The Danger of Rebellion, Especially From Within: The Plight of Sultan ʿAbdul-Ḥamīd
In Turkey, secularism was established after the downfall of the Ottoman Empire under the leadership of Ataturk. Despite his outward display of religious devotion, such as praying in front of soldiers and flattering scholars, Ataturk had a hidden agenda. Once he achieved his goals, he executed his vile plan. He separated Turkey from the rest of the lands under Ottoman rule, declared secularism, banned the call to prayer and prayers in Arabic, enforced the adoption of European clothing instead of Islamic dress, abolished Shariah courts, replaced the Hijri date with the Gregorian date, prohibited polygyny and equated inheritance between the two biological sexes (males and females), eliminated Islamic education, banned the teaching of the Quran, and replaced the Arabic script with Latin letters.
He played a role in overthrowing Sultan Abdul Hameed II, rahimahullah, and facilitated the opportunity for some Zionists to acquire land in Palestine. The Zionist movement had already begun to show its presence before the initial gathering of its devoted supporters in 1897, which alarmed the Sultan. So, he took precautionary measures. In 1871, he declared 80 percent of Palestine as state-owned property to prevent the the purchase of any land there. Then, in May 1901, those specific Zionists proposed to pay off the foreign debts of the Ottomans and promote the Ottoman Sultan’s interests in Europe in exchange for allowing settlements in Palestine. However, the Sultan rejected this offer in both 1901 and 1902, even though the Ottoman Empire had the largest Jewish population in the world at that time, with Jews living freely in the city of Thessaloniki. Thereafter, those specific Zionists (not all Jews) conspired with some young Turks to overthrow the sultan, as the Sultan himself declared on September 22nd, 1913:
“I abdicate the throne due to the oppression and threats from the Young Turks. This faction demanded my approval for the creation of a Jewish state in Palestine, which I refused. They even offered 150 million British gold pieces, which I also declined, stating that I would never agree, even if you offer 150 million British gold pieces, rather not even if you offer all the gold in the world. Following my firm stance, they deposed me from power. I am grateful to Allah for not agreeing to establish a new state on Palestinian lands within the Ottoman State and the Islamic community”. [a]
The Sultan was subsequently confined in Thessaloniki at the residence of a Zionist banker named Allatini. The Young Turks then forged a strong alliance with those Zionists as they assisted in the Sultan’s overthrow. A prominent Zionist banker named Emmanuel Carasso, who was an associate of Talat Pasha, a member of the delegation that delivered the news of Sultan’s removal from power, played a pivotal role in organising the migration to Palestine.
In 1917, an agreement was reached between the British Empire and certain individuals, leading to the approval of the creation of a Jewish nation-state in Palestine. Following the defeat of the Ottoman army in Syria, Palestine came under British occupation in 1918. Subsequently, the lands previously under the authority of Sultan Abdul Hamid and taken over by the Young Turks were transferred to British control. During this period of British rule, the number of Jewish settlements in Palestine grew, and they were permitted to purchase land. Due to economic hardships, many Arabs were compelled to sell their lands, having previously enjoyed prosperity under Sultan Abdul Hameed II. By 1947, over half of the Palestinian population was living in areas occupied by those who purchased these lands. The path to independence began with Zionist groups pressuring the British to depart, leading to the United Nations’ approval for the establishment of a Jewish state in 1948. [Risaalah Fil Adyaan Wal-Firaq Wal-Madhaahib. page 486-487]
[a] This quote is from a Turkish Newspaper
