading Mehmet Akif Ersoy's “Safahat” is how he portrayed the misery and heartrending condition of the Muslim geography and Muslims. Certainly, the conspiracies, plots, projects and attacks implemented ruthless by colonialists and tyrants against the Muslim world have a share in this. They have divided, fragmented and ruled it. They have mercilessly undermined our roots, thinking that they will never sprout again. Yet, this was not the real problem. Through the agency of the intellectuals and rulers who were distanced from the nation and its values and spirit and deprived of their human qualities, they have made sure that we humiliate and denigrate our own values and identity. They have set it so that we scorn our religious faith and values. They have imposed on us that we deny our own essence and imitate other people.The entire Muslim world was being squeezed under the pressures of complete exhaustion, pessimism and nihilism. Then reactionary movements emerged here and there. These movements could not pinpoint the real cause of the problem and would target the existing rulers or external forces instead.
Yet the problem was about our human and Muslim quality. There was Islam in the name, but the ethics of Islam would find no model for itself. The Muslim world could not read this correctly and engage in self-criticism. These reactionary movements sometimes amounted to collective madness, causing Islam to be identified with terrorism because of their acts, which would give the tyrants what they were seeking. The essence of the religion was brushed aside and the value and power of faith were forgotten, and the secondary requirements of religion were advertised as primary obligations. They would make room for those who intended to undermine religious freedoms and to start rows and conflicts. This was making things much easier for the ill-intentioned people to seek for provocations. This implied that the atmosphere of tension and conflict would continue. Those who tried to calm down people were accused of being passive supporters of the state or making concessions. Furthermore, those who were trying to find a solution to the problem via politics, leaving everything aside, were causing the biggest damage to the solution.
But any step taken without correctly analyzing the Zeitgeist and considering the balance of power would bring further restrictions on freedoms.
Then, there was only one viable way. To reclaim our essence and our own values, and revive ourselves and be models... To lend support to democracy in doing so... To accept that democracy, particularly one crowned with compassion, justice, human love, mercy and consultation, is bliss with respect to reaching out for souls, winning the hearts of people and embracing universal human values...
To go down the road of dialogue, tolerance and conciliation for the sake of expressing ourselves and blocking conflict and tension... To remove the barriers to democratization by making sure that plots of strife-mongers end up in smoke... To stop advocating democracy only for ourselves, but be respectful of everyone's position and promote sharing...
Can we make it? Yes, surely. Should we try it? Yes, absolutely. Are we trying it? Yes, certainly.
Today, there is a self-styled movement of volunteers. It has been tested and approved in 130 countries around the globe. The hand extended with love and tolerance is held with warmth by people of diverse religions, colors, faiths, beliefs and ideas. They do this while knowing whose hand this is.
If a spring arrives with its preceding breezes, then we should continue to walk on without engaging in polemics or strife and with patience and tolerance.
