Protecting one's conscience...

You must have read the scandalous statements of Israeli rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu about the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. Writing in "Olam Katan", one of the popular newspapers of the Israeli right, Eliyahu emphasized that earthquakes were "a divine punishment" and claimed that "nations who repeatedly attempted to invade our homeland and try to drown us in the sea" were inflicted with wrath. Eliyahu aroused great reaction not only in the Muslim world, but also among the Jews, and finally, the World Jewish Congress condemned him in an official statement. Eliyahu, who has been continuing his delusions like this for years, even annoyed the American administration, and finally his U..S visa was canceled last year.

It goes without saying that these interpretations, which are supposed to "interpret the purpose of divine administration" (similar voices can be heard from different religions) are outright fascism and even human hostility.

Shmuel Eliyahu, the son of Mordechai Eliyahu, one of Israel's well-known clergymen - Sephardic chief rabbi from 1983 to 1993 - is also the father of Amihay Eliyahu, who serves as the "Minister for Jerusalem" in the current Israeli government. The Eliyahu family, who immigrated to the Palestinian lands from Iraq, came to the Middle East from Spain in 1492 exile, as the word "Sephardi" indicates. This detail makes Shmuel Eliyahu's statements more interesting. Because in Israel, Sephardic Jews are placed in the lower strata of Ashkenazi Jews, who consider themselves superior to them, and are severely humiliated between the lines. Could Eliyahu's reading of earthquakes be a reflection of the subconscious? Most likely.

Unfortunately, the manuscripts that meet with Shmuel Eliyahu on the common denominator of "human hatred" are unfortunately also available here. Encouraging xenophobia with all kinds of slanders they spread in the earthquake area, trying to set people against each other with baseless news and allegations, trying to extend the fault lines in the soil to the minds and hearts, trying to gather political gains from there, degenerate enough to take pleasure in the lynching and dismemberment of the poor, while doing all this, he has become so degenerate as to the mastery and dismemberment of a serial killer. What is the difference between those who act calmly and Eliyahu?

The disaster of the earthquake is also a test of conscience and morality for all of us. And at this point, many exemplary scenes pass before our eyes every day.

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The second part of our conscience test: To make humanitarian aid permanent, permanent and efficient. With the first shock waves of the disaster, there was a great public mobilization, everyone tried to send whatever they had and at home to the field, and they still do. Our people are very sincere, but since there are some inexperiences and deficiencies at the point of organization, there are complaints that the materials sent are wasted, they are not sufficiently delivered to their destination or the goods that are not suitable for the climate and needs are sent. It seems that it is necessary to address this issue with a more organized and active mind.

Human beings were created in a nature that can get used to everything and forget every pain. This is both our strength and our weakness. If we didn't get used to it and forget it, we could go crazy. But many problems come from getting desensitized and forgetting. For example, we have already begun to take for granted the earthquake disaster due to the intensity of the agenda and some polemics. This indicates that the attention shown to the victims will gradually decrease and everyone will finally be left alone with their own pain.

However, as we learned from the Prophet, "The acts most pleasing to God are those which are done most continuously, even if they amount to little." While the shadow of the month of Ramadan has fallen on us, it is time to reflect on how we can heal the wounds of the earthquake in a more sustainable and effective way...

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Apart from the human losses and heartaches, the scene that moved me the most during the earthquake was the destruction of the Habîb-i Neccâr Mosque, which is the heart of Antakya. It is believed that Habîb-i Neccâr is the person whose story is told on the second page of the chapter of Yâsîn. You know, that blessed person who rushed from the other side of the city and called people to believe in the prophets while his people were persistent and stubborn in their denial… when he was told to “Enter heaven!”, that big-hearted man sadly said: "I wish my people knew"...

Our region has witnessed many catastrophes, wars, and invasions throughout history. And it managed to get up from all of them by straightening it back. It will rise again with its people and buildings, it will rise again, and it will speak his word to the world again.

Let's continue from here on Saturday: Let's listen to what the events that affect the existence of human beings in the world, such as natural disasters, pandemics and wars, are trying to tell us in the course of history.