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Jordan
A very important person who listens to this march comes through the window is in pain.
His son shuts the window , not to revive of his father's painful memories stronger
But the man interferes and says
I am a servant who betrayed his benefactor.
open the window and let me listen to the march
Let the severity of my remorse increase completely
In this way May Janab-i Allah forgive this sinful servant in this world and protect his servant worse sorrows in the next world.
This person is none other than Hussein, the Sheriff of Makkah, who stirred up a riot of Arab against Ottomans, was suffering in more pain due to İzmir March He listens to in tears.
He was completing his last days with the sorrow of his betrayal by beleiving the English.
Sheriff Hussein is an important actor of the issues which haven't been solved in the Middle East in the last era
It is possible to find out what is happening today in this region and the method of colonial powers by looking at that period and Sheriff Hussein
Let's review closer what happened one hundred years ago for the ones who forgot the history
During the WWI England and France decided to share the lands of Ottoman
But the war wasn't going well as they expected
Ottoman forces won heroical victories first at Gallipoli and then at Kut'ul Amara
The English gave way to dispair in the desserts of The Middle East
Exactly in that period The English and The French signed a contract on the 29th April 1916
which is the source of many issues which has been continued today
The name of the agreement which was signed by two colonial countries to divide the lands of Ottoman was
Sykes–Picot Agreement
According to this agreement The Turks will be confined to Anatolia and the rest of the region will be shared amongst England, France and Russia.
But it wasn't that easy to expel The Ottomans, the guardian of Islam, from the Holy Lands.
The country was loyal to the Caliph of Ottoman
The English was in need to find someone who had power on the locals and was able to divide muslims
And the English Spy, Lawrence, found that name in a short time
This person was Hussein, the Sheriff of Makkah
Hussein Bin Ali, in other words Sheriff Hussein, was the member of Hashemite family , descendants of Hz. Muhammed (p.b.u.h)
One of the member of the family had been in charge of the Amirate of Makkah for hundred years
Sultan Abdulhamid didn't trust Sheriff Hussein since his natural tendency was manipulated very easily,
Because of that He was holding Sheriff Hussein, his sons and his brothers in Istanbul
Sheriff Hussein, A mension was assigned to him , has the rank of miri miran, in other words the rank of the governer.
He used to get his payment and were living in wealth.
When he applied for the position , the Amirate of Makkah, Sheriff Hussein was being rejected because of conceivable reasons by Sultan Abdul Hamid
Sheriff Hussein achived his goal after Sultan Abdul Hamid was dethroned
The government of the Commitee of Ittihad and Terakki(committee of union and progress) that ignored the sensitivity of Sultan Abdul Hamid on the issue
and assigned Sheriff Hussein as the Amirate of Makkah in the November of 1908 , who had been living in İstanbul for 18 years
Later on this appointment would cause huge problems for Ottomans and influence the course of the war
When the WWI started Sheriff Hussein declared his loyalty to The Government of Ottoman and the Caliph.
But He was playing a double game
He charged his son Abdullah to negotiate with the English in secret
This was the opportunity the English had been waiting for
The English Spy Lawrence The Arabian, his life was subject to movies, was in the operation
He covenented The Caliphate and The Big Empire of Arabia to Sheriff Hussein
Sheriff Hussein, who declared himself as the King of Hedjaz
In the June of 1916 He attacked Ajyad Castle pleading that Jamal Pasha accused some nationalist Arabs as traitors in Beirut and Damascus and executed them
This wasn't an ordinary attack
That was a move would change the destiny of the whole Middle East
At first only the illiterate Arab Bedouin Tribes were hired with English Money supported the riot was started by Sheriff Hussein against Ottomans
Thereon the wheel of the big propaganda started to run
The English made such a huge propaganda that showed as if the Entire Geography of Arabian rised against Ottomans
That influenced the psyhology of Ottoman Soldiers negatively
On the other hand Sheriff Hussein was trying to convince the people of Arabia
He published a notice full of slanders and called Arabs to jihad against Ottomans
" ......Turks abandoned the religion. They violated the rules and the tradition of Islam."
"They won't obey the rules of Allah anymore. And they do the opposite what they ve been ordered"
"They do not respect the longstanding traditions of us, Arabians "
"Our dream, creating an Arabic Union is legitimate and beyond every kind of idea "
"If you must ask for a reason for the existence of such union"
"There isn't any justification other than our big fight against Turks'efforts, those ones who want to exterminate us and our glorious history by wiping off the map "
"All the responsibility, the reason of being illeterate and being so underdevoleped of Arap Ummah, belongs to Turks today."
"And it is a fard for Arabs to jihad against Turkish Government"
As it was understood from the call of the riot. Sheriff Hussein, who fell for the assurances of The English was believed that he could form an Arabic Union
"The English was providing money, weapons and ammo to Sheriff Hussein"
Especially due to the attacks to the railways and the telegram cables the riot influenced the transfer and the management of the Ottoman Soldiers very negatively.
Besides Faysal, The son of the Sheriff Huseyin, joined the English with the Arab Soldiers who were under his command
And he fought against Ottomans at the Syrian Front
The Arab Troops under the control of Faysal occupied Damascus in September of 1918
Meanwhile the troops of Sheriff Husein consisted of Arab rebels went ahead to Madinah after they invaded the cities, Makkah, Jeddah and Taif in Arabian
But Fahrettin Pasha defended Madinah for 2 years and 7 months, who was given a nickname as the tiger of the desserts by Lawrence the English Spy,
Also during this time He achieved to get the Sacred Relics to Istanbul, which was consisted of 30 pieces.
