Mohamed Morsi, the only elected president in Egypt’s history, fell in the courtroom and passed from this mortal world into eternity exactly three years ago yesterday. On the occasion of his third death anniversary, similar to the previous year, Morsi was commemorated again in many parts of the world with compassion, gratitude, and thanks.
Up until the time he was ousted via a coup before he could even complete a year in the office for a five-year term, he gave very meaningful messages to both the Muslim world and the world at large even during this short period, what it means for Muslims to claim their own will. He explained very well with his life and whole being what we lost and what is lacking in the Muslim world.
The deafness and blindness displayed towards his ouster, and the isolation that followed his ouster and finally led to his death, showed very clearly how fake all the voices we heard from the West are regarding the lack of democracy and human rights in the Islamic world today. The silence displayed in the face of each step that led to his death after being toppled in the most unjust and ruthless way possible was not only about the certain countries’ simple international interests. It is more of an unwillingness toward the likelihood of a successful Muslim democracy or a Muslim administration model.
Morsi’s performance in terms of paying attention to the people, representing them, and giving account to them within one year in office was a never-before-seen example in Egyptian history. That example contained a secret, which Muslim peoples have been longing for centuries, and which held them behind the rest of the world.
The development of democracy in Muslim countries not only allows the people to lay claim to their will but also gives them the opportunity to determine their own destiny.
As a Muslim country where democracy runs the best, Turkey currently presents an important story of development. Pay no attention to those in Turkey who consider this story inadequate, and in fact, far from the truth. Even the words they utter, and the displeasure they display is part of this whole success story.
This success story, achieved through democracy, represents the march of a political body, in which the people’s beliefs and values are combined and blended with the state’s objectives and actions. An important part of the problems experienced in this story, on the other hand, comes to the fore to confirm this success. The fact that people from all over the world, especially those fleeing their own country’s political oppression or wars as victims, chose turkey for asylum, shows that this country is a reliable and stable haven.
If those running from the problems in Arab countries are coming to Turkey rather than going to another Arab country, this is not only the result of Turkey’s historical identity and status but is also related to the appeal of a success story that has been ongoing in Turkey for the last two decades.
Turkey ensured this appeal largely through its successful implementation of democracy. It is through democracy that staff with organic roots in this nation were able to come to office. They considered serving this nation part of their worship, and worked with all their strength. They saw politics not as a matter of sovereignty but rather one of servitude. Essentially, this is the most ideal horizon that is referred to by democracy in respect to giving account to the people, transparency in government, and the involvement of those governed in the government.
The groups that have been striving to establish tutelage over the public ever since Turkey took this path, were left ineffective even though it was achieved gradually. Eventually, the resulting political state is one that appreciates whomever stood out in the race to serve and represent.
The military, which used to work as the center of running tutelage over the people until yesterday, had relinquished its actual duty and hence presented a serious weakness in national defense. It served to achieve nothing other than further growing the already existing terror problem in the history of anti-terrorism efforts – which it carried on far from transparency through the untouchable and unquestionable fields it formed – and further increasing the number of terrorists. Yet, now that democracy is implemented more than ever, and soldiers have returned to their real duty, the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) has become a world power that gives reassurance to allies and instills fear in enemies like never before in its history. Besides ending the terrorism, which could not be stopped for four decades, it displayed heroism in Libya, Syria, and Azerbaijan, among other issues, which gained it the world’s appreciation. Because this military is not the nation’s military; like all institutes, it has risen to the point of being this nation’s servant.
Thus, Turkey is a much more powerful country with greater authority today. Yet, this is not as pleasing to everyone. Turkey’s strength allows it to act independently. Its independence means that it now has the ability to say “no” to some of the great powers to which it used to obey almost unconditionally.
Naturally, Turkey’s power to act so independently now is not pleasing at all for powers that are used to seeing Turkey as an “easy catch” until now. Hence, they are constantly making interventions in Turkey to reverse this situation. They attempted numerous coups and interventions but nonetheless failed. However, they are not giving up either, they are continuing to try at every opportunity.
The opportunity that was found in Egypt through Morsi or through democracy, was Egypt’s chance to act independently like Turkey. This chance, the likelihood of this happening was extremely disturbing for those who controlled the world system. Egypt acting independently was considered unacceptable. Hence, they had no objections to Morsi’s ouster, even if it was against every principle of democracy.
Morsi being dragged to his death in front of the world, falling to the ground and dying in the courtroom, as if crying out to the world this twisted order, went unseen. Nobody wanted to see it. Had they wanted to see anything, all they would see there was their hypocrisy. Why would they look?
He, on the other hand, continues to send his custodians from the ruler of the heavens to the rulers of the earth. His ghost has already started hovering over the world we live in. May he rest in peace, may heaven be his abode.