The 'script' at Zeynep Sultan Mosque

Are we going to ‘hide’ some of the Koranic verses because they do not perfectly fit into the domestic/international political agenda of the ruling elite 


Burak BEKDİL


This is an excerpt from this column more than a year ago (Israel's war of existentialism, Turkish Daily News, Aug. 2, 2006): 

"…Avoiding alcohol and pork and having ‘covered' women around is fine, but how would a dogmatic Muslim, like (Prime Minister Recep Tayyip) Erdoğan, interpret the Koran in state affairs? 

Several sura in the Koran mention the Israelis (Jews) and Christians, and not really encouragingly. For example, "the Israelis (Jews) are condemned because they broke their word (Maida, Verse 13)." Or, "We have plagued the Christians with hatred till the Doomsday (Maida, Verse 14)." 

But there is something stronger the Koran dictates: "O (Muslim) believers! Don't make friends with the Israelis (Jews) or Christians! They (the Israelis and Christians) are friends of each other. Whoever makes friends with them is one of them (Maida, Verse 51)." 

Just like Mr. Erdoğan (or Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in this instance) does not consume alcohol or eat pork, for the dogmatic interpretation of the Koran, he should not make friends, for example, with those like George W. Bush, Silvio Berlusconi or Kostas Karamanlis (and Mr. Ahmadinejad with Hugo Chavez for his part). 

Every holy book has religiously discriminating verses. If "foreign affairs" in the 21st century should shape in line with the holy verses Christians, Muslims and Jews should begin to slaughter each other, and, at times of truce, join their forces to slaughter all atheists…" 



The verse on display: 

It is too improbable that my article could have inspired the revered Imam of the Zeynep Sultan Mosque in Istanbul's busy Eminönü district, but he chose that last verse (Maida, 51) as the ideal display for the board at the mosque's entrance: "O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust." 

So what? Imams often choose and display Koranic verses and hadith at mosques. But as one newspaper, Hürriyet, thought it would be worth to investigate what had prompted the imam to choose that particular verse, an interesting debate has emerged. 

We learn the rest of the story from Hürriyet's editor-in-chief, Ertuğrul Özkök. Apparently, as Hürriyet dug deeper into the story interesting comments from the religious authorities have surfaced. For example, when asked about the verse on display, the mufti of Eminönü said that he would warn the imam and have the display removed at once. 

But we also learn from Mr. Özkök's column on Nov. 24 that the acting mufti of Istanbul, a more senior figure in the religious hierarchy, defends the display. He first reminds that that verse commands Muslims to avoid making friends with Jews and Christians "due to their faith." "Should we not have that verse displayed just because that (Zeynep Sultan) one is a mosque visited by tourists?" the mufti of Istanbul said.  

Then Hürriyet went through the higher echelons of the religious bureaucracy. Finally, the vice president of the Religious affairs Directorate, which reports to the prime minister, speaks: "…We encourage displaying verses… And imams may have different choices (of verses)… We have instructed the office of the mufti of Istanbul to warn that imam… We don't approve (the display of) that script at the Zeynep Sultan Mosque…" 

That's the story. But what should we make of it? Another Hürriyet columnist, Ahmet Hakan, asked how was it possible, according to the Koran, that Muslim men can marry Jewish or Christian women while at the same time not making friends with them, also according to the Koran. 

We can always ask several more questions – like this column has done several times before – about the "selective dogmatism" of our devout Muslims. Like, for example, why do they insist on strictly defending a vague verse on how women must cover themselves or another about dietary practice while at the same time silently neglecting more clear commandments including interest/usury or about not making friends with Jews and Christians? Remember the attributions "my good friend Kostas," or "my good friend George" from somewhere? I do. But that's not the heart of the matter. 



A few unholy questions: 

I have carefully read the story over and over again. It has left a few questions marks behind which hopefully some voluntary Justice and Development Party (AKP) sympathizer or a theologian (which I am not) will answer soon, be it in the form of an elegant newspaper article or an e-mail message, preferably not containing holy curses and insults to this columnist. 

Let's begin with the Imam of Zeynep Sultan Mosque. What did he do to deserve a warning from his bosses since imams are free to put a Koranic verse on display? Why is he being treated as if he had displayed the front page of a pop music magazine at the mosque? Why is he being warned? What did he do wrong? Is what he chose for display not from the holy book? Are there rules within the religious bureaucracy as to which verses can be displayed and which ones cannot? 

The acting mufti of Istanbul… Is he not perfectly consistent with the fact that the Koran commands Muslims to avoid making friends with Jews and Christians when he asks why should that verse not be displayed "just because that mosque is visited by (mostly Christian) tourists?" 

Is a verse not a verse? Are we going to "hide" some verses because they do not perfectly fit into the domestic/international political agenda of the ruling elite? Would that not be a sin? Are our devout Muslims not proud of each and every verse? Or do they treat them "selectively?" Why do "good Muslims" like the president and the prime minister insist on practicing some verses and not the others? Or do they really practice the Koranic commandments fully and really avoid, for example, making friends with Jews and Christians, like they avoid un-turbaned wives, alcohol and pork? Or is their "friendship" with the Kostas's and George's and Jack's and Gordon's and Silvio's and Vladimir's and Shimon's and Ehud's all fake? 

The vice president of religious affairs… Why does he not approve the ‘script' at the Zeynep Sultan mosque? On what grounds? How come he can approve/disapprove the display of a holy verse? With what authority? How can he talk about a holy verse as a "script?" Why does he think the imam must be "warned?" Warned about what? About deliberately avoiding certain verses and highlighting others? If so, which ones are to be ‘concealed' and which ones are to be put under the spot light? And who decides? Are verses debatable? Are the conditions they are displayed debatable? 

All of those questions lead us back to the one question in one of the preceding lines: Are we going to "hide" some verses because they do not perfectly fit into the domestic/international political agenda of the ruling elite?  


Note: 

 I apologize for the typo/error which appeared in this column last week (Leaving the floor to a reader on ‘Kemalist cult,' Turkish Daily News, Nov. 23, 2007). The text of the reader's letter mistakenly said that the O.J. Simpson's jury was all-white. My thanks to another reader who recognized the error. Naturally, I take full responsibility for the error which I believe never intended to twist the facts. I also firmly believe that the typo/error did in no way discredit the ideas the reader expressed.

Source: Turkish Daily News