Dönmeh, Crypto-Jews, Atatürk and Secularism

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدى يا رسول الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

How did a heretical Kabbalist and Messianic Jewish movement in the 17^th century come to influence the spread, or rather imposition, of secularism in Turkey? In 1648 Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676) proclaimed himself the Jewish Messiah. This led to the emergence of the Sabbatean movement, a new Jewish sect, heavily entrenched in Lurianic Kabbalah, the mystical teachings of Isaac Luria (1534-1572), and centered on the person of Sabbatai Zevi as the Messiah. The movement spread like wildfire in the Jewish community with Jews all over the world flocking to Zevi. Lurianic Kabbalah lays stress on messianism, so the Kabbalist Nathan of Gaza (1643-1680) became the most enthusiastic promoter of Sabbatai Zevi. Nathan of Gaza claimed to be a prophet of Sabbatai Zevi, not unlike the role of the false prophet in calling mankind to the Beast as predicted in the Book of Revelation. It was in fact Nathan of Gaza who suggested to Sabbatai Zevi that he proclaim himself the Messiah but only after some effort at persuasion did Zevi accept. The Sabbatean movement sparked controversy throughout the Jewish community. On one hand the Rabbis were deadly against it, excommunicating the Sabbateans, while on the other hand many Jews, motivated by Kabbalah mysticism and Messianism, were flocking to Sabbatai Zevi. The commotion was perceived as a potential danger by the Ottoman government, at the time ruled by Sultan Mehmed IV, and so Sabbatai Zevi was arrested and given the choice to either convert to Islam or be executed. Shocking his followers, he then announced his conversion to Islam. Nathan of Gaza continued to defend Sabbatai Zevi and proclaim that he was indeed the Messiah, but that the redemption would be brought about in an unexpected way in light of this unexpected turn. Now when Sabbatai Zevi converted to Islam under duress so did a number of his Jewish followers who became known as the Dönmeh. These crypto-Jews outwardly pretended to be Muslim while in reality continued in the Kabbalistic worldview, secretly holding on to various Jewish beliefs and practices. The Dönmeh were based in Thessalonica, modern-day Greece. Over the centuries they became less conspicuously Judaic, but remained heterodox nonetheless and like an infection in the Muslim body. Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), known as Atatürk, was born in Thessalonica. Because Thessalonica had a large Dönmeh community during that time under the Ottomans, it is quite possible even probable that Mustafa Kemal was from that community. Brutally imposing secularism upon Turkey after gaining power was certainly in keeping with the mindset of the Dönmeh.