Between Empire and Nation-State
can’t be denied how ever since we made contact with Europe, obscene
European customs have caused more harm to us than cholera. In short,
let’s be religious!”^120
Writers in Volkan argued that leaning toward western Europe had an
impact on morals, piety, and belief itself. The problem with atheism was
that atheists, by their nature, could not have any morals, since morals
come from religion. Moreover, atheists could not be patriots. A link was
made between loyalty and being Muslim. Accordingly, believing or trust-
ing an atheist was out of the question, because atheists valued the material
over the spiritual, and property over Islam. Muslims were urged to only
fight for Islam and to become martyrs. Although Muslims were willing to
be martyred for the empire, “The other elements of Ottoman society are
never going to fight as we do for the fatherland. Religion is more impor-
tant and valuable to us than the fatherland or, indeed, anything. Those
who know the pleasure of religion are willing to sacrifice everything for it.
Those raised on love of the fatherland, even if they implicitly protect the
religion, do not really have an interest in it.” Only someone devoted to
the true religion could be truly loyal to the empire. Ottomanism without
religious faith was meaningless, for “those raised to value religion first
will, not implicitly, but publicly protect the fatherland as well and will
obey the laws of their land... but those who only care about the father-
land will not do the same for the religion.” Again, “religion is more sacred
than the nation or fatherland and is their only protector; it is incumbent
upon all Muslims to exert themselves as if it is.”^121
Loyalty to the empire was only conceivable for those who had true
faith. In addition, religious piety would serve as an antidote to atheism.
But it appeared that atheism had already taken root, causing irrevers-
ible damage. The religion of Muslims had been corrupted. Vahdetî ar-
gued that many Muslims even surpassed Europeans in their atheism. This
Muslim atheism began after the Ottomans sent embassies to Europe. The
ambassadors had taken Christian wives, had many children, and edu-
cated them in the mother’s western European way. They learned Euro-
pean languages and were educated in Islamic beliefs and morals only by
governesses and teachers of other religions. Many ostensibly Muslim men
were raised in this fashion. For the author, “To expect these men who
do not know their religion and did not receive an Islamic education to
be religious is like trying to get oil from a cucumber. What good do you
expect from the children of such cucumber men, who receive the same