Islam and coexistence Global Society, Islam and Coexistence: No doubt, people today are living in an increasingly globalized world.

Istanbul Countdown News No.9

And the question of coexistence urges us to rethink and reflect anew norms, stereotypes and values. To coexist is defined as” nations or peoples exist in harmony despite different ideologies or interests.” Indeed, societies are shaped by different ideas and historical experiences, leading to the flourishing of various forms of coexistence or perhaps the absence of it. To speak of coexistence in the context of Islam, it is crucial to look at the issue beyond the stereotypic claims and discourse broadcasted in global mainstream media. In

the most part, unfortunately, such discourse has lead to misrepresentation, confusion and more violence, toxically affecting both Muslims and Non-Muslims. Here, we will try to understand the Islamic main principles of coexistence and to shed a light on how religious and ethnic minorities lived and coexisted historically in Islam where Turkey, before and now, illustrated a case in point. It has been said that Islam is the most misunderstood religion in the world despite the fact Muslims make up one fifth of entire human population. Thus, one can seek better knowledge and understanding to minimize the state of current alienation and work for a prevailing positive discourse on global affairs. Understanding Coexistence in Islam: Principles of Belief Islam is not only a religion but a civilization and a way of life where religious rituals constitute one part. The essence of Islam is about one central principle; the Tawhid, meaning, unity, unity of creator or unity of God. Without this central concept or principle, it is no longer Islam. The principle of Tawhid transcends an individual identity beyond race, nation, color or even family. That does not mean the canceling out of one’s immediate attributes of nationality, race, etc. However, Tawhid brings the believer to a different level of consciousness and connectedness of human existence. The individual connects directly to the Supreme Being, Allah, All-mighty or God, without any interference by human or institution. It can be said that Tawhid is what gives Islam its vitality and vigorness. The word “Muslim” is an Arabic verb meaning “to submit to the Tawhid”, or “to acknowledge the unity of God”. This is crucial to understand how Islam relates to other religions, creeds and race. According to Islam, all revealed religions believe in the same God. The holy book of Islam, the Quran, mentions all prophets from Abraham, Moses, and Jesus belonging to the revealed religions, including many

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other prophets not named. And Prophet Mohammad is the final messenger being a believer and a follower of the faith. Thus, Islamic principles do not deny the existence of the “other;” Yet, Islam is known for the efforts of conversion, Dawaa, however, it does not force religion. There is no compulsion in religion as stated clearly in the Quran and a person is free to choose or reject religion. The Muslim world, today, is not restricted to one specific region, continent or west and east. Also, Islam is not only about the Arabs or Turks. Indeed, the largest country with Muslim population is Indonesia in South East Asia. The Muslim population of Bangladesh alone equals the combined populations of Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Muslims in America are estimated at seven million, making Islam the second largest religion in the U.S. Diversity is a prominent feature of Muslims living and coexisting in a variety of world regions.

Turkey and Coexistence: Historically, during the Islamic rule of the Ottoman Era (1458-1922), the Islamic concept of Dhimmi was applied for Non-Muslims according to Islamic law. Religious minorities were protected under Islamic law as no harm was allowed to life or property. Each religious minority was free to practice its own religious law within the community. Minorities had to pay tax to the Islamic government in return for protection. However, by the turn of the 20th century, the Ottoman Islamic system of Dhimmi came under serious threat by the interference of the imperial powers by France and Britain. It was the beginning of an era of imposing a European political system of “nation-state,” applied on different ethnicities and minorities under Ottoman rule. For the ensuing period,

coexistence came under threat as tragic violence and World War One brought havoc and destructions to all communities of the former Ottoman provinces. The impact is still visibly lingering in the today’s Middle East; meaning new states and artificial national boundaries were made to serve imperial ambitions. Today’s Turkey is a majority Muslim country where more than ninety percent of the population is Muslims. There rest is composed of minorities namely, Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Alvis and Jews. After the World War One, the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 with secularism as the founding ideology. Secularism, meaning separating politics from religion, left a considerable impact on Turkey of the 20th century, namely, in principle, the free practice of all religions on equal terms under the constitution. However, minorities suffered from inequality such the Kurds, Greek Orthodox Church and others. Since the election of the AKP Party in 2002, Turkey has been

undergoing a dramatic drive towards democratization, inclusive of minorities. Significant at it is, however challenges remain ahead. Globally, Islamophoba is considered by many Muslims as Anti-Islam. The phenomenon is threatening social and global peace. Muslims lay responsibility on media and short-sighted politicians mainly in the West for fanning out anti-Islamic rhetoric. Yet, Muslims are criticized for not engaging enough politically and culturally. Without a doubt, coexistence can potentially enrich communities to flourish, progress; and Islam, a world civilization of tremendous influence, will continue to coexist in a world of dignity and connectedness by deepening understanding and learning from one another.

