PART V
A DECEPTIVE IMAGE
The Modern Janissary or Mamluke
Janissaries or Mamlukes were Christian children and slaves raised in
the Islamic faith and trained as special (Kamikaze) soldiers to
protect the Turkish Sultan and his interests throughout the Ottoman
Empire. The Sultan gave the Janissaries full authority in levying
taxes. They were responsible to the Sultan and reported direct to
him. They increased in manpower, grew in strength and became very
powerful and influential. They were known for their notoriety, for
their wheeling and dealing and blackmail. Other Janissaries of
either gender were also used as domestic servants for the elite and
as public janitors, doing menial work and running errands for their
Turkish masters, especially the military corps. In times of war, the
Janissaries were used by the Turkish armies as human shields in
their attacks of enemy troops and invasion of enemy fortifications.
The Turks used the Janissary as a dispensable commodity. Growing in
manpower and military strength, the Ottoman Turks feared the
Janissaries and decided to get rid of them. The Ottoman Government
put the Janissaries to the sword en masse. Those that were spared
the sword were dumped in Turkish colonies, spread throughout North
Africa and the Balkans. Many Balkan Muslims are residues of the
Janissary Mamlukes.
In the Abode of Peace, some Islamic governments appoint members from
the non-Muslim indigenous national groups in high governmental posts
by royal or republican decree. Like window dressing, they are
appointed in high positions without any constitutional power, void
of authority. They are only there as figureheads, occasionally sent
on special missions to represent their governments on official
matters of high importance. Yet, they lack the authority to make
decisions on the same issues for which they have been sent to
discuss.
Islamic governments display such Christian officials before the
international community to dispel their fears and to demonstrate to
the world that their method of assimilation of the natives with the
Muslim society runs without a hitch. Like stationery items, Islamic
governments requisition and use such Christians to serve their
purpose and later dispense with them at will. Egyptian Boutros Ghali,
Iraqi’ Tariq Aziz and ‘Palestinian’ Hanan Ashrawi are just a few.
Such Christians have no option but to accept the offer or miss out
on their career. They are obliged to overlook the interests and
welfare of their Christian community for their own survival and
sense of security. Christians who refuse to compromise their
principles lose out. Many Christians immigrate rather than stay and
live with humiliation.
Boutros Ghali, former United Nations Secretary General, (1992-96) is
a Coptic Christian, not an Arab. The Coptic Christians trace their
ethnic roots back to more than 2000 years to their Pharaonic
ancestors. The Copts have their own native language, spoken and
written. The Egyptian government defines the Copt as an Egyptian
Arab. In fact, a Copt is an Egyptian Christian of Pharaonic
ancestry. Copts are the indigenous people of Egypt. The Copts were
there long before the invasion of Egypt by the Arabs and its
conquest in 639 AD.
The Egyptian Government closed all schools of the Copts and banned
their language. Later, they restricted their Coptic language to
liturgical services only. The Egyptian government has totally
replaced the Coptic language with Arabic. The Copts in Egypt conduct
their sermons in Arabic and have since been officially categorized
as Arabs. What Boutros Ghali needed to do, while in office, was show
some concern to the sufferings of his Coptic people in Egypt and
turn his attention to similar situations in other countries where
ethnics are suffering from Islamic pressure under military and
despotic regimes.
One of his priorities should have been to restore the rights of his
own suppressed people in Egypt. They have been living under the yoke
of the Islamic rule for over a millennium. During his term of
office, Boutros Ghali evaded indigenous issues and his general
viewpoint on the rights of indigenous Copts was obscure. He was
pressured to follow the policy of his Arab masters.
Islamic policy is against the revival of cultures of the indigenous
peoples of the Abode of Peace. For Boutros Ghali to empathize with
them would have led to his retribution under the millet provision of
the Islamic law. Boutros Ghali tagged along sheepishly as an
obedient servant of his Arab Islamic overlords. His lack of
enthusiasm and oblivion to indigenous issues was very disheartening.
