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Ramazan Sevinci 16. Bölüm | Zeliha Sağlam & İbrahim Halil Üçer (06 Mart 2026)
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00:00:18There was a man who walked silently through the narrow streets of Mecca.
00:00:26Her skin had taken on the color of the night.
00:00:30This man was treated by the wealthy and so-called nobles of Mecca as nothing more than a commodity to be bought and sold.
00:00:39But in reality, he was very valuable in the eyes of God, and he earned this value over time.
00:00:48Nobody valued her, nobody even looked at her.
00:00:52One day in Mecca, he witnessed the words of the Messenger of Allah.
00:00:58He had never heard of it before.
00:01:00He said that God is one.
00:01:03God does not look at people's color, race, or ancestry.
00:01:10He said he looks into people's hearts.
00:01:13These words, which he had never heard before, deeply affected the Ethiopian slave named Bilal.
00:01:20Bilal embraced Islam, but he couldn't hide his faith.
00:01:26To force him to renounce his faith, his cruel master made him lie on the scorching sands of the desert.
00:01:33Not content with that, he piled up rocks and stones so large they would take a person's breath away.
00:01:40But he never compromised his beliefs, his faith.
00:01:45With a buzzing sound, groaning under the stones,
00:01:49He was saying "Ahad," "Ahad," "Allahu Akbar," he was saying God is one.
00:01:55No matter how much those words angered them,
00:01:58This caught the attention of Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and he was amazed by his faith.
00:02:03He bought her from her master and set her free.
00:02:08Thus, Bilal al-Habashi (may Allah be pleased with him) was freed.
00:02:12And what freedom it is!
00:02:14The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took him under his wing.
00:02:17And He bestowed upon him such honors that...
00:02:21He bestowed upon him the title of muezzin.
00:02:23"Get up, Bilal," he said, "and recite the call to prayer so we can listen."
00:02:26He said, "Call the Muslims to prayer."
00:02:29Bilal then became a caller to prayer, a muezzin, always inviting Muslims to prayer.
00:02:35He became the lamenting nightingale of the Prophet.
00:02:38Moreover, this honor bestowed even greater accolades upon him.
00:02:42When Mecca was conquered, the Messenger of Allah said to him,
00:02:47O Bilal, climb onto the roof of the Kaaba and recite the call to prayer there as well.
00:02:51And here, as a symbol of that conquest, that glorious achievement, is our Master Bilal al-Habashi,
00:02:59He has forever captured the hearts of Muslims.
00:03:04Dear viewers, in reality, slavery was slavery to God.
00:03:09And worshiping God truly knew no geography, race, or color.
00:03:15The important thing was to be part of the community, and being part of the community meant having hearts beating in the same place.
00:03:22This evening, on the Ramadan Joy program, we will be discussing the geography of our civilization.
00:03:30We will talk about our compassionate and merciful civilization, which transcends borders and encompasses all of humanity.
00:03:36Our guests will be Prof. Dr. Halil İbrahim Üçer and Zeliha Sağlam.
00:03:44Please don't leave us.
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00:14:21People are coming together, fragmented hands, cultures, countries that cannot possibly come together.
00:14:28This meaning is valuable.
00:14:31We'll talk about this a bit today, but actually, this isn't the first thing that comes to mind when the term "umma" (Islamic community) is mentioned throughout Islamic history.
00:14:40When we say "umma," we are not primarily referring to a political or social unity or community.
00:14:52We grasp another meaning.
00:14:55Because when viewed in this way, your situation is known in the Holy Quran,
00:15:01The nations before you, Christians, Jews, and atheists are all nations.
00:15:08He even talks about bees, saying that bees are a community too.
00:15:12So, a community that has come together in some way is called an ummah.
00:15:19The question is, what distinguishes the Islamic Ummah from other nations?
00:15:25It cannot be explained by their coming together.
00:15:29The character that is expected of individuals coming together distinguishes the Islamic community from others.
00:15:38When we ask what this is, we find a very remarkable answer in the Holy Quran.
00:15:50God Almighty says the following in Surah Al-Baqarah:
00:15:58We have made you a moderate nation.
00:16:05So that you may witness, bear witness to, humanity.
00:16:13And so that the Messenger of Allah may testify to you, "These are from my nation."
00:16:19To summarize, I have made you a moderate nation so that you may bear witness to mankind.
00:16:26So let the Messenger of Allah bear witness for you.
00:16:28What exactly is meant by "the average community" there, professor?
00:16:31Yes, as you rightly asked, two concepts stand out centrally here.
00:16:39One is a term for mediocrity, the other is a term for witness.
00:16:43In Turkish, the term "vasat" (mediocre/average) has undergone a semantic shift or narrowing, much like the concept of "umma" (Islamic community).
00:16:53When we say "vasat" (mediocre) in Turkish today, it means average; not high-quality, but not bad either.
00:17:01Or it was written on old matchsticks.
00:17:04On average, 40 pieces of trash.
00:17:06So, don't be surprised if the matchboxes are supposed to be ready at 45, but they might be ready at 35.
00:17:12When I say mediocre, I mean average; don't expect too much, but don't be surprised by what they do.
00:17:17This is not mediocre.
00:17:19It doesn't mean average, it doesn't mean moderate.
00:17:22"Mediocre" means located in the middle.
00:17:25It means being in the middle of everything, at its heart, at its center.
00:17:30Our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,
00:17:32Hayrul Umuri Evsatuha says:
00:17:35Therefore, the best and most beautiful outcome is moderation.
00:17:39Let's draw a line like this.
00:17:41We call the exact center point between the left and right ends of the line the midpoint.
00:17:49Around this central point, the entire circle organizes itself, the center organizes itself.
00:17:54A concept related to this is the concept of justice in tradition.
00:18:01In a moderate manner.
00:18:03The word "moderation" has also undergone a narrowing of meaning.
00:18:05And that's almost in quotation marks, if you'll excuse the expression,
00:18:10A relaxed person is understood to mean moderate, mild-mannered, and someone who doesn't get involved in anything.
00:18:17On the contrary, moderation means knowing what is appropriate.
00:18:21someone who knows the principles and has an answer to the question of what a good life is.
