In trying to understand Bediuzzaman Said Nursi this book both contradicts itself and does not shed light on the true nature of the character being disected. Bediuzzaman was born before the destruction of the Ottoman empire and served as a loyal servent of that empire in Europe suppressing Albanian and Greek uprisings. He was in that a colonizer and imperialist, ironically the exact same things he condemned in what he saw as western imperialism in the post war period. In essence he beleived Islamic empire was acceptable and good, while 'infidel' empire was bad.
Later in life during the war he was involved in the November 1914 proclomation of 'Jihad' by the Caliphate against the Western powers in WWI. In 1915 in Turkey's war against the Russians Bediuzzaman took part in the Armenian genocide and its subsequent cover up. Genocide is not sopposed to be part of 'Jihad' at least not according to this book where we are told Islam is only tolerance and ethics. One account of the period states "As for Bediuzzaman and his followers, they used to pursue the Armenians mercilessly". Bediuzzaman said "Muslim's belief is stronger than any power" at this time.
In the aftermath of war and Ataturkism's victory and the advent of secularism Bediuzzaman and his ideas seemed to wain. Women were given the vote in Turkey and universities were opened to women, in many ways making Turkish society more equal and progressive in 1922 than most 'western' nations.
Through the 1950s Bediuzzaman and the Risale-i Nur movement he founded continued to obsess not only over the role of Islam and the importance of Koran but also "dangers facing the country from communism and freemasonry and urging [the government] to restore the Qur'an and truths of belief."
The idea was quite clear. Mr. Bediuzzaman was obsessed not only with turning back the clock on the progressive improvements made by the secular government of Ataturk but he was conspiratorial in his obsession with freemasonries role in society. These beliefs engendered the kind of fanaticism that led to bombings and terrorism against Mason lodges, Western banks, tourist resorts, and the murder and torture of feminist authors in Turkey.
These results are not mere critique of 'globalization' as this book pretends. In fact Islam itself is globalization, simply put it is a differing view of globalization then what Bediuzzaman termed the 'materialist' 'naturalist' world of 'philosophy'. In short his message was a furture of the "Qur'an holding sway over the future, the age of science and reason". This is religious fanaticism and to put suimilar ideas in the mouths of Pat Robertson or Jerry Fallwell makes them seem part of the lunatic fringe, however becuase they come from a Muslim we are told they are acceptble worldviews, even progressive, in this account.
Forthermore this book's introduction obsesses over confronting the 'worldview' of Daniel Pipes, an American historian on political Islam. Why Pipes is mentioned is not clear since he has nothing to do with Bediuzzaman, but it shows insecurity on the part of the book, insecurity that somehow a 'Pipes worldview' is brainwashing us all on Islam. However reading what Bediuzzaman has to say in his own words should be enough to concince us that his rejection of science, philosophy and equal rights is all we need to know.
Seth J. Frantzman
