86 Geaves
the Allies on the defeated Turks in February 1920.42 The speech was consid-
ered to be provocative, especially in lieu of the Khilafat Movement’s campaign-
ing for the independence of India. The following year Quilliam/De Léon was
once again active in arguing that Britain should return to its 1918 pledge not to
compromise Turkey’s integrity as part of a delegation that called itself “English
Friends of Turkey” at the Near Eastern Conference in London.43 Shortly after, it
was all over. Quilliams’ support for the Ottomans would end in disillusionment
with the abolition of the Ottoman sultanate by Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) in
- It was untenable for such a staunch supporter of the caliphate to accept
the secular Turkish republic.
Pickthall’s position during the war was far more ridden with strife caused
through antagonizing various British agencies. He wrote in November 1913, “We
are defending an unpopular cause. We have had to fear, and have encountered,
public ridicule and private abuse”.44 Not only did Pickthall not have Quilliam’s
reasons for taking a back seat and pledging his cause to the British, but he
was also regarded as the main voice of dissent regarding British foreign policy
towards the Turks. Pickthall’s version of Pan-Islamism supported the idea of
reform and modernization of Muslim nation states. He would consistently ar-
gue for a reversal of British foreign policy, arguing as did Quilliam, that it was
the change in policy that had forced the Turks to ally with Germany. Pickthall
propositioned the foreign office and other government agencies to treat Tur-
key as a special case, seeking an independent peace agreement during the war
years. There were voices in the political establishment that regarded him as
disloyal and even a threat to national security. As Pickthall approached the
year of his conversion his Pan-Islamism became more pronounced. Albeit, he
remained, like Quilliam a patriotic Englishman, even seeking a government in-
telligence post early on the war. The post was offered instead to T.E. Lawrence. 45
As the war progressed Pickthall realized that his chances of employment were
very slim. The final straw came in summer 1916 when he requested permission
to visit Switzerland to meet with Felix Valyi, an influential figure in Turkish
circles.46 The meeting was to discuss openings for peace with the Turks, but
42 See http://www.wokingmuslim.org/pers/khilafat.htm.
43 Islamic News, 23, 7 April 1921, 4.
44 Near East, 6:133 (1913), p75.
45 Apparently Pickthall was almost recruited for MO4, a British intelligence branch by its
leader, Colonel Headley, who wanted him to work in Cairo. He was rejected because of his
views on Turkey. (see Gilham, Loyal, 223).
46 Felix Valyi was the editor of La Revue Politique Internationale based in Switzerland. The
journal was banned in Britain (see Gilham, Loyal, 123–25).