00:18:26It means the person who organizes everything accordingly.
00:18:29Because justice,
00:18:30It means putting something in its proper place.
00:18:35When you say "addil" in Arabic, for example, if a carpet is twisted,
00:18:40When "addil" is mentioned, it means "correct it, do it as it should be done."
00:18:44Professor, you're saying very important things.
00:18:46Because we've always used it to mean someone who follows the middle path.
00:18:50For example, moderation, that concept of the middle ground, but you brought it to the center.
00:18:55Because "middle" means center.
00:18:58Elmalı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır, may God have mercy on him, while interpreting this verse...
00:19:03He addresses this a little later, along with the expression "witness following mediocrity."
00:19:10When I first read this verse, it seemed to me that the language used in its translation into Turkish was very modern.
00:19:21To bear witness to humanity.
00:19:23So you're saying that,
00:19:24O Lord, we raise our hands and say, make me a servant worthy of You, and a follower worthy of Your Beloved Prophet.
00:19:30God Almighty is responding.
00:19:31Do you want to be part of the Ummah (Muslim community)?
00:19:33Do you want to be included in the Ummah?
00:19:35Then bear witness to humanity.
00:19:39If he tells us to pray now, we pray.
00:19:42We are fasting.
00:19:43How do we bear witness to humanity?
00:19:46This question has been bothering me.
00:19:48As soon as the verse ended, I immediately closed the Quran.
00:19:51I'll think about it.
00:19:52I said I wouldn't look at any interpretations so that it would be firmly ingrained in my mind.
00:19:57So what does it mean to bear witness, to testify to humanity?
00:20:01And this is presented to us as the key to being a community.
00:20:05And the expressions in the Quran are divided into two categories.
00:20:10Both informative and constructive.
00:20:12They threw Yusuf, who reported the incident, into the well.
00:20:15You would say, "That's right, Lord."
00:20:17So you confirm a news item.
00:20:20Insha'i fesallili rabbike.
00:20:21Pray to your Lord.
00:20:23You can't say that to her.
00:20:24That's right, Lord.
00:20:26You need to get up and pray.
00:20:28It's under construction.
00:20:29This is my creation, meaning I have made you a moderate nation so that you may bear witness to mankind.
00:20:36This means, rise up and bear witness to humanity.
00:20:40Through Terecci, sir, he is actually constructing an imperative mood indirectly, through a wish or a plea.
00:20:46Therefore, we need to understand how prayer is a way to become a Muslim, to be included in the community.
00:20:53We should wonder how we need to learn how to pray, just as we should wonder how to learn how to pray.
00:20:58Therefore, as seen in this verse, we need to learn and understand where the responsibility of bearing witness to humanity lies.
00:21:05I don't want to prolong this.
00:21:07Such a person, over 90 years old, who has trained many memorizers of the Quran, completes a recitation of the entire Quran every 2-3 days, and is constantly immersed in the Quran.
00:21:15We had a teacher.
00:21:16May God have mercy on his soul.
00:21:17Professor Kasım Yağcıoğlu.
00:21:19We lost him last year too.
00:21:20May God have mercy on his soul.
00:21:21We ask our viewers to offer a prayer for his soul.
00:21:24He said that a special language develops between a person who spends a lot of time with the Quran and the Quran itself.
00:21:31Even if he doesn't know Arabic, the meaning of it will be conveyed to him through that spiritual connection.
00:21:39I said, "I think I'll go see the esteemed scholar; he spends a lot of time immersed in the Quran."
00:21:44Let me ask you what you understand from this verse.
00:21:46What does it mean to bear witness to humanity?
00:21:53Anyway, I asked him this question one day when we were together.
00:21:59More precisely, I went there to ask this question.
00:22:04As soon as he sat down, he said to me, "Welcome, professor, I have a question for you."
00:22:09"Excuse me, sir," I said, "we are not the ones to answer questions, we ask questions."
00:22:14"My professor told me to give up on literature," he said.
00:22:16Nasreddin Hodja was a kind of teacher with a certain temperament.
00:22:19When was the last time you heard someone say something like that about a Muslim?
00:22:24You know Zeynep Hanım, you know İbrahim Bey, you know Ali, you know Mehmet, yes.
00:22:29Those who want to see a human being should look at him.
00:22:32His manner of sitting and standing, his relationships with his family, his relationships with his workers, his relationships with his neighbors, his children, and his environment.
00:22:41This is a real human being, for goodness sake! Anyone who wants to see a real human being should look at this Muslim.
00:22:46"When was the last time you heard someone say something like that about Muslims, sir?" he complained.
00:22:53Unfortunately, when the word "religious" is used in relation to Muslims, it often carries an inappropriate connotation.
00:23:04Perhaps it's partly manipulation, the way the media portrayed it, but perhaps partly our fault, due to our loss of exemplary behavior.
00:23:13"My son," he said, "whenever one wishes to see a true human being, let them look at Ibrahim, at Ahmet, at Zeynep, at Ayşe."
00:23:22If that were said, he said, to the whole world, then we would become a unified community.
00:23:28What were you going to ask? You were going to ask something, I suppose," he said.
00:23:31Sir, I asked the question, and I received the answer.
00:23:34To witness something means to be a role model and an example.
00:23:38For example, in Arabic there is a term called istishhat.
00:23:45Unfortunately, today it is also used in a narrow sense.
00:23:51It's about voluntarily dedicating yourself to martyrdom, which is why it's associated with bomb attacks, terrorist acts, and so on.
00:24:00But citing an example means bringing a reference.
00:24:05The word "martyr" also means someone who sets an example.
00:24:09I won't go into that technical detail.
00:24:12Our viewers can consult the true religion and the language of the Quran for the interpretation of this verse.
00:24:17In the Quran, when the term "umma" (community) is used, it is always used in conjunction with the word "shahada" (witness), referring to the Islamic community.
00:24:24To be a witness means to be at the center and heart of things and existence, and to know how things should be done, what is right, what is just, and what is fair for those around them.
00:24:37It means the person they look to as a role model when they wonder what it means to be something special.
