We talked to Egyptian historian Dr. Mohammad Ilhami about the importance of the ideas and vision of the National Opinion (Milli Görüş) leader Prof. Dr. Necmettin Erbakan for Islamic countries and the D-8 project, which is the biggest step taken towards Islamic Union.
Reminding that Erbakan Hodja is a well-known figure in the Islamic world and he is the founder of the Islamic movement in Turkey, Ilhami said that he follows his news in Egypt with enthusiasm.
"He was a person who could represent the Islamic sentiment and turn it into a political movement with influence and an audible word. As for the Arab world, the Islamic movement in Turkey is known as the "Erbakan movement"," Ilhami said.
"D-8 IS A STRONG AXIS THAT CAN GET ALL ISLAMIC COUNTRIES AROUND IT"
Underlining that Muslims see Erbakan Hodja's move to establish the Islamic Union (D-8) with great appreciation, İlhami said, "These eight countries (Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia) are the most powerful, most populous and economically powerful Islamic countries. They control water straits and land routes, which are very important for global trade, and have soft cultural power in non-Muslim countries. If we imagined that these eight countries were one country, it would undoubtedly be the most powerful country in the world and the most capable of controlling global politics. The pure economic and commercial cooperation between these countries and the coordination of the political position allow them to form a strong axis around which almost all Islamic countries gather. If this cooperation translates towards establishing a common currency or introducing a unified banking system, this will save the Muslim ummah a lot of money and energy, which is now the reason for the West's prosperity. The West is fed by our blood, wealth and labor".
"Erbakan's arrival is equivalent to changing the historical course of Turkey"
Emphasizing that Erbakan Hodja's arrival as prime minister is equivalent to changing the historical course of Turkey, "While the previous governments were trying to detach Turkey from its Islamic identity, strategic depth, ancient culture and integrate it into the West, Erbakan Hodja was the first person to roll up his sleeves to rectify this abnormal situation. Likewise, the postmodern military coup against Erbakan Hodja in 1997 revealed that the Western governments and the world system did not want to allow Turkey to break away from Western policies. They prefer military and undemocratic governments that do not oppose their slogans. However, the Muslim Turkish people are still in an effort to return to their Islamic identity and culture... Erbakan Hodja has a great contribution in converting to an Islamic identity and with everything that is happening in Turkey. Erbakan Hodja has a great influence on Turkey's return to its Islamic identity and everything that happens in Turkey. He was the first voice in shouting Islam and fighting for it," he added.
"COLONIALISTS DIVIDE THE ISLAMIC GEOGRAPHY"
While stating “Islamic unity is a hope for every Muslim”, Ilhami spoke as follows:
"Even if a person is not a Muslim, it is sufficient for him to be loyal only in his country and to have a purpose for the formation of unity between Islamic countries. Europeans found it necessary for their national interests to establish the European Union, the European market and NATO, despite all the horrible and long wars between them. We Muslims were more likely to form such a union, because our countries were not divided and fragmented in the beginning, until foreign colonists got involved... Egyptians, Syrians, Iraqis, and the people of the Arabian Peninsula did not choose to secede from the Ottoman Empire, but it was foreign colonists who did so."
"ERBAKAN HODJA'S WORKS SHOULD BE PUBLISHED MORE"
Ilhami reminds that the works that describe Erbakan Hodja's ideas and vision are needed to be published more.
"This is primarily a duty of Erbakan Hodja's students. Only a few of the works describing Erbakan Hodja's ideas and vision have been translated into Arabic. We try to read many information about Erbakan Hodja that we cannot find in Arabic sources from English sources. Studies and books on Turkish history translated into English are much more than works and books translated into Arabic ... So, we Arabs read Turkish history and experiences directly from the mouth of the West rather than from the mouth of the owner. Although we are a single Muslim ummah, it is not convenient for us to get to know each other in the language of foreign invaders who caused our disasters and misfortunes. With a large number of Arabs currently in Turkey, we have had the opportunity to participate in regional politics more than ever before. All this offers us an unprecedented opportunity for Turkish-Arab communication and you will definitely find Arabs who will benefit from it. Of course, Arabs will find something to benefit from Turkish history and experience. For this reason, all sincere people should come together to better express their history and experience and to better promote the symbols and heroes of the Islamic movement," he added.
WHO IS DR. MOHAMMAD ILHAMI?
Dr. Mohammad Ilhami briefly describes his academic career as follows:
"I graduated from engineering faculty in Egypt, then I turned to studying history. 13 of my books have been published so far. The last of the books published was 'Sultan II. Abdulhamid in the Arab Memory', which we prepared with the contributions of a group of Arab researchers and historians. Two copies of the book were published in Turkish and English. I recently completed my master's degree in Islamic economics at Sabahattin Zaim University in Turkey. I am currently working as the director of the Islamic Movements Unit at the Egyptian Studies Institute, a prestigious research center based in Istanbul."