PDF Dosyası - Ankara Üniversitesi Kitaplar Veritabanı

attempts to dismember Turkey. The Muslims of Bengal watched vvithtrepidation the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the last bastion of islamand the occupation of Turkey by Christian povvers. It is, therefore, vvithdeep admiration that Muslims of India follovved the heroic vvar of independencevvaged under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal. Out of the ashesof the Ottoman Empire a nevv Turkey vvas being born.1923-1938, a brief span of 15 years. Yet vvithin this period MustafaKemal Atatürk transformed the Turkish society. His reforms, better to describeit a social revolution are so ali pervading that they have touchednearly ali aspects of the Turkish society. Take education for instance. Oneof the svveeping changes vvas the change of alphabet from Arabic to Turkish.Romanized alphabets vvere introduced and have been totally acceptedby the entire population. indeed there is no sign of any dissent anyvvhere.Along vvith spread of universal education, Atatürk took particular careabout vvomen's education. In the march for progress. Turkish vvomen hadbeen left far behind. The educational reforms of Atatürk had a deep impacton the education system of Bengal. The Bengali journal Shaugat in asurvey published in 1929 analysed the effects of the introduction of theLatin alphabet. The journal described the unbaunded enthusiasm of thepopulation, vvho came forvvard, to master the nevv alphabet. One of the directresults of the introduction of education reforms was the mushroomingof schools bearing the name Atatürk. One such school bearing thename Atatürk is functioning to this day in a lost corner of the Noakhalidistrict of Bangladesh. Atatürk's reforms, vvhich broke the schackles onvvomen, had an electrifying effect on the enlightened Müslim vvomen ofBengal. They took up in right earnest the achievement of their own goalsof equal education facilities vvith the menfolk. The name of such a personthat comes readily to mind is Rokeyya Begüm, vvho champiuoned thecause of Müslim Bengali vvomen in the last part of the 19th century andthe fırst quarter of the 20th century. She vvas undoubtely inspired by thefamous Turkish lady Halide Edip Adıvar. In the early thirties Halide Ediptoured throughout India and delivered speeches bringing to the attentionof her audience the struggle of Turkish vvomen to gain equal rights vviththeir men. I remember Halide Edip Hanım vvell. She used to live in the istanbuluniversity area in a tiny flat. She smoke incessantly Bafra cigarattes.She spoke English vvith a perfect British accent. She vvas a verystrong vvilled person. I am pleased to salute her memory on this occasion.Of ali the majör reforms that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced, theone vvith vvhich his name has become permanently linked in Secularism.Very simply put it is separation of religion from state affairs. It is confıningthe role of the religious preachers vvithin religious institutions and notallovv them to meddle vvith state affairs. In the process the very far reachingdecision of abolishing the Caliphate vvas taken. The Sultan seating inistanbul performed the temporal functions of the Head of State and the733