00:24:44So the verse says, if you want to be included in the community, surround yourself with noble human qualities, qualities that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to perfect.
00:24:58Be a good example.
00:25:00Each and every one of you.
00:25:01Thanks, sir.
00:25:02Ms. Zeliha, you too are focusing on Africa, a continent with such colorful and beautiful aspects, and you are carrying out your work there.
00:25:16The truth is, this region is often presented to us as if it were a problematic region, full of hunger, hardship, and chaos.
00:25:26It's like a deserted place.
00:25:28Just a moment ago, our teacher gave a definition when defining the ummah (Muslim community).
00:25:33They are usually portrayed as hungry, poor, and dependent people, he said.
00:25:38But we're actually talking about a continent.
00:25:41So we say Africa as if we were talking about a country.
00:25:45But we're talking about a continent with 54 countries and an area of 30 million square kilometers.
00:25:53I was going to ask if you could talk about their wealth.
00:25:56I'll get to that point later.
00:25:58Therefore, when we try to describe a place, it is quite difficult to talk about Africa.
00:26:05Because its east, west, north, south, and center have completely different cultures.
00:26:12It's a very diverse region, yes, but although there are many people with very dark skin, there are also places where the skin tone tends to become lighter.
00:26:20North Africa is an example of this.
00:26:22Their cuisine is very diverse.
00:26:24You can't compare the food of one place to that of another.
00:26:27While some places love fish, others prefer meat, vegetables, or dishes cooked in olive oil, creating different kinds of diverse cultures.
00:26:37there are.
00:26:37That's why it's really quite difficult to talk about Africa.
00:26:41It's quite difficult to call myself an expert on Africa.
00:26:44We can only perhaps talk about a country if we are studying it.
00:26:49And we go to those regions as well.
00:26:52We are trying to reach everywhere, to the east, west, south, and north.
00:26:58It's actually a geography not far from us; we're simply in a situation where we're re-establishing our relationships.
00:27:06And we've brought it to a very good point.
00:27:09We're talking about a beautiful region.
00:27:12Meanwhile, when you talk about lovers, we can of course say that this narrative has also come to us as a work of fiction.
00:27:20We know Africa primarily from films, documentaries, stories, novels, and a constructed media language.
00:27:31But we hadn't brought the real Africa here by traveling, seeing, and experiencing it firsthand.
00:27:39There's something really great that TRT Africa is doing right now.
00:27:42For example, when TRT Africa was established, it had a slogan.
00:27:45Africa as it is.
00:27:47Because we hadn't seen it as it was.
00:27:50Their resources were coming to us from other places.
00:27:52And what did we see?
00:27:54We mostly saw children begging.
00:27:56We were seeing children with swollen bellies.
00:27:58We saw flies constantly circling around people.
00:28:02But this perception makes us feel as if Africa is far away or that we shouldn't approach it.
00:28:10The perception had been created that continuous assistance was needed.
00:28:14There was no place where poverty was rampant.
00:28:17A place.
00:28:17But there are crisis zones in many parts of the world.
00:28:21There are places where there is war.
00:28:23There are still many places struggling with hunger.
00:28:28But instead of talking about these things, we even know about climate change.
00:28:33We sometimes read through the lens of Africa.
00:28:35But the more we got involved, the more we realized that our historical connection with Africa, thanks to our President's opening up initiative in 2005...
00:28:46Then, with the opening to Africa and the declaration of this year as the Year of Africa, trips to Africa also increased.
00:28:53And this includes businesspeople, NGO representatives, and even those who go there to live.
00:29:01Some people have even founded NGOs there, by the way.
00:29:04It began to show a different face of Africa.
00:29:07And we began to experience Africa from where we had left off before.
00:29:15Because there were already periods in the Ottoman Empire when our relations were very good.
00:29:19What are the differences between the Africa you have in mind and the Africa you encounter?
00:29:25Our viewers are certainly curious about this.
00:29:28I actually studied in a colonized country too.
00:29:32While studying there, we began to encounter colonial history.
00:29:36Which places were colonized and what was done there, and how this historical journey unfolded.
00:29:42Then, after their independent movements, how they tried to stand on their own feet after independence.
00:29:49Despite having learned all this, I was very surprised by the Africa that was presented to us when I first went there with this awareness.
00:29:57From where?
00:29:58Because I had been to South Africa.
00:30:00Of course, that was 20 years ago.
00:30:02And this was the scene I witnessed.
00:30:04A lush green landscape, with rivers flowing by.
00:30:07Great.
00:30:08We normally have this information as well.
00:30:10There are also images that we see in geography textbooks.
00:30:14But another narrative has been told to us so dominantly that we, of course, still haven't been able to refresh or reset our minds.
00:30:24Of course, after he saw Africa, that is, with our first encounter, naturally, with our historical codes, our historical relationship...
00:30:36We are already in Africa with our forms.
00:30:38For example, we have professors who work on subjects like Ottoman Africa.
00:30:42So, when we're studying Morocco, when we're studying Algeria, when we're studying Egypt, when we're studying Libya, we're talking about a geography with which we are constantly in contact.
00:30:52We.
00:30:53Somalia likewise.
00:30:54Because it lies on pilgrimage routes, and we have a very long-standing connection with Somalia that goes back centuries.
00:31:03And I'm answering your question personally, but this region isn't that far from there anyway.
00:31:10Yes, thank you very much indeed.
00:31:14Hopefully, we can break free from this preconceived notion, this learned behavior, and grant everyone the opportunity to truly understand Africa.
00:31:26I believe that's what you're doing too.
00:31:29Yes, well, now our businessmen who are already working on this are bringing in a lot of information.
00:31:36Many forms of relationships formed through trade also give rise to new stories.
00:31:41But our story begins in a completely different place.
00:31:46After our President declared this year the Year of Africa, of course, many countries were visited.
00:31:51And by 2015, he had visited 23 countries with our President, Mrs. Emine Erdoğan.
00:32:01I would like to remind you of something in the meantime.
00:32:04The only leader in the world.
00:32:06Most of those who travel to Africa.
00:32:08And of course, many official meetings take place during these trips and visits to Africa.
00:32:15In addition to these official meetings, the First Lady also participates in social responsibility projects.
