Difference is an inborn gift given all of us. Nobody has the chance of choosing his/her own nation, gender, race, religion, language and the color of his/her skin. Thus, we need to everyone different from us, help them to live their language and life. This is a humanistic duty. Toleration is our one of the most imortant values. Today, this is the value humanity needs the most.
There are many precious people representing this value.
MEVLANA
"Come, come again, whoever you are, come!
Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!
Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,
Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are."
Mevlana was a man who solved the philosophy issues with a sentence on which thousands of books were written, drew maps for us not to get lost in our realities, had a heart full of with love of human and God.
Mevlana was born on 30th September 1207, in Belh, Afghanistan. His father was Bahaeddin Veled who had the nickname ‘Sultan of Alims’. His family ran from the Mogol invasion and settled in Karaman. He went to Konya İpllikçi Madrasah with his family after the invitation of Alaeddin Keykubat who runned and developed Konya during that time.
Mevlana became one of the most important philosophers like Hacı Bektaşi Veli, Yunus Emre. His meeting with Şems and their friendship made him gain phases in mysticism.
Mesnevi which composes of 6 books, became one of the most read books appealing all the people who had interest in mysticism. Sema Dance which became one of the symbols of Mevleviyeh, was invented by saying the poems of Mevlana turning around a pole.
Mevlana who summarized his life with ‘’I was raw, I became cooked, I was burnt.’’, died on 17th December 1273. As he accepted death as reaching God, his death was called as ‘Şeb-i Arus’ meaning the wedding night.
Today, the followers of Mevlana, The Mevlevi still go on understanding and teaching his values.
Love of Mevlana that hugs everyone from any language, religion, color with the principle of ‘Human is the most honorable of all created.’’ is the symbol of peace, brotherhood, toleration.
Mevlana says that humanity is a whole even though they have different religions, nations and human is superior to everything. He showed this not only with his words but also with his life.
SEVEN ADVICE OF MEVLANA
Act like the sun in love and compassion.
Act like a river in friendship and fraternity!
Act like the night in covering the faults of others!
Act like the soil in humility and selflessness
Act like dead one in anger and furry!
Either act in accordence with the way you look,
or look in accordance with the way you act!
(Either exist as you are or be as you look.)
HACI BEKTAŞİ VELİ
Hacı Bektaşi Veli is a historical character, a Turkmen Dervish who lived between 1209-1271.
Muhammed Bin İbrahim Ata was born in 1209, in Khorason where the sun rises. He immigrated to Anatolia in 13th century when Mogol invasion increased.
The Ottoman Empire which was founded by Osman Gazi who set off with his doctrines, represented peace and justice all over the world for six centuries. His ideas had a great impact on foundation of Guild of Janissaries. He was accepted as father of Bektashi cult. He explained the main principles of Islam ‘faith, morals and worship’ with a mystical comment, love and toleration.
Hacı Bektaşi Veli tried to create a new doctrine to make the Muslims in Anatolia come together.
‘Whatever you seek, seek in yourself.’ ‘Don’t forget that even your enemy is a human.’ He advised in his own way and his words managed to reach to us.
Hacı Bektaşi Veli whose heart was full of with love of human, testified his sentence ‘Even you get hurt, don’t hurt.’ with his own life in toleration. Showing respect for differences with his doctrines in mysticism, he never blamed people without discriminating for their religion, language or race. He had some parts of Christianity in his doctrines. Thus, Christians named him Saint Haralombos.
