Islam, February 1985

Importance of Enlightenment of Masses

Halil Necatioglu

We Turkish nation had represented the Muslims worldwide for a long time, raised many important and great personages, advanced Islamic civilization, reached out Muslims in all parts of the world, defended Muslims and protected their rights by all means. We were the leading nation in service to Muslim Ummah to earn the respect and love.

Unfortunately, we could not keep such an honorable situation longer for various military and social reasons. For many centuries, enemies targeted us and attacked us endlessly. Our friends did not help us; some of them even hit us from the back. We had very difficult times. We lost most of our land and hundreds of thousands our people. We defended and saved our independence on a relatively smaller land.

Not knowing the enemy well, some unaware people among us consider the temporary relief and deceptive comfort, which had been obtained through unrivaled compromises, and believe that the struggle is over. The very same people do not notice the true face of the enemy when the masks are removed.

Yes, it appears that the material war has stopped; however, the struggle in the fields of thought, belief, religion and culture and stealthy works continue with a high intensity. On the other hand, some of our "educated" people are unaware of the ploys of the enemy, and they attack us as pawns of the enemy. They have cut off their ties with their own past, values, and culture; they have lost the national ideals and consciousness. On the side of the arch enemies, they have taken the murderers of innocent Muslim masses as their friends.

Because of a long interregnum in religious education and some principle decisions in the national education policy which contradicts our social facts, our people at large have forgotten the customs, manners, the basic principles and delicate details of Islam. There are contradictions and mistakes in their belief, worship, behavior and lifestyle that need to be corrected. Most of the people are Muslims; however, those who are exemplary, stable, pious, well educated, and knowledgeable are few.

This situation bring us great responsibilities. We have to prepare, pool our resources together, establish unity, act together, increase the number of conscious Muslims, enlarge the circle, educate the uneducated, awake the unaware. We have to enlighten the masses. Our personal, social and national salvation depends on this.