00:32:20So, in addition to her ongoing work in Türkiye, she also has social responsibility projects underway in Africa.
00:32:31One of them is to go to disadvantaged people.
00:32:36People with disabilities, the elderly, girls, but also women who are producers.
00:32:42Because there's a perception there as if no one is producing our perception at all.
00:32:47Yet these people continue to produce, and they do so with great determination.
00:32:53They also want to preserve their culture.
00:32:56And when you go there, you'll see that these people always wear their traditional clothes during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha, and it's very colorful.
00:33:03I was in a place with students from over a hundred countries, and we were amazed to see them come wearing their local clothes.
00:33:15When they visit these countries, the last one they visit is Ethiopia, which becomes the 23rd country.
00:33:19And when they go to Ethiopia, they visit a group of women producers who have formed a cooperative.
00:33:30Here, women naturally suffer from various illnesses.
00:33:33They are in a very difficult situation, but as I said, they continue to produce, they continue to fish.
00:33:39But they say they're not selling at the price they deserve, that they're not getting the return they expect.
00:33:46This is exactly what happened in these 23 countries, because this is the kind of feedback they received in every single country.
00:33:55He concludes with something like this.
00:33:58We can lend them a hand.
00:34:00Just as we contribute to intangible cultural heritage in Türkiye and work to ensure the continuation of the culture there, we are doing the same here.
00:34:10Let's do something to support women in production as well.
00:34:13And the African Cultural Center was actually born there.
00:34:15In fact, two weeks ago, when I visited Ethiopia, I also went to these places that the lady had visited.
00:34:23We are currently working with the African Union.
00:34:26I even specifically told this to the African Union.
00:34:30It's also mentioned in the lady's book.
00:34:32Because he also has a book that covers these 23 countries.
00:34:35And then when I went to these women, they said the following...
00:34:40What do you mean, you remembered us and came back again?
00:34:44They asked us to take their pictures.
00:34:46We took their photos.
00:34:48And they asked us to bring him here.
00:34:51They are still producing.
00:34:53Those who haven't recovered are, of course, continuing to produce goods from their homes.
00:34:57How wonderful. Hopefully, they will have built a productive Africa, not a consuming one.
00:35:03Ladies and gentlemen, of course, at the same time.
00:35:06Professor, within the geography of the Muslim world, our intellectual world is naturally very important.
00:35:13Because a civilization is undoubtedly built on ideas.
00:35:19He has a fundamental intellectual foundation.
00:35:22And this idea, in fact, has inspired humanity all over the world since ancient times.
00:35:31But these are ideas that are ignored, discriminated against, or overlooked for certain reasons.
00:35:38How can we revive this memory, this memory that is now being treated as if it doesn't exist?
00:35:47How can we win?
00:35:49First, a curtain drawn before our eyes, and then a pair of glasses placed over our eyes to make things appear differently to us, even though they are not ours.
00:36:03We need to get rid of it.
00:36:05As my esteemed professor mentioned a moment ago, the Mercator projection is like a curtain drawn over our eyes when it comes to Africa.
00:36:16Yes, yes.
00:36:18Africa...
00:36:19Yet it is the second largest continent.
00:36:20Yes, it's the second largest continent after Asia.
00:36:24But it looks small from the perspective of Europe.
00:36:25It looks smaller than Russia.
00:36:27It could fit several Russias inside.
00:36:29Of course.
00:36:32The reason this story seems to have lost its meaning for us today, as if our own memory, our own story, is because of the Europe we fixate on.
00:36:49There are centrifugal glasses.
00:36:52Eurocentrism, the ideology that defines Europe—a small landmass located at the tip of Asia—as it has been throughout human history from its beginnings to the present day, is ultimately a distorted viewpoint of what we now call Europe.
00:37:08He envisions it as progressing in a way that will give birth to this geography and the accumulated knowledge produced in that geography over the last few centuries.
00:37:19That was a long sentence.
00:37:21Eurocentrism conceives of the entire history of humanity as having been intended to give birth to Europe.
00:37:31To the extent that it has connections with Europe, it takes into account and attaches importance to cultures, languages, religions, and cities, includes them in the curriculum, and features them in the media.
00:37:43No, he doesn't refer to them if they're not relevant.
00:37:46Now imagine you have a selfish classmate who, over time, has achieved great things.
00:37:59His closest friends play an important role in his story.
00:38:04But of the other 50 people in the class, there wasn't a single one who didn't greet him.
00:38:09Eurocentrism, historically, only places the figures it associates with itself under the projector and brings them onto the stage.
00:38:20The entire history of humanity, encompassing everything from Malaysia to Indonesia, Africa, Russia, and China, is unrelated to Europe.
00:38:31It expresses a perspective that excludes others to the extent that it is not relevant.
00:38:37This is the case from the perspective of historical writing.
00:38:40You can also consider this from the perspective of humanity's very conception.
00:38:45Consider August Comte's progressive view of history.
00:38:48If history progresses from primitive to civilized and its goal is realized in Europe, then communities that have not yet become like Europe are, from a Eurocentric perspective, either...
00:39:02The exploited creature will be developed and molded in its own image, or it will not deserve to be called human.
00:39:07When an American pilot was bombing in Iraq, he was asked, "I didn't think I was bombing people," and he replied.
00:39:13We are seeing the same thing in Gaza.
00:39:15We see it in Gaza, of course, and it really bothers me, but I'm angry at myself for bothering you.
00:39:21You know how we talk about hypocrisy? Well, there's no hypocrisy; this is their single face.
00:39:25In a statement, US President's spokesman Kirby said he was saddened by the deaths of children in Ukraine.
00:39:34When asked about the children in Gaza, he says it's a war, so children, women, and the elderly die; that's the nature of war.
00:39:42Is he two-faced? No. He's not two-faced. When you say two-faced, it's as if he's pretending to be someone else, a nice person, to us.
00:39:49They have faces, but they show us another face.
00:39:52No, that's their only face. So, regarding Africa, very few people know about Timbuktu.
00:40:00In a period predating the invention of printing, when written works existed, books were written in Timbuktu and circulated from there to Africa.
