Giving a Voice to Muslims who Support Peace: the Adnan Oktar Movement
Giving a Voice to Muslims who Support Peace: the Adnan Oktar Movement

In my previous article on the subject of Muslims who support peace, I wrote about a quiet fundamentalist and pacifist Muslim movement, albeit world-wide and numbering about one hundred million - the Tablighi Jamaat. Now I am turning one hundred and eighty degrees and profiling an outspoken, colorful press-savvy Muslim movement that also promotes peace – centered around charismatic leader Adnan Oktar, Istanbul, Turkey. Fashionable and upwardly mobile, Mr Oktar’s followers present a glamorous face to the world, insisting that Islam blends beautifully with the modern and democratic.

Working with the penname Harun Yahya, his some 800 websites, over 300 books, and his own A9 television channel reach 60 million people world wide, and a public relations team composed of some of the best, brightest and well-connected Turkish youth. Sinem Tezyapar, his spokeswoman and seemingly tireless voice for a peaceful Islam, whose articles have been featured on Arutz Sheva, states, “we strongly emphasize the peaceful message of Islam…we work to raise mass awareness concerning the real underlying causes of social and political conflicts. We attach great importance in identifying the underlying ideologies of the foremost problem of our era - terrorism. Religion is definitely not the basis of conflict but is the unquestionable basis for solution.”[1]

They have hosted hundreds of Jewish leaders, including an Israeli delegation in August 2012 to discuss the flotilla incident and move forward in mending Israeli-Turkish relations. [2]

There is much information about this movement on the web, and when you take a peek at their websites, the modern and fashionable attire of Mr. Oktar’s team may surprise you. This is part of their conviction that Islam blends seamlessly with modernity, both with democracy, human rights, and even aesthetics and the fine arts. Women can and should participate in every walk of life, from top government positions, to the media to the professions, as they choose.[3]

Sinem states, “we boldly state that there is no place whatsoever in Islam for violence, suicide bombings, oppression and hatred. We strongly believe that a true believer should possess the characteristics of a loving, compassionate, peace-making, forgiving personality; and always seek to establish harmony, understanding and mutual respect among all societies.”

Their fine tastes do not accompany what in other circles would be a certain snobbery – Love conquers all in this movement. And Sinem is an example of a compassionate personality: journalist Yoram Yanover quips regarding Sinem’s response to the suspicious reception she has received in parts of the Jewish world, “never an angry word, never a snappy retort. I couldn’t do it, honestly” [4][5]

The Oktar group runs websites advocating for the Jewish community and directed at the Muslim community, for example, “Holocaust Violence” in Arabic, [6] and his book of the same title. [7] They post essays condemning anti-Semitism, [8][9] and on June 15 2014 on his A9 TV channel, Mr Oktar strongly condemned the kidnapping of Naftali Frankel, Gilad Shaer and Eyal Yifrah. An unsympathetic viewer challenged:

“You never said anything when Jewish seeds were kidnapping Palestinians. Why are you speaking out now?

Adnan Oktar retorted: There is no kidnapping of Palestinians. There is no such thing. The (Israelis) detain and arrest those they regard as guilty. There is no kidnapping people and holding them in secret locations. They put them in prison. Their location is known. They say they have arrested them. The process goes through prosecutors and judges… “

He then challenged the viewer’s insult, “And you call them ‘Jewish seeds.’ These people you disparage by calling them so are descended from the prophets. Look, they do not talk of Israel [this way] any more, since I warned them not to. They used to shout out “Israel be damned” at the tops of their voices, may God forbid. You are talking about a prophet; Israel is the name of a prophet. At least call it the state of Israel.”

In this essay, I want to crystallize a central point: Mr. Oktar’s consistent and vociferous denunciation of terror. The intellectual framework he offers seriously challenges the idea that terror is associated with Islam - it also seriously challenges some basic assumptions held in the west.

Put simply, Mr Oktar traces the true roots of terror to social Darwinism, which laid the groundwork for both fascism and communism.

