Messages of the world's Islamic scholars from Hagia Sophia

The Island of Democracy and Freedoms (formerly known as Yassıada) has been hosting a very important meeting for a week now. One hundred and fifty Islamic scholars from 50 countries have been holding intensive consultative sessions all day long for a week under the overarching title "An Islamic and Humanitarian Responsibility: Gaza." The great majority of the scholars are members of the International Union of Muslim Scholars, chaired by Prof. Dr. Ali Karadaghi. That the scholars are holding their consultations on Gaza on the Island of Democracy and Freedoms, in cooperation with the Islamic Scholars Foundation of Türkiye, chaired by Prof. Dr. Nasrullah Hacımüftüoğlu, is in itself a sufficiently meaningful event.

This is a place where great and tragic prices were paid for freedom in Türkiye, and where the lowest depths of human character were displayed. Today this island bears witness to discourses of freedom, full of reason and wisdom, and to the prayers that scholars offer for Gaza, where the vilest crimes against humanity are being committed.

First of all, in response to some ignorant reactions that greeted the news of this meeting, let us say this: the island was completely redesigned some time ago in order to revive and commemorate human dignity against the enemies of humanity and freedom who once ruled here. The whole island is a museum of freedom, but a very fine hotel and congress center were also built alongside it. People need to come and see it. One needs to read from it a deeply meaningful story of one of humanity's journeys from the lowest of the low (esfel-i safilin) to the noblest of creatures (eşref-i mahlukat).

One does not come here on holiday; one never comes here to indulge in pleasure. Perhaps what distinguishes the congresses held here from those at congress centers elsewhere is that those who come here are focused solely on the purpose, because there is nothing else to occupy a person. This is not a place of vacation or entertainment; although it is an island, it has no beach to swim from and no place to shop. In this respect it is an excellent purpose-built congress and conference center, which those who wish to obtain the highest yield from congresses or consultations can prefer.

The Islamic scholars have been going to bed with Gaza and waking up with Gaza for a full week here, discussing what can be done about it; but before that, the situation, position and capabilities of the Islamic ummah, and of the Islamic scholars toward this ummah, are being discussed. That is, while Gaza is being discussed, people are also holding up a mirror to themselves a little. As everywhere.

Because of the genocide it has been subjected to for 700 days, because of the noble and dignified struggle it has put up against it, and because of the helplessness the world has displayed in the face of this genocide, Gaza in a sense holds up a mirror to all of us.

For 700 days these processes have continued in three dimensions. From the beginning of events, within this triple process, the Zionist-racist-genocidal Israel has been doing what suits it, while those who give it unlimited support have continued to do so. While the world's Zionist order gives its support to Israel, the betrayal of the Arab leaders becomes more openly visible with each passing day. In return, the people of Gaza continue to resist, and the peoples whose hearts are burning, who cannot contain themselves in their eagerness to do their part to stop this cruelty, continue to do whatever they can.

"Doing whatever one can" is of course a key phrase in these matters. When this cruelty cannot be stopped even though more than what is within one's means has been done, a perception that what has been done is meaningless begins to circulate. I do not think I need to say how dangerous and how needless a state of mind this is. That what has been done so far has not produced a final result does not, of course, mean that what has been done has had no effect and no benefit. "If you are suffering, they are suffering far more," our Lord declares.

Indeed, as a result of the efforts made so far, Israel and the order that supports it have come to the brink of a historic defeat. Israel is moving rapidly toward its own end. The criticisms, protests and boycotts that Israel faces all over the world today show how the iron domes it has carefully built up in media, politics, academia and culture have also been riddled with holes. Gaza and Palestine have today become the key words of every kind of criticism of the dominant system all over the world. Even the world's left movements have embraced Gaza as a new source of inspiration against today's dominant order of exploitation. We are heading rapidly toward an isolation that Israel faces across the whole world.

I say all this, of course, against those who try to make what is being done against the tragic genocide in Gaza meaningless, and it does not, of course, require us to ignore that all of this is still not enough to actually stop Israel from killing.

The meeting held by the Islamic scholars on the Island of Democracy and Freedoms may perhaps be one event among events and one among the many activities carried out for Gaza. The language that belittles this is in fact a strange, cynical language that belittles everything and thereby renders it meaningless and discredited. This language neutralizes people, renders them inactive, and consequently brings them to the line that Israel and its power desire.

A strange language like this, for instance, can catch even our closest ones: "Have they only just thought of it after all this time?" or "What will be done for Gaza by talking in hotels?" or "The scholars are very far from the field."

First of all, this is not the Union of Muslim Scholars' first meeting or event for Gaza. It is only one of a series of other events. From the very first day these scholars have been burning with concern for Gaza.

Second, there is a great deal that everyone can do for Gaza, and nothing that can be done may be belittled. 700 days have passed; those resisting on the ground in Gaza continue to resist, paying the heaviest prices with their lives and property, but what they themselves demand is that everyone, everywhere, do whatever they can in this matter. Therefore no one should ever give credit to a language that says "do this instead of that"; everyone, everywhere, should do whatever they can.

What the scholars are doing today is also an important obligation that must be fulfilled. Moreover, this is not something that anyone other than scholars can do. By doing this, the scholars are in fact completing a missing link of the Islamic world.

Third, in the personal story of each of these scholars there is a very important past, a struggle, and great prices paid on the path of truth. Many of them are people of struggle who have been imprisoned on the path of truth in which they believe, have lost loved ones, and some of whom have been forced to live outside their countries. None of them are people of the category we could call establishment scholars, and each of them has a very wide social resonance, with admirers and followers.

The scholars will announce the conclusions and recommendations they have reached at the end of their week of consultations to the Islamic world, to its peoples, to its leaders and to the whole world, after the Friday prayer to be performed today at Hagia Sophia.

On this occasion, if nothing else, the most important message to be given to the world will be this: the Islamic world has scholars, and they have a word to say!