00:40:10It is the heart of all African culture. No one knows Paradise. Paradise comes to mind.
00:40:15Yes, but Paradise is a city in Africa. The Great Mosque of Paradise is at least as important to us as the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus or the Great Mosque of Diyarbakır.
00:40:24As much as a mosque,
00:40:25We should know as much about the Great Mosque of Paradise as we do about those enormous structures in Samarkand, mentioning those magnificent turquoise domes when we talk about Islamic civilization.
00:40:36We need to mention it.
00:40:38We can't talk about these things. There's a historian here named Jack Goody. He has a concept called Theft of History.
00:40:50There is.
00:40:51A work with such a title was translated into Turkish, "Historical Plagiarism." It depicts European people as having been colonized by other societies.
00:41:00They're not just stealing their gold, their oil, their material resources. They're also stealing their memory, their soul.
00:41:11And it injects a new, invented, manufactured spirit in its place. With that new spirit, you begin to look at yourself.
00:41:22The valuable things you see in yourself, the things that are European, the things that have contributed to Europe, any element in your memory.
00:41:33Yes.
00:41:34So our standards of value are presented to us according to European standards.
00:41:40Sir, we're going to listen to the voice of a street. We have interviews and we're in Hatay, dear viewers.
00:41:47Let's see what our dear citizens will say about this.
00:41:57We, as the Islamic community, have left behind many great works and traces in these lands. This is one of them, the Habib al-Najar Mosque.
00:42:05We are very happy that the Habib al-Najar Mosque has been rebuilt.
00:42:10So, thankfully, we have recovered everything we lost in this earthquake, and everything we had before is being renewed.
00:42:18We came to visit Habibin Nacer Mosque with our students to make Ramadan more meaningful.
00:42:26My religious belief, which has continued for 2000 years, is unity and togetherness.
00:42:32We wanted to instill and emphasize this to our students again today.
00:42:36We wanted them to adopt and embrace this culture, Islamic culture, as well.
00:42:43That's why we're here.
00:42:45We will continue to uphold the importance and history of the Muslim world and our Islam.
00:42:49This mosque is very important and precious to us.
00:42:52Rebuilding after the earthquake would be a great source of joy for us.
00:42:56This is a very short place for us.
00:42:58I am proud to be from Hatay.
00:42:59I love my hometown very much.
00:43:01This mosque, which bears the traces of Islamic civilization, is very precious to us.
00:43:04It has been destroyed many times before, but I'm very happy that it's still standing.
00:43:08The Habinecer Mosque is the first mosque in Anatolia, Türkiye.
00:43:12Many of us were lost in the earthquake, but thank God, our state and our nation have brought my daughter back to her place.
00:43:19Throughout the seven earthquakes that Hatay experienced, even though it was destroyed each time, it was for the sake of remembering and keeping Islam alive.
00:43:26It was re-established.
00:43:27We are very happy and grateful to our state for having such an opportunity.
00:43:35Dear viewers, in Hatay, our citizens, our elders, our brothers and sisters, made special reminders regarding mosques, which are symbols of Islam.
00:43:49And they expressed their happiness at the reconstruction of the places of worship they had lost in that tragic earthquake.
00:43:59Of course, it's not just that; in Hatay, a city that was truly devastated is being rebuilt by our state leaders, may God be pleased with them.
00:44:09They did.
00:44:09And they continue to bring smiles to the faces of our citizens.
00:44:13Of course, you described Africa as a beacon of hope, especially regarding women and their work focused on increasing their productivity.
00:44:24To put it more concretely, how did your activities become a source of hope for them?
00:44:30What kind of diversification or support do you offer?
00:44:33Now, you might be surprised, but the African Cultural Center, located in front of a Turkish bath in Ankara, is run exclusively by women from 42 African countries.
00:44:44You can see handcrafted products.
00:44:47And none of them resemble each other; they are all completely different.
00:44:50But in addition to that, we opened handicraft training centers in Senegal and Tanzania together with TIKA.
00:44:58Why are we conducting these studies?
00:45:00We are conducting these studies for the following reason.
00:45:02We want the women there to have spaces where they can continue their production.
00:45:08And they want to introduce themselves, too.
00:45:12So, they want to showcase what they produce on a global scale, since we now say the world is a small village.
00:45:21So how can they access these tools?
00:45:23They also have classes and courses where they receive training in these areas.
00:45:27And we support them by acquiring these works they create from them.
00:45:33At the same time, we are creating opportunities for them to take this knowledge a step further.
00:45:39This continues.
00:45:40It continues in different countries as well.
00:45:43Of course, when we go to South Africa, or when we went to Ethiopia two weeks ago, we see how the women producers produce their goods.
00:45:52We also see the effort they are making to ensure that these handicrafts do not die out, that they can survive, and that they are taught to the younger generation.
00:46:04Are you also making efforts to create a technological innovation?
00:46:08So, it's about expanding production to other areas as well.
00:46:11Of course.
00:46:13These training centers that we have opened actually also provide technological support.
00:46:17Because they need machines, they work with leather.
00:46:20But they don't have the machines.
00:46:21So, while they used to sew it by hand, now they sew it with machines.
00:46:25Or let's say they'll do some processing, silver processing.
00:46:30But while they were able to use it with simpler tools before, they can now present it in a better way with the opportunities available to them.
00:46:40They are already very skilled people.
00:46:42So when you see it, you will say this:
00:46:44I think they resemble people from the Black Sea region a lot.
00:46:46Africans are people who run a lot, laugh, and are always smiling.
00:46:52I want to specifically mention the producers because they are, in fact, outside the realm of the narrative we're discussing.
00:46:59And they immediately take you and place you beside them, offering you a cup of tea, or as they say, a kelke.
00:47:08The people who offer hospitality in Kelke are very friendly, and Africa is actually a continent you warm up to very quickly.
00:47:17And in the support we provide here, we continue the courses in a way that allows us to share the experiences we currently have with them.
00:47:30we are doing.
00:47:30Congratulations, these are truly wonderful activities.
00:47:34These also serve as bridges built for unity of hearts.