I will focus on social Darwinism and not Mr. Oktar’s take on the theory of evolution, which his followers strongly disbelieve. The debate on evolution is a vigorous one – can Genesis be reconciled with staged evolution? Must we even entertain scientific theory or can we cleave loyally to the literal Word? This concerns us less than the concepts that made their way out of the modern theory of evolution and into western attitudes on society: survival of the fittest, natural selection, and dialectic - the concept of constant struggle to give forth new species and ideas.

As a basis for fascism, Mr. Oktar quotes Darwin vis a vis survival of the fittest, “the civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world…”[10] blaming this theory for consequent racism.

Mr Oktar is not alone in this view, Jerry Bergman in his essay, Darwinism and the Nazi Race Holocaust, provides tens of sources backing up his statement: “(Social) Darwinism justified and encouraged the Nazi views on both race and war.” [11][12]

Communist theory was also inspired by social Darwinism. Trotsky said, “Darwin’s discovery is the highest triumph of the dialectic in the whole field of organic matter.”[13]

Communism means more than the equal distribution of resources, it is also assumes “dialectical materialism”: dialectic – conflict of opposites, and materialism, that the world functions solely on a material level with no G-d directing it. This means that conflict fosters the development of society. Karl Marx: “Force is the midwife of every society pregnant with a new one.”[14] “Force”, not scholarship, not charity, not spirituality, but “force” - he really said that. And Marx did not intend to avoid force, but use it.

Mr. Oktar quotes anarchist Michael Bakunin:

“The whole work of a revolutionary's existence is at war with the existing order of society and with the whole so-called civilized world, with its laws, morals and customs...he knows only one science, the science of destruction...." (Ground-Work for the Social Revolution, 1885).

Certainly concepts of survival of the fittest are the groundwork that dictates the cutting away of social welfare programs and soaring housing costs in democratic, capitalistic societies.  Let them fight to survive, right?

800 words into this essay and I still have hardly mentioned Islam, which is the subject of this series. I am getting to it. This is where Sinem Tezyapar, who represents Mr. Oktar, comes in. She states:

“Everyone who is knowledgeable about the real spirit of Islam knows that this kind of insane fanaticism has no place in the Islamic faith. Such actions are expressly forbidden as revealed in the very Word of God Himself. According to Qur’an, one’s murdering an innocent person is ‘… as if he had murdered all mankind’ (Qur’an, 5:32), and ‘Allah does not love mischief makers’ (Qur’an, 28:77). “

She states that the Qur’an itself anticipates that scripture can be twisted: “The Qur’an also gives an example of a gang of nine men who caused corruption in the land by swearing in the name of Allah (Qur’an, 27:48-50). Thus, the fact that people do things ‘in the name of Allah’ or even swear in His name, does not mean that what they do is in conformity with Islam.”

She points out that terrorism was used in the French Revolution and by leftist revolutionaries, and leftist thinking made its way into Arab nationalism in the 1940’s and 50’s.[15][16] She states that Muslims must distance themselves from these influences and get closer to the Qur’an, just as Dr. Omer Salem says, “encourage Muslims to get closer to the Qur’an, they will be nicer to you.”[17] And she is not just defending Islam in front of non-Muslims; she rebukes her co-religionists soundly when they deviate from peace-seeking, saying not only is it un-Islamic, but creates a cynical world view and poor quality of life.[18]

Dialectic - argument for the sake of argument.

The concept of survival of the fittest applies not only to large scale social injustice, but even to some of the subtleties in our daily life, Adnan Oktar often points out. Dialectic is one example.

Vigorous discussion and debate certainly abounds among religious Jews when it comes to the proper application of Torah teachings, Talmudic scholars can get into what appears to the uninitiated as shouting matches; then one looks on, stunned, as those having engaged in intellectual battle walk away together amicably.

Dialectic as interpreted by communist thinkers is something else entirely. It holds that a state of constant conflict is inevitable in the development of both nature and in society. Survival of the fittest is what perfects both the able bodied species and intellectual.