Prepared by Iyas Salim (GRM Resident Mentor)

Sultan Ahmet Mosque, a Historic Mosque in Istanbul Mosques in Turkey Mosque is one of the important institutions in Islam. It can be defined as a “place of worship”, but there is a broader understanding (especially between the various mazhab or thinking in Islam) regarding its definition. For example, in the Sunni (one of the schools of thought in Islam), several requirements must be met for the details of a place to be called a mosque. Otherwise, it is called Mushalla. In daily life, mosque has other functions, for example: religious function, social function, and even political

functions. Mosques also could be seen as a symbol of the Islam culture in a specified period or region. Many historians studying the structure and architecture of the mosque can explain the level of Islamic civilization by analyzing the mosque building. In Turkey, there were 83,963 mosques up to March 2013. With a population of 76 million people (about 99% are Muslim) it means that there is one mosque for every 900-1000 population. Istanbul Province is the region with the highest number of mosques. With population of approximately 14 million and an area of ​5.3 km2, Istanbul has 3.113 mosques, or there is one mosque for about 4,000 residents.(1)

Brief History of Sultan Ahmet Mosque Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Turkish: Sultan Ahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul. It also known as the Blue Mosque (because of its interior walls are dominated by blue color) was built in 1609-1616 by Sultan Ahmet I, shortly after the end of the war against the Persians. At that time, the construction of mosques in Istanbul usually financed with the spoils of war which was won by the Sultan. However, Sultan Ahmet I had never won any wars. Thus, to finance the construction of this mosque he had to remove the funds of the Treasury. Because of that, he gets criticism from the ulama (or Islam scholar leaders). Construction of the mosque started in August 1609 when the sultan himself came to break the first sod. It was his intention that this would become the first mosque of his empire. Sultan Ahmet appointed his royal architect Sedefhar Mehmet Ağa, a pupil and senior assistant of the famous architect Mimar Sinan to be in charge of the

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Mosque construction. The organization of the work was described in meticulous detail in eight volumes, now found

in the library of the Topkapı Palace. The opening ceremonies were held in 1617. This mosque is currently one of the most impressive monuments in the world. (2)

Design of Sultan Ahmet Mosque The design of Sultan Ahmet mosque is the culmination of the architecture that combines the architecture of the Ottoman mosques and Byzantine churches that have been developed over two centuries. The mosque was to apply a mix of elements of Byzantine church tradition with Islamic architectural tradition. The design of the mosque is considered as the largest mosque architecture of the classical era of the Ottoman Empire. (3) This mosque is one of the two mosques in Turkey that has six minarets (tower of mosque). Other mosque is

Sabanci Mosque which is located in Adana, in southern Turkey. Four minarets stand at each corner of the mosque; each minaret shaped like a fluted pencil with three balconies. At the time of the evening prayer, the sound of adzan (a call for prayer) echoed over the loudspeakers and reflected by other mosques in the surrounding area. At the park in front of the mosque, the tourists and visitors are often gathered facing to the mosque, waiting for the sunset. The light of sunset and the composition of mosque building brilliantly reflect illuminate the very beautiful light. (*)

Some pictures of Blue Mosque, Istanbul from various internet sources

Pictures of Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Source: www.famouswonders.com)

Interior of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Source: www.anthroarcheart.org)

Interior and visitors of the Sultan Ahmet Mosque (source: www.billholsten.com)

Sources of information:

(1)Haber Turk, “Türkiye'de kaç cami var?” accesed via http://www.haberturk.com/yasam/haber/ 825261-turkiyede-kac-cami-var (2)History of the Blue Mosque, accessed via: http://www.bluemosque.co/history.html (3)Architecture of the Blue Mosque, accesed via: http://www.bluemosque.co/architecture.html

Prepared by Ishaq Rahman (GRM Resident Mentor)

Istanbul Countdown News No.9

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The Armenian Orthodox Church in Istanbul Date: March 6th. Time: 14:30 Lecturer: Aram Atesyan, Patriarchal Vicar of Constantinople

General Background: The Armenian Orthodox Church is officially known as the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople or the Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul. The church is located in Istanbul serving the Armenian community who live in Istanbul and the suburbs. The estimated number of the Armenian community in Turkey is around ninety thousands adherents as both Armenian and Turkish languages are spoken. The leader of the Church is Patriarch Mesrob Mutafyan who became the official head of the church in 1998 under the title “The Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul” and continued this service until 2008, when Archbishop Aram Ateşyan, was appointed as Patriarchal Vicar of Constantinople since Mesrob Mutafyan was not be able to pay his duties because of Alzheimer.

Aram Atesyan, Patriarchal Vicar of Constantinople

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History of the Armenian Orthodox Church: In the past, the Byzantines authorities and its religious official institution, the Greek Orthodox Church, considered the Armenian Church as heretical. Both churches held deep theological differences and did not recognize each other. When the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II founded his rule in Istanbul in 1453, he allowed

the Greek Orthodox Church to establish own church in Istanbul. But, for the Armenians, the Sultan instructed them to establish their church in another location; the new Ottoman capital of Bursa, south of present-day Istanbul. The Sultan considered the Armenian Patriarch as the head not only of the Armenians but other Christian groups such as Copts, Syriacs, Yezedis and Nestorians. Under the Ottomans, the Islamic concept of Dhimmi, better known in Ottoman legal term as Millet system, allowed the Christians to exercise their own religious laws and became responsible for the social welfare and educational needs in respective communities. And the Armenians community practiced its own religious laws where the church looked after the social services and education requirement of its members. The Ottomans followed the Islamic governing norm and practice of “larger society than state,” meaning independent societal organizations in society play an essential

role in the provision of social and education services.

The Modern Era: After World War One, WWI, the entire situation in Turkey changed drastically with violence and tragedies. The Ottoman era came to an end and with it the social and political system of Millet. Subsequently, the Ottoman vast lands and provinces were broken up into new small states, nations, and territories. The dramatic change affected the status of the Armenian patriarchate. Those years, indeed, represent a dark and painful era in the history of modern Turkey as large number of people were killed. The lingering legacy is still

going on with highly sensitive political tension over historical narratives of events concerning the “Armenian tragedy” which took place just before and during the WWI. For example, using the word “genocide” in referring to the Armenian tragedy can be highly explosive and agitating when debating that period of history in contemporary Turkey. Today, the Armenian patriarch is recognized officially by the Turkish state and invited to state ceremonies.

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