Societies are becoming refugees. They are stripped away from the lands and places where they have lived for centuries. The break off is not only from the region and homeland. They also break away from their families, husbands, neighbors, siblings and mothers. This creates a refugee society in return, which is a great tragedy. This represents the destruction of cultures, religions and people in the world. Muslim societies are most affected by this phenomenon. Throughout the world, they are turned into refugee societies. This includes the Far East, India, Middle East and Africa, where more and more Muslims are becoming refugees.
Muslim refugees experience death and hope hand in hand. 2,000 people died in the Mediterranean this year alone. They were on route to Europe and the U.S. to seek refuge. The Rohingya Muslims and Bengalis who were stranded in the middle of the sea in Southeast Asia grappled with hunger and thirst for days. Countries like Indonesia and Malaysia hesitated to accept them. Even though they were Muslims like them, these countries did not perceive the refugees as their siblings. Their sense of nation-state outweighed and the fraternity of Muslims got stuck in the borders of nation-states and the blocks in the minds of the people on these borders. Unable to resist the pressure coming from the global community, Indonesia and Malaysia accepted the refugees for a temporary amount of time and accepted to treat those who were in critical medical conditions.
Last week, the European Union passed an inhumane resolution against the refugees. According to this resolution, all types of interventions could be adopted to block the entry of refugees when deemed necessary. This will include intervention with weapons from the sea, land and air; meaning that people will be slaughtered. This decision represents the death of a modern Europe. It is the death of the European conscience, which had opened its arms to those running up to it for freedom and livelihood. It is the death of democracy and the universal parameters of human rights. At the same time, it proves the inadequacy of implementing peace and justice, and democracy and fair sharing practices exclusively on its soil. No longer will they be able to say, “out of sight, out of mind,” because it naturally affects them! The cost of supporting dictators and coup leaders in Muslim societies costs the West and is reflected as waves of terrorism and migration. The primary way to prevent this is for the West to side with those who support democracy and justice in the Islamic world. In other words, to support Morsi, the first democratically elected president of Egypt rather than el-Sisi, who toppled the democratically elected government of Morsi.
Turkey is the only voice that talks against the phenomenon of Muslims becoming refugees. It calls on the world as a whole, calls the United Nations to take action, and underlines humanitarian aid for humanity and Muslims. A few days ago while in the Balkans, President Erdoğan had addressed the West regarding the dire situation of migrants who die in the Mediterranean. Yesterday, he made a similar call to the East: “As Turkey, we have no right to say we have no business in the East. We are humans and Muslims before anything. We have some responsibilities for the humanity and these responsibilities are not only towards Muslims.”
Turkey acts sensitively towards the refugee influx in Africa, the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia. It tries to embrace these refugees for the sake of humanity and Islam. It does two things: on the one hand, Turkey opens its doors to two million refugees coming from Syria and hosts all groups including Kurds, Arabs, Yazidis, Turkmen, etc. On the other hand, it tries to look at the major refugee problem which is taking place on a global scale through a humanitarian perspective. It calls on the owners of the world order for duty.
Turkey, with its relations with refugees, is giving a lesson of justice, humanity and fraternity to the world. It embraces the refugee society. It is lending a hand to a society which is grappling with mafia, death and poverty. Erdoğan says, “I am their leader.” What is Turkey anyway? When compared in terms of its economy, power and geography to the “global superpowers”, it is perhaps “nothing!” But with such ethical stance, Turkey is the greatest country, and Turkey has the greatest state and nation!