But in contrast to Talmudic debate, the goal of this type of dialectic is not truth seeking, but weeding out strong orators so that those who are victorious can grab the reins of leadership; truths are decided by the fittest. Might is right. Next time someone tries to engage you in an argument for the sake of argument, tell them about dialectic, they probably never heard of it.

Dialectic is not just the realm of the scholar in an ivory tower. Inflammatory rhetoric in the media also serves the purpose of creating a sense of constant conflict, playing into a theory of dialectic that journalists themselves may be unaware of. For every report about an act or terror, why are there not several reports on Muslims who condemn it, or even reports about the good in Islam?

“I had an Arab worker,” Mr. Citon bragged to me, “and I could leave thousands of shekels in the till, return after a couple days off, and not one shekel was missing, not one!” How about an article about honesty in business in Islam with many examples, large and small? We hardly have a perspective on why rhetoric favors the inflammatory – it is to beget social change through force, through emphasizing fighting and not reconciliation.

This is why Adnan Oktar invests such huge resources in media which emphasize love and reconciliation; his colorful books are adorned with smiling faces of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, black, white and all colors in between, both in religious and non-religious garb, enjoying each others’ company, in recreation and at prayer. His A9 TV channel features people from all walks of life schmoozing comfortably, low key and at ease. He is redressing the balance of negative propaganda we have become inured to.

Indeed, we hardly have a perspective on what influences us. This is where being a member of the People of the Book is a good thing. In both Judaism and Islam, we have a corpus of writ and tradition to guide us, in opposition to societal norms we are hardly aware of, both in large social systems and the subtleties of daily life. Here are some examples from the Qur’an:

Tolerance of different races and peoples: "O Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in God's sight is that one of you who best performs his duty. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware" 49:13

Non-Muslims have a share in the hereafter: “And those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and do righteous good deeds, they are dwellers of paradise, they will dwell therein forever.” 2:81

The necessity of diversity: “To each among you we have prescribed a Sharia (covenant) and Minhaj (custom). If Allah had so willed, he could have made you a single Umma (people), but (His plan is) to test you in what he hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is Allah; it is He that will show you the truth about the matters in which you are different.” 5:48

Freedom of thought: "There is no compulsion in religion" 2:256 and, "So remind them! You are only a reminder. You are not in control of them" 88:21-22 and "If your Lord had willed, all the people on earth would have believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers?" 10:99

Certainly those Muslims who are vociferous in promoting a peaceful Islam, either through a PhD thesis, modest personal self-improvement or high-profile outreach deserve our attention.

I spent more time in the article working through some basic assumptions that we live with unconsciously and not, as you may have expected, just defending Islam’s role in modern terror. That is because we cannot sit smugly as if completely outside this phenomenon, pointing fingers. We need to identify insidious influences that have allowed a philosophy of terror to gain a foothold, only then can we uproot it. Simply blaming Islam is not the answer.

Okay, you are saying that there is war in Islam. That is right, and there are also rules about war in Torah. But war is not the cynical destruction of the fabric of society in order to promote conflict for the sake of conflict.

“Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against because they have been wronged…” 22:39-40, and, “Fight in the Way of G-d against those who fight you, but do not go beyond the limits.” 2:190 and here is a hadith (commentary), “Go to war in adherence to the religion od G-d. Never touch the elderly, women, or children….Do not set trees on fire or cut them down. Never destroy houses.”[19][20]

Sinem asked me to share another important point that their movement emphasizes, providing a more hopeful note – their emphasis on the anticipation of Mashiach, or Hazrat (honorable) Mahdi in Arabic.[21] They insist that the Mashiach will come with no bloodshed, that a sign of the End Times will not be increased warfare, on the contrary, it will be increased expressions of love.

