Between Greek Thessaloníki and Ottoman Istanbul, 1912–1923 Concerning Dönme keeping of the Ramadan fast, Major Sadık in-
advertently supports the dichotomy between Dönme public practice
and private belief, confirming the existence and function of the central
Yakubi meeting house ( 28 ). He says it is impossible to deny that they
attend their neighborhood mosques during Ramadan and conduct the
extra evening prayers in the homes of the upper class. For example, “the
deceased Hamdi Bey and similar wealthy men brought imams from far-
away places such as Serres to their mansions and offered[them] break-
the-fast meals, after which they performed the extra evening prayers
together. Would it make any sense to say that they were motivated, not
by an intention to fulfill the duties and requirements of the religion, but
out of fear of making sure they were seen performing them?” For such
a night spent in prayer, “other than preparing for nighttime prayers or
the predawn meal during the fast, what else could our learned brothers
in religion endowed with such exalted Muslim qualities be doing? Con-
cerning the latter, why else would they abandon the deepest and sweet-
est hour of rest and sleep if not to prepare the meal?” ( 29 ). Of course,
among Dönme, just as among other Muslims, there are those who do
not pray and do not fast. But “everyone knows that in the end everyone
will have to account for all of their actions.” Again and again, Major
Sadık declares that it is not for us to judge others; private faith is a matter
between humans and God.
In his rebuttal of Dönmeler: Hunyos, Kavayeros, Sazan, Major Sadık
points out logical inconsistencies in its anonymous author’s argument
and again and again disassociates Dönme from Jews ( 29 ). The anony-
mous writer claimed Dönme liked Christians best, so Major Sadık asks
whether it would be better if he said that the Dönme day of prayer was
Sunday instead of Saturday, and that they build monasteries? To under-
stand whether on their wedding day [Dönme] youth learn of their reli-
gion or not, we would need an eyewitness on the inside who could tell
us. As far as having their own imams in order to fulfill their religious
obligations, “like other Muslims, when... neighborhood imams...
are busy, for example, being called to some government duty ( 30 ), they
have to fill in with other teachers or sometimes from learned people from
their own community. In Istanbul, they always have the neighborhood
imam or Turkish teachers fill their needs.” Finally, if they had clandestine,
depraved non-Islamic beliefs, it would not be necessary for them to have
recourse to Muslim religious scholars.