00:47:40In the future, we may be able to be closer to them, regardless of the geographical distance, and perhaps experience the sense of community and solidarity with those who are Muslim.
00:47:54Your activities are serving a mediocre purpose.
00:47:56I'd like to ask you this, professor.
00:48:01At the beginning of our program, we also talked about cities that served as centers of Islamic civilization.
00:48:10So, we talked about scholarly gatherings in Baghdad.
00:48:13We mentioned that Cordoba printed books.
00:48:17And it produced cities like this.
00:48:19But these cities weren't just architectural; they had a soul.
00:48:24They were, in fact, the centers of a vision of civilization.
00:48:29They were right in the middle.
00:48:31Let's try to understand this spirit a little better.
00:48:34Sometimes we wonder why we don't have that spirit?
00:48:37We keep asking how we can build this spirit.
00:48:41Now, you know how we talked about storytelling, about being able to look at our own story from our own perspective? The program's connection to Africa is also relevant here.
00:48:56That bet was spot on.
00:48:59Because the most obvious example of us observing this story through a different lens imposed on us is Africa.
00:49:16But now our perceptions of Islamic history are exactly like that.
00:49:21It's not just Orientalists who, from a Eurocentric perspective, paint us a distorted, caricatured picture of Islamic civilization.
00:49:33That's what we see too.
00:49:37Now we are talking about scholarly gatherings in Baghdad.
00:49:42We're talking about books in Cordoba, aren't we?
00:49:46This is not a feat in the sense of a figure of speech, but rather a remarkable achievement in terms of world history.
00:49:53So, at that time, the dates we're talking about, the 13th, yes, the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, in Europe, it was the age of booklessness.
00:50:06It is envisioned as an age without books.
00:50:10There are no books, no library, nowhere to borrow or buy books.
00:50:18The markets you mentioned, one on the right and one on the left of the Tigris River in Baghdad, are called Sukul Verrakin.
00:50:28Varrak comes from the word varak.
00:50:30In each of these bookstores, there are 100 markets, 200 booksellers, and publishers.
00:50:36In 12th-century Nishapur, an ordinary citizen—not a scholar or university student—had the right to borrow 20 books from a library.
00:50:49From a library in Nishapur in the 12th century.
00:50:52I read an article about London in the 14th century.
00:50:57A possible bookshop in 14th-century London.
00:51:04It's likely because there are no records of the bookstore.
00:51:07All the books, remember the movie The Name of the Rose,
00:51:10In monasteries, they are hidden in secret rooms, accessible only to monks.
00:51:15A list containing the titles of 14-15 books has survived from a lawyer's house.
00:51:23The historian says that if such a list exists, then 15 books must have been outside the monastery.
00:51:28This means there are people out there reading and writing about these things.
00:51:32Perhaps he lends or sells them to his neighbors.
00:51:35Is it a bookstore?
00:51:36There isn't a single bookstore.
00:51:39Its existence is likely from a list.
00:51:41We're talking about 200 booksellers in 10th-century Baghdad.
00:51:45I'm talking about libraries in 12th-century Nishapur where an ordinary citizen could borrow 20 books.
00:51:53In other words, a civilization that writes, reads, and teaches.
00:51:56Mathematics, sciences, intellectual sciences, rational sciences,
00:51:59So, did such disciplines exist in the 13th-century Islamic world?
00:52:04This is the wrong glasses question.
00:52:06It didn't exist outside the Islamic world anyway.
00:52:08Until the 16th century, until the 17th century,
00:52:13between the 7th century AD and the 17th century AD
00:52:19The heart of philosophy, science, and history on a global scale for a millennium period.
00:52:25Where in Dar al-Islam?
00:52:27It strikes in Paradise, it strikes in Timmuktu, in Mauritania, in Tunisia, in Morocco,
00:52:33Let's continue in Samarkand, Mosul, Baghdad,
00:52:36It flows in Malatya, Sivas, and Konya.
00:52:37I ask my student in class, "Can you name a philosopher from Malatya or Tokat?"
00:52:44They look at each other like this.
00:52:46Professor, it's Malatya's apricots, and Kastamonu's garlic.
00:52:50So, we can say crazy things from Malatya, but we can also say philosophical things.
00:52:54It seems strange to the student, as if I had asked for a four-sided triangle.
00:52:59"Merv, have you ever heard of a place called Merv?" I say to the student.
00:53:04They're asking if she called the other Merve.
00:53:06They had never heard of a city called Merv.
00:53:09So Merv is the place where the entire story of Islamic civilization after the 12th century was forged.
00:53:17The place where figures like Ghazali and Omar Khayyam lived, and where the Seljuk Empire was founded.
00:53:24Let's imagine going to Bukhara today, or going to Samarkand.
00:53:30Let's say, for someone from Sivas, from one of the central cities, for someone from Sivas.
00:53:34Which is further away, Bukhara or London?
00:53:37When he actually boards the plane, does he think about whether the journey to London will take longer or to Bukhara?
00:53:43Bukhara is further away, something like China, right?
00:53:46Perhaps a 15-hour journey, perhaps a fairytale land, a faraway place.
00:53:50He thinks that if he gets on the plane in London, he'll be there in 3 hours.
00:53:54However, a joke told in Herat in the 14th or 15th century was being laughed at in Bursa.
00:54:03Lami Çelebi has a work called Letaif Fıkralar (Anecdotes), he lived in the 15th century.
00:54:08Half of the book is about Sultan Baykara, Herat, Bukhara, Samarkand; the people of Bursa are laughing at the events that take place there.
00:54:16Here, there's such a vibrant, interconnected world, a world without boundaries, and what creates that world is togetherness.
00:54:27So, we talk about the European Union and admire it now, right?
00:54:30They travel everywhere with a single passport.
00:54:32You look at a professor's CV, and you see that he studied for his undergraduate degree in Berlin and did his master's degree in Paris.
00:54:40So here he is, doing his doctorate in Rome, spending summers in America and winters in London teaching.
00:54:47You think, "Wow, how integrated."
00:54:49It was the same here, but what ensured that?
00:54:53So what united the Islamic world, Dar al-Islam?
00:54:58It wasn't just political will.
00:55:00Political will was tearing things apart.