Mr. Oktar takes serious issue with those who anticipate increased war during the advent of Mashiach, and claims that these expectations have dangerously affected American foreign policy; believing that war will increase during the End Times, people may actually support war, seeing it as a conduit to the advent of Mashiach, instead of searching for peaceful resolution. He states this repeatedly, even in capital letters, in one blog: “EVERYONE WHO EXPECTS BLOODSHED IN THE NEXT PART OF THE END TIMES ARE MAKING A SERIOUS ERROR….ON THE CONTRARY, THEY WILL CAUSE THE MORAL VALUES OF THE RELIGION TO PREVAIL WITH LOVE, AFFECTION, GENTLE WORDS AND COMPASSION.” And in this footnote you will see sources from the Qur’an and Hadith backing up this claim.[22][23]

This repetitiousness is perhaps another effort to redress the balance of animosity flamed in the media: read my lips, Mashiach brings peace via peaceful means.[24]

Moreover, belief in Mashiach unites Muslims and Jews, all the better if we are on the same page about it, regarding it as a peaceful phase in history brought via peaceful means. No smug acceptance of conflict as a sign of the hour – but an embracing of increased compassion and love on our part.

I need not point out so far the parallels between Mr. Oktar’s movement and Jewish movements. The oft-seen Chabad slogan – “Increase good deeds and charity to bring Moshaich,”[25] Breslover singer and songwriter Yosef Karduner, “Moshiach will come without a single shot being fired,” And of course Mr. Oktar’s blending of the upbeat and aesthetic with our modern orthodox and dati leumi communities.

We are being encouraged by our spiritual cousins, from the humble Tablighi Jamaat to the glamorous yet loving Oktar movements, both numbering in the tens of millions of followers, as well as scholars like Dr. Omer Salem, to uphold Torah. Sinem: “Religion is definitely not the basis of conflict but is the unquestionable basis for solution.” This is encouragement that we are unused to. Are we ready for the task? And there are more Muslims out there who want to support us. Nusantara – another large scale emerging Islamic movement for peace. And, Dr. Omer Salem has like minded colleagues. Stay tuned.

(Previous articles on other Muslim groups or activists who support peace: here and here)

Sources:

[1] http://www.sinemtezyapar.com/

[2] http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/israeli-rabbis-prove-religion-works-better-than-diplomacy-in-the-middle-east/2012/08/27/

[3] Bigotry: the Dark Danger Harun Yahya

[4] http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/editorial/in-an-ocean-of-islamic-hatred-we-discovered-true-friends/2013/04/22/

[5] http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/according-to-islam-muslims-should-not-be-at-war-with-jews/2012/12/12/

[6] http://www.holocaustviolence.com/arabic/

[7] http://www.harunyahya.com/en/Books/3764/The-Holocaust-Violence

[8] http://antisemitism.org.il/article/84590/turkish-sentiments-regarding-shoah

[9] http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/it_is_essential_for_muslims_to_remember_the_nazis_atrocities_and_to_commemo

[10] Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man, 2nd Ed, NY Al Burt Co 1874

[11] http://www.trueorigin.org/holocaust.php#f1

[12] Chase, A., The Legacy of Malthus; The Social Costs of the New Scientific Racism, Alfred Knopf, New York, 1980

[13] Alan Woods and Ted Grant, Reason in Revolt: Marxism and Modern Science, London 1993

[14] Karl Marx Das Capital Vol I 1955 p 603

[15] http://www.sinemtezyapar.com/no-one-is-born-a-terrorist.html

[16] http://www.islamdenouncesterrorism.com/

[17] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvSHO-h-MT

[18] Bigotry: the Dark Danger Harun Yahya

[19] Islam Denounces Terrorism Harun Yahya

[21] Jews must Await the King Mesiah  http://www.harunyahya.com/en/pages/id/1875/

[22] Mahdi Never Sheds Blood: Hazrat Mahdi is a Man of Peace http://www.mahdinevershedsblood.com/

[23] The Redemption of the Jews  http://redemptionofjews.com/

[24] Mahdi According to the Holy Scriptures  http://www.mahdiaccordingtoholyscriptures.com/index.php

[25] http://www.chabadworld.net/page.asp?pageID=CDE5FE54-9328-4CBD-9286-9FD1E630981C&moshHdr=1