After Mondros Armistice Agreement, as a consequence of the insistent orders of the Sultan, Fahrettin Pasha left Madina with his soldiers in tears.
Madinah was the last headquarters of Ottomans in Arabian Peninsula
Feridun Kandemir, A volunteer of Ottoman Red Crescent, Hilal-i Ahmer, which had been in Madinah during the resistance,
describes the fairwell of the Ottoman soldiers from Madinah from his memories
It was worth-seeing the farewell of the Ottoman soldiers to Haremü'ş-Şerif (the Temple Mount ) for the last time by bending with enourmous respect and love to Ravza , by praying continuously ,
helping and nestling up each other, weakly and faintly Although some of them were armless, some of them were legless.
Even Some so-called Arabs who were had an axe to grind to Ottomans just because of the Gold of the English couldn't help their tears in the face of this picture.
The Local Arabs who stayed with us in Madinah, moreover experienced hunger and had every kind of difficulties of the siege which continued for months, were crying their heart out in the mood of absolute mourning.
That's How The Wounded Ottoman Soldiers farewelled Madinah
By bending with enourmous respect to Ravza, crying and praying
When the First World War ended , Sheriff Hussein possessed the Region of Hedjaz
He declared himself as the Caliph just because he possessed Makkah and Madinah in 1924
But the balances had changed in Arabia and The wind was blowing for the Suud Family
Suudies defeated Sheriff Hussein and his sons
Therefore the name of his family was erased from the management of the holy places they had been in charge of as the Amirate for hundred years
Sheriff Hussein saved his own life by taking refuge in the English and was taken to Cyprus . He started to live under custody.
Also The English promissed Palestine, Iraq and Syria besides Arabian Peninsula to Sheriff Hussein.
But when the WW1 came to an end the English forgot about their words.
They got Syria and Iraq for themselves and they set up mandate goverments.
Later on The English had to leave Syria to the French.
Just to avoid the reactions of the local people they used the sons of Sheriff Hussein.
Abdullah was declared as the Amirate of Jordan and Faysal was declared as the King of Iraq.
It took a while Syria, Jordon and Iraq to get their independence back
Also an Israeli Government was established in Palestine.
Sheriff Hussein,who was frustratedly completed the road he started off with the dreams of being the Caliphate and the Emperior of Arabians
saw that the Land of Palestine was opened to Israelies and he lived with that sorrow during the rest of his life.
But his greatest regret was his betrayal to the Ottoman Emperior.
Rauf Denktaş,The former president of Northern Cyprus Republic was the close witness to the regret of Sheriff Hussein.
Denktaş tells about the visits to Sheriff Hussein with his father when he was a child
Whenever we go to see him with my father , the same things used to happen.
My father kisses his hand and he starts to tell.
Sheriff Hazretleri used to say " Alas! What have I done? Alas! What have I done? I am paying for the things I've done.
Why did we betray the Ottomans.
Because The English promised him to the caliphate and the Kingdom of Arabia.
However The English settled Palestine and Israelies were immigrating continuously.
The French spreaded their culture and language to Syria
Also the english brought their culture and language to Iraq.
Sheriff Hussein always used to sigh when he was with my father.
After that My father used to tell a few word to console him when I stand next to them.
After some time sheriff Hussein used to say " Raif, tell me. let me know about how things are going in Istanbul"
Meanwhile A gramophone record used to play.
Then Sheriff Hussein used to start crying by saying " Alas! İstanbul Payitaht!(capital city).
At that point my father used to say things that would console him
"Sheriff Hazretleri, This is the act of God. do not be sad. You made a mistake.
But your great regret is so obvious from the tears of your eyes you shed.
Allah may forgive you because of that. Don't do that. Don't cry.
My father used to cry as well while he was consoling him.
After the gramophone record stops playing they used to keep talking a little while
Then my father used to kiss his hand.
When we get ready to leave Sheriff Hussein used to call me , make me kiss his hand and give me a golden coin.
At that time Sheriff Hussein used to get retirement payment from the English.
Because of that I always used to want to visit him with my father.
Sheriff Hussein got ill and went to his son, who is the King of Jordan, not long for this world.
We had farewelled him to Oman. And after some time we received the news about his death.
His regret of Sheriff Hussein continued during his stay with his son Abdullah, who is the King of Jordan, all along his last days in this world.
King Abdullah was telling about the sadness of his father to the Turkish Diplomat, Feridun Cemal Erkin.
My father sorrowed too much. One day The Royal Band was giving a concert in the garden. The weather was hot and the windows were open.
At one stage The Band started to play The March of İzmir which all of us knew.
I shut the window , not to revive of his painful memories stronger.
"Son! Why did you shut the windows?" " Is it because Izmir March not to remind me the old days?
I am a rebellious servant who betrayed his benefactor.
My sin is major I thought I will become the King and Allah put me in exile.
I got ill and had to seek refuge over here.
open the window and let me listen to the march
Let the severity of my remorse increase completely with the revival of those old memories.
Let the remorse fully increase, which gets stronger with the sorrow I had been having in this world, .
In this way May Janab-i Allah forgive this sinful servant in this world and protect his servant worse sorrows in the next world
When Sheriff Hussein died in 1931 Behind There was the devistated Middle East
and Israeli government was being settled up by the governments under the English and The French mandate governments.
As Sheriff Hussein was farewelling this world he was aware of what he did to his people
But the history shows that the Local Schemers in the Middle East have never learnt their lessons from the history.