Scholar Lifted in Death by Leaders He Lifted in Life
A momentous event in the history of the Turkish Republic occurred recently. The country's president and prime minister carried the coffin of a scholar, a professor of economics.
I don't ever remember a president being seen among the pallbearers of anyone. What sort of qualities did this beautiful person, Professor Sabahattin Zaim, whom we have seen off to his real homeland, have that the led to the grounds of the gigantic Fatih Mosque being completely filled with ministers, deputies, bureaucrats, students and people from all professions?
I'm one of those fortunate people who had the privilege to be near him during his lifetime. We worked together on the advisory boards of the Zaman newspaper and the Samanyolu TV station. Spending time with the late Yaşar Tunagür, the late Sabahattin Zaim and with the esteemed Hayrettin Karaman is such a blessing that one cannot understand what I mean unless one has spent some time with these beautiful people and observed the way they addressed and spoke to one another, the way they looked at one another full of love and compassion, and their saying, "I missed you, let me embrace you," with smiles on their faces like the blossoming of roses. These exceptional people are gentlemen of a different dimension and a different world. The virtues of courtesy, grace, true humility, vastness and depth of sight, feeling pain for humanity, the pain of the great cause, hope, diligence, determination, never getting tired, and ever-fresh ardor, enthusiasm and excitement found embodiment in these men. Sabahattin Zaim was among those pioneers who guided the generations looking for a way out for this country. He helped them remain focused on modernization and progress while - most importantly - abiding by their essential values.
By reading Turkey and the world in the most correct manner, these pioneers prioritized hard work over laziness, unity and brotherhood over separation and progress in science and technology over backwardness. And to achieve this, they set a single target: raising people. They helped Turkey make giant strides by embracing every single youth they met like they embraced their own children and by raising a generation that has no inferiority complex because of its faith, culture and traditions, that is not alienated from its own values and that considers being itself -rather than imitation - the greatest honor. They raised a generation that appreciates our richness in diversity that stems from our centuries-old tradition of unconditional tolerance. This generation is the generation that will put an end to the state's separation from its own people and eradicate alienation. What the president and the prime minister showed us by carrying the coffin of a truly wise scholar was the indebtedness - as well as the devotion and gratitude - of this generation to a man of knowledge, faith and good manners, a man of his word.
Our beloved teacher Sabahattin Zaim was not only a spring of knowledge, love and humility, but also a master of eloquence. He was always conciliatory and never conflict-oriented. He was ever-persuasive and never argumentative. He was a hero of humility. Humility fit him like a perfectly tailored suit. He devoted his entire life to education. He was a truly beautiful person and he raised beautiful people. He loved the revered Fethullah Gülen very much for the importance Mr. Gülen attaches to raising people. In his final days, he prayed for Mr. Gülen and he asked Mr. Gülen to pray for him.
Yes, his only struggle was to raise people, not to take over the state. He knew that one doesn't try to take over his own state. What one wants is to see that his state is strong and secure in the hands of just, democratic, compassionate, affectionate, moral and honest administrators. He wanted his society to live in happiness, welfare, security and freedom. And he wanted Turkey to be ahead of the international race. That's what he always wanted. May God shower His endless blessings on him.
In the meantime, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to my dear friend Ekrem Dumanli, our newspaper's editor-in-chief, for his mother's sudden passing the other night, and I pray for God to grant him and his relatives patience and to forgive and have mercy on his dear mother.
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