Ghazi

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Apr 27, 2009 at 17:18

BERK AKK wrote :

Please note there are many contradictions in your writings.

>1-First of all term"Ghazi" is not equal to "jihad".Those are different terms .I can say if you like.<

In fact "gazi" means "a jihadist" and comes from the noun "gazavat" which is the same as "jihad" - "the holy islamic war against the kafirs(gavurlar)". In short : gazavat-cihad ; gazi=cihadi

Islamic theologians and scholars are much more specific in defining the word. In his "Iskander-namhe" Turkish poet Taceddin Ibrahim Ahmedi (c. 1334-1413) after explaining why the gazi state was established among the Turks asks "Who is a ghazi ?" and replies : " A ghazi is the one who spreads the religion of Allah. He is Allah's servant who purges the earth of the stinking garbage of polytheism. A ghazi is a sword in Allah's hand. He is a defender and a shelter for the faithful (Moslems). If he dies a martyr's death on the path of Allah he is not said to be dead. He lives on in the bliss and happiness of Allah. He has earned an eternal life." ( After P.Wittek, The rise of the Ottoman empire, London 1963, p.30-31)

Now tell me why Mustafa Kemal Pasha was accorded this supreme title of "Ghazi" in 1921 ? Was it because he did not spread and defend the religion of Allah? Was it because he was not a sword in Allah's hand purging Anatolia from the stinking garbage of Christian polytheism ? Was it because he was 'secularist' ?

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".