Three Jews as inspirers of Turkish nationalism

[AFDAL]

Three Jews as inspirers of Turkish nationalism
Publication time: 24 April 2009, 17:01

Turkey was another of the first Islamic countries where the school of nationalism found its way. Bernard Lewis, the well-known orientalist, confesses that three European Jews inspired the spirit of nationalism in Turkey. / Bernard Lewis: "Islam in History", London, 1973, may also be noted that Lewis himself is a Jew /.



The first person who tried hard to kindle the flame of Turkish nationalism was Arthur Lumley David (1811-1832). He was an English Jew who traveled to Turkey and wrote a book called, 'Preliminary Discourses' in which he tried to show how the Turks were a distinguished and independent race, superior to the Arabs and other oriental races.



Lewis writes: "The book of this English Jew made the Turks imagine themselves as having a distinct nationality and independence." Before the spread and indoctrination of Western ideas, no sign is seen of nationalism in the Ottoman, Empire. Even until the beginning of the present century, the Turks did not consider the Arabs as aliens, and the Arabs looked upon the Turks in the same way.

The Arabs were content to be included in the Ottoman Empire on account of being of the same religion, and the Turks respected them because of 1heir culture, and knowledge of Arabic was considered a sign of learning. Even a Sultan like Abdol-Hamid was surrounded by Arab counselors in his court, the likes of Abol-Hoda and Ezzat Pasha. In the revolution of 1908 against Abdol-Hamid there were at least two Arab officers, named Aziz Ali Mesri and Mahmood Showkat Pasha among the leaders. But the book of the said Jew gradually convinced some self-sold and dependent intellectuals and politicians like the leaders of the "Young Turks" movement of the superiority of the Turkish race.



In 1851, Fu'ad and Jowdat Pasha translated most of David's writings into Turkish. In 1869, another writer, Ali Savi, published a treatise in Turkish which was an imitation of David's, speaking of the glorious past of the Turkish race. This was one of the first writings in which nationalism was propounded and it was something quite unprecedented in the Ottoman Empire. As Lewis says: "Thus the Turks discovered their nationality through the West and copied the writings of the Westerners."



David Leon Cohen, a Jewish French writer was another man who greatly contributed to the expansion of Turkish nationalism. In 1899, he published a book called "Introduction Generale a l'Histoire de L' Asie". In this book, he writes of the racial superiority of the Turks and of their epical records in history. This book was translated into Turkish in the first decade of the l0th century in a large number. Prof. Khadouri and Bernard Lewis believe that the said Jew inspired the Pan- Turkism of 'Young Turks' who started a revolution in 1908.



In addition to the above book, Cohen published several epical stories on the past glories of the Turks. Clearly, the main aim of this Jew in his eulogy of the Turkish race was to rouse their racial prejudices and weaken their bond with other Muslim nations. He was not content with writing only, but also formed societies of exiled Turks and Egyptians in Paris and tried to lay the foundation of nationalistic movements in those countries. / Refer to Jewish Encyclopedia, an article by Zodic Kahn, p. 61, and "Turkism and the Soviets" by Hutler /.



But the person who had the greatest role in the creation of Turkish and Arab nationalism, was the famous orientalist, Arminius Vambery (1832-1918), the son of a Jewish Hungarian priest. He published many works on the necessity for the revival of Turkish nationality, language and literature. His works intensely captivated the attention of Westernized, so-called enlightened Turks and incited their patriotism. He was closely acquainted with the Turkish statesmen and politicians of the first rank. / Concerning the role of David Cohen and Vambery in the emergence and expansion of the Turkish nationalism refer to "History-Writing and national revival in Turkey" by Bernard Lewis and "The Development of secularism in Turkey" by Niazi Brex, Printed in Montreal, 1944 /.



One of the main aims of the Jews in inciting nationalistic sentiments was to pave the way for the occupation of Palestine.