00:55:02In the Islamic world, there has never been a single, unified state throughout history.
00:55:07When we talk about the Union of Islam today, we're not talking about a single state or anything like that; what unites us is not politics, it's not just economics.
00:55:17What we call a unifying meaning and cultural unity.
00:55:21The scholars themselves believed that scholars, books, meaning, tales, songs, and stories circulated freely.
00:55:30And we are talking about a region where people breathe the same spirit within this world of meaning.
00:55:39Ibn Arabi was born in Seville, Andalusia, Spain.
00:55:44So, it goes to Mauritania, then to Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and finally to Malatya, right?
00:55:51His most famous follower from Malatya, as you know, is in your field, Sadrettin Konevi.
00:55:56Yes, he came to Malatya.
00:56:00We're going to Ankara now, sir.
00:56:02Let's go.
00:56:02Because it's time for iftar for our Ankara, for our beautiful Ankara, and they are at the tables.
00:56:10They are eagerly awaiting the call to prayer (Ezan-ı Muhammedi).
00:56:14Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
00:56:15Their expectations were met.
00:56:17May God accept it.
00:56:18It's time for iftar in Ankara. May Allah accept your prayers. Enjoy your meal.
00:56:22Dear viewers, together with Ms. Zeliha, we are trying to answer the question: What does Africa mean to us in the context of the Muslim world?
00:56:32Of course, every place where believers, Muslims live is our geography, our spiritual geography, likewise.
00:56:40Then there's this concept called "the awaited Turk."
00:56:45You mentioned that we went there without our glasses on and encountered a different scene.
00:56:53In fact, this bridge-building, this connection, comes again, even if it's late; there's no such thing as it being delayed or overdue.
00:57:00We can start from that moment on.
00:57:03What kind of impact do your activities have in building these bridges of brotherhood?
00:57:08I'd like to give an example, if you'll allow me.
00:57:12The point is, we have a relationship with those regions; Turks have had a relationship with Africa since the 9th century.
00:57:22But we have a more intense relationship with the Ottomans.
00:57:27We are now re-establishing those connections, and that actually required willpower.
00:57:32The will demonstrated by our President was such a will.
00:57:35We all remember 2011, the crisis in Somalia, the hunger, the poverty, the images of people living in truly dire conditions.
00:57:48And it was a time when nobody wanted to go to Somalia.
00:57:51Because Somalia now looked different, as an unsafe country.
00:57:57But putting all of that aside, we acted in a way that no other country could have done.
00:58:04This is something unique to us.
00:58:06It's something that's in our code.
00:58:08It's a human thing.
00:58:09We call this humanitarian diplomacy, actually.
00:58:12We are always on the side of the oppressed and the victims.
00:58:16And we are equal.
00:58:18So, at the same time, we're not just showing it while giving it; we're acting in a different way.
00:58:24As you know, we have a slogan as a state, which the First Lady also uses very often.
00:58:29African solutions to African problems.
00:58:32This is how we're going.
00:58:34And in 2011, they chartered a plane to Somalia, a place nobody else went to, and even went there with Ma'a.
00:58:44It was a very large group, including NGOs and artists.
00:58:50Perhaps the plane wouldn't be able to land.
00:58:52Taking that risk, and taking a great initiative, he actually went to Somalia.
00:58:57Following this, Western countries that had withdrawn their embassies there reopened them.
00:59:04Because Turkish Airlines had started flying there.
00:59:07And he had begun to rewrite the folk tale there, from scratch.
00:59:15Now, this approach, this foresight, and the behavior of acting with the inherent humanity of everyone, is, in my opinion, unique to Türkiye.
00:59:28Something.
00:59:28And I hope that this will remain the case until the end of the world.
00:59:34Because it's also related to the students coming from there.
00:59:38As you know, we have many students there.
00:59:41There are students from different parts of Africa, from different countries.
00:59:45And these students are studying in many fields, from computer engineering to political science, psychology, sociology, and medicine.
00:59:56We also have students in our Faculty of Theology.
00:59:58Of course.
00:59:58And when you go there, they're the ones who greet you, for example.
01:00:01This also contains very profound meanings.
01:00:05My professor just said that there's a unity of meaning between us and these geographical regions.
01:00:11We didn't just arrive now; we've come back again.
01:00:16We were already there.
01:00:16We were already there.
01:00:17So we are within that whole meaning.
01:00:20And that's why we are viewed differently.
01:00:23For example, the African Union is an organization founded by 54 countries.
01:00:30And Oflat is part of this alliance.
01:00:33So, in Oflat, there's an organization founded by the wives, the first ladies, of the heads of state of all African countries.
01:00:42His name is Oflat.
01:00:43They invited us.
01:00:44When we went there, there weren't any people from different countries.
01:00:47People from African countries, first ladies, female representatives, and our organization.
01:00:54When we arrived, the current president was also the First Lady of Sierra Leone.
01:01:01I went over to him.
01:01:02I conveyed the lady's greetings.
01:01:05When he saw us and learned that we were Turkish, this is what he did.
01:01:08"My people have arrived," he said.
01:01:10Now, you wouldn't see this in another geographical area, or let me put it this way, you would rarely see such an approach towards another country.
01:01:19Thanks.
01:01:19Therefore, the relationships we establish and the continuation of existing relationships are very important here, both for taking initiative and for communicating with these regions in a different way.
01:01:29to carry out through channels.
01:01:30As you know, these include the Marif Foundation, the Yunus Emre Institute, the Turks Abroad, the Related Communities, and our TIKA (Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency).
01:01:39And they act on this delusion in every geographical region.
01:01:43Praise be to God. How wonderful. These are great riches, sir. We must act within this unity of meaning and penetrate these regions with this understanding.
01:01:54What do you say about us doing this?
01:01:57Yes. When you carry that meaning, the meaning is something different.
01:02:01In other words, elements that are normally purely material, when combined with meaning, produce results we could never have imagined.
01:02:16For example, shopping and trade are material activities, aren't they?
01:02:21Yes. But what does it become when combined with meaning?
01:02:24El-Kasibu Habibullah. He who earns [the reward] becomes the beloved of Allah.
01:02:28When combined with the concept of halal, and the belief that sustenance comes from God.
01:02:34Likewise, when Muslim merchants travel to regions such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Nepal...
01:02:49As we said at the very beginning of the program, being part of the ummah (Muslim community) means possessing noble human qualities, exalted morals,
01:02:58I was sent to perfect the noblest of human qualities and virtues.
01:03:03To be part of the Ummah (Muslim community), let's not immediately look around to see where the Ummah is.
01:03:08What did the Quran say?
01:03:10I have made you a moderate nation so that each of you may bear witness to humanity.
01:03:17If I want to be included in the community, I must bear witness to humanity.
01:03:22So, I need to be able to reflect these noble human qualities in every action, everywhere I am, and in every relationship I have.
01:03:34For example, in trade, we're talking about something tangible.
01:03:38When merchants consider their trade along with these noble human qualities,
01:03:44When they went to these countries, to non-Muslim countries, people saw justice, fairness, mercy, and equity in their trade.
01:03:55And they asked, why do you stay here when you could earn more, why do you sell us this when you could sell us something of inferior quality, and why do you show fairness?
01:04:11What is the driving force?
01:04:14We are Muslims. Because such things would never occur to us.
01:04:18What do you mean? Does Islam command you to do such a thing?
01:04:21Yes, I am a Muslim, I cannot do this.
01:04:24I am a Muslim, Islam requires me to do this.
01:04:28"Then we are Muslims too," they said.
01:04:31These regions, namely East Asia, are like this in many areas.
01:04:35They testified to the people then.
01:04:37They testified. Now I'm going to Nepal in a few days.
01:04:41Hopefully.
01:04:41There, in Nepal, there are already nearly 2 million Muslims living.
01:04:46More than 5% of the population.
01:04:49Who are you going with, sir?
01:04:51I'll be going with the Orphan Foundation, sir.
01:04:53The Orphan Foundation truly provides wonderful services, not only in Türkiye but throughout the country.
01:04:59We had guests yesterday from the Orphan Foundation.
01:05:02Mr. Murat Yılmaz.
01:05:03Thank you. He already explained the Orphan Foundation very well.
01:05:06This is about the Muslims we are talking about, the Muslims in Türkiye, reconnecting with the neighboring region through this shared meaning and culture, and establishing unity on this basis.
01:05:21The effort to achieve this actually gains meaning through organizations like these.
01:05:26The Orphan Foundation has some wonderful activities there.
01:05:28As is the case in Türkiye, we would like to take this opportunity to advise our viewers to take a look at what the Orphan Foundation is and what it does.
01:05:37I will.
01:05:37Thanks.
01:05:38Professor, only within that time frame...
01:05:39Is Iftar approaching?
01:05:40Of course, there's less than two minutes left until Iftar in Istanbul.
01:05:44Thank you very much.
01:05:46Not at all.
01:05:46I wish we could discuss this in more detail, but this is all we could manage.
01:05:49If you would be so kind, let us go to the Istanbul iftar with a prayer, and let us pray for the Muslim community.
01:05:55God willing, this region will return to its former glory days, where bridges of brotherhood are built according to our hearts' desires and the consciousness of the Muslim community flourishes.
01:06:05Amine.
01:06:06Amine.
01:06:06Amine.
01:06:07Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
01:06:09Peace and blessings be upon our Messenger Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions.
01:06:14O Lord, let us benefit from the blessings of Ramadan.
01:06:20O Lord, grant us humble hearts, bowed in submission and open to the blessings of Ramadan.
01:06:30Amine.
01:06:30O Lord, grant unity to the Ummah of Muhammad.
01:06:33O Lord, grant us the grace to witness the day when we are resurrected under the banner of the declaration of faith (Kalima-i Tawhid).
01:06:39Amine.
01:06:39O Lord, make us worthy servants of You and worthy followers of Your Beloved Prophet.
01:06:43O Lord, help our oppressed brothers and sisters in our Muslim world.
01:06:48Amine.
01:06:48O Lord, restore the honor of the Ummah of Muhammad.
01:06:51O Lord, grant us the grace to follow You and Your Messenger, and to regain our dignity through brotherhood and love.
01:07:00Amine.
01:07:00O Lord, grant me a heart that works for Your pleasure.
01:07:03Amine.
01:07:04Grant us beneficial knowledge, O Lord.
01:07:07Grant me, O Lord, the zeal to work for Your pleasure.
01:07:10Amine.
01:07:11O Lord, include us among the righteous servants who act upon their knowledge.
01:07:16Make the paths leading to you easier for us.
01:07:19Amine.
01:07:20Dear viewers, it's time for iftar in Istanbul.
01:07:24May God accept your fasting.
01:07:27May God accept your prayers.
01:07:29Enjoy your meal, sir/madam.
01:07:30Allahu Akbar.
01:07:36I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.
01:07:46I bear witness that there is no god but Allah.
01:07:57I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
01:08:12I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
01:08:18I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
01:09:48Time flies by like water, dear viewers.
01:09:51Just yesterday we said "Bismillah" (in the name of God), and today the numbered days have begun as we approach the end of the blessed month of Ramadan.
01:10:00And tonight on TRT1's Ramadan Joy program, we discussed the geography of the Muslim world, Africa, and the aspect of the Muslim world that bears witness to humanity.
01:10:12We witnessed it too.
01:10:14So, in essence, we have learned that the person who bears witness to humanity is described as the average member of the community.
01:10:22And we realized that we must be in contact with them, with our brothers and sisters throughout our spiritual geography, with a sense of community and unity of heart.
01:10:32This evening marks the end of our Ramadan Joy program.
01:10:37Of course, God willing, we will be here again tomorrow at the same time on TRT1 for Ramazan Sevinci.
01:10:43And once again, I have very distinguished guests.
01:10:46Prof. Dr. Abdülhatif Tüzer and Prof. Dr. Ahmet Salduz will be with us.
01:10:52Keep following us.
01:10:54Until we meet again tomorrow at the same time in this studio, may God protect you.
01:11:00Goodbye, sir.
01:11:29Thank you for watching.
01:11:42Thank you for watching.
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