The Jews in their unsuccessful contact with Sultan Abdol-Hamid to secure Palestinian territories for Jewish emigrants, came to the conclusion that the only way to fulfill their dream was to overthrow Abdol-Hamid and break up Islam and Arab and Turkish unity. Under the cover of nationalism and through encouraging the creation of the 'Young Turks' movement, Zionism first succeeded in deposing Abdol-Hamid, imprisoning him and laying the ground for inciting differences and enmity between the Turks and Arabs.



These plots of colonialism and Zionism gave birth to the 'Young Turks' movement which resulted in the revolution of 1908 and deposal of Abdol-Hamid. The "Young Turks" who executed the Zionist scheme, embarked on a 'Pan- Turkish' policy based on a belief in the superiority of the Turks.

So they adopted an anti-Arab stand, closed down Arab cultural societies and began acts of discrimination against the Arabs and non- Turks, a conduct which was in line with the direct plots of British colonialism in rousing Arab nationalism. Thus Zionism and imperialism and their discrimination towards the Arabs on the one hand, and inciting Arab nationalism and their opposition to the Turks on the other.

Until this time, the Arabs did not consider themselves a separate race. But as the Turks were seeking the superiority of Turkish culture over other cultures, the Arabs, too, insisted upon their own independent identity. It was the racial and nationalistic policies of Young Turks that kindled the flame of Arab nationalism-a matter, which as we shall see, was directly supported by the British.



/ Concerning the role of Zionism and the westerners in the creation and expansion of the Turkish nationalism refer to: Mardin's "The Genesis of young Ottoman thought" a study in the modernization of Turkish political ideas (Princitton N.J. 1962, p. 250). Harold Boven's British contribution to Turkish studies, London, 1945, p. 43-4. Also refer to "The Emergence of Arab Nationalism" by Zein Nzein. /.



After the revolution of 1908, the "Young Turks" expanded Turkish nationalism by force and by propagation through the mass media. Moreover, the repeated blows inflicted upon Turkey by Arab countries, together with the extension of western education and dispatch of students to Europe, intensified Turkish nationalistic frenzy. Even some Muslim thinkers as Namek Kamal (1840-1888), Zia Pasha (1825-1880) and Jowdat Pasha (1823-1898), tried hard to blend Islam with nationalism-an idea which was doomed from the very beginning since these two schools are incompatible.

The progressive advance of nationalism and colonization at last led to the rise of Ataturk accompanied by his anti-Islamic policy. With him, Turkey became totally dependent on the West, exactly what the Satanic West wanted.

The Western intellectual class continued to promote this school which was now supported by the bayonets of Ataturk and his successors. Zia Gukalp (1876-1942), the greatest theoretician of the Turkish nationalist school, was a well- known personality of the west who busied himself copying Western ideas and culture, both of which he made the core of his ideology. Turkish nationalism resulted at last in the membership of Turkey in the NATO, thereby surrendering its political and cultural independence.



This was then an account of the rise and advance of nationalism in Turkey.



Excerpt from the book of Dr. Ali Muhammad Nakavi, "Islam and Nationalism"

Kavkaz Center

[Dawud_uk]

benjamin disraeli was the first jewish primeminster of Britain, he actually stood up in parliament and said 'we will never win against the muslim until we seperate them from this' (holding up a copy of the Quran).

[Forced_In]

Salaam

"Divide and rule."

[GreyKode]

Salaam

"Divide and rule."

"Divide and Conquer"

[Forced_In]

"Divide and Conquer"

salaam

Both "Divide and rule" and "Divide and conquer" are valid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divide_and_rule

[Amadeus85]

I just wonder, why would jews try to make troubles in the muslim world, since they were treated good,especially in Ottoman Empire right? Very often jews and muslims were allies, for example against crusaders.

[Dawud_uk]

I just wonder, why would jews try to make troubles in the muslim world, since they were treated good,especially in Ottoman Empire right? Very often jews and muslims were allies, for example against crusaders.

first of all these jews were acting on behalf of the west, they were not jews living in those areas who had benefited from help and protection.

secondly, if you look at the history of zionism there is a history going back to cause trouble and strife amongst the rulers of palestine to gain greater access and ultimately rulership of those lands.