His slow performance, in general, did not warrant renewal of his
office for a second term.
As a prelude to the efficiency of the United Nations, the Secretary
General has a moral obligation to expose the inhumane treatment of
the indigenous people, to help alleviate their sufferings by urging
oppressive regimes to reform their constitutions. One of the main
tasks of the Secretary-General is to encourage UN agencies to work
for the restitution of the rights of the aggrieved on a par with
other true democratic nations. Responsible persons holding such a
high post should come to the rescue of people living under brutal
regimes.
The indigenous people ceaselessly try, through their elders, to
demand their basic rights but since they have no voice to represent
them in their respective governments, they look up to the UN to
alert the world to their sufferings. Without persistent pressure by
the UN and the international community, dictatorial regimes will not
respect the UN Charter by which they are bound. They will
continually ignore the international laws in breach of all
conventions. Alternatively, office of the UN Secretary General
entitles him to play a more active role in pressuring such regimes
to introduce constitutional reforms or force them to let go of the
indigenous people and grant them some sort of autonomy.
Unfortunately, the likes of Mr. Ghali are not shining examples in
advocating basic human rights to the suppressed indigenous peoples.
Tariq Aziz, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, is Assyrian and not an
Arab. To distinguish a member of the Assyrian Church of the East
(ACE) from a Catholic, an Assyrian ACE is called Nestorian. The
Assyrian Catholic is called Chaldean - Chaldean in this instance
signifies a Christian denomination and not a nationality. (Chaldean
implies a Catholic of Assyrian nationality with affiliation to the
Papal Church). Tariq Aziz, distances himself from the Assyrian
‘Nestorian’ community. His Assyrian christened name is Mikhail Hanna
Aziz of the northern village of Qaraqosh. He conceals his Assyrian
nationality for his own selfish ends, self-promotion and false Arab
nationalism under the banner of Al-Ba’ath Al-Arabi (Arab
Resurrection).
Though he has retained some of his Assyrian characteristics, he has
drifted into the mainstream of his immediate surroundings and lost
much of his Assyrian heritage. His mother tongue is Assyrian and he
speaks it fluently, yet he denies being of Assyrian origin and
camouflages it because of his contentment with his achievement. He
lacks the national pride in his genuine nationality and camouflages
it because of his defeatism. Many such Christians in the Arab world,
though eloquent, are but sham officers - a replica of the old
Ottoman Janissary/Mamluke, either as a civil servant or member of
the military corps.
Hanan Ashrawi is Special Adviser to the Palestinian Cabinet and
Minister for Higher Education. Whenever a political issue develops
and reaches a crisis point, she is thrown into the political arena
as a spokesperson and joins the front line in street demonstrations
in defence of the Palestinian cause, exposing her life to
unnecessary risk.
Occasionally, Christian individuals participate in protest marches
and long noisy processions. They walk alongside their Muslim
partners, in full support of the slogans they carry, chanting with
vehemence against the West. The reason behind such conduct lies in
their background. Stretching one’s memory back into history, the
image of the Janissary/Mamluke flashes past. Christian participation
in such activities is orchestrated to ensure their survival in such
a hostile environment, having nowhere else to go to escape the
growing hostility against them. Usually such performances are the
result of self-preservation rather than being sincerely spontaneous.
On other occasions, Christians are appointed as spokespersons to
represent the Muslims at home and their communities abroad. They
allow such enactments to give the world the impression that
Christians in the Abode of Peace and War have the same rights and
are equal in every respect. The truth of the matter is exactly the
opposite. The Islamic government finds its state religion in
conflict with the Christian faith and therefore considers the
Christians at home untrustworthy to assume responsible posts. They
live and function within restricted guidelines of their overlords.
At home, they are kept away from sensitive posts, especially the
police, military and diplomatic corps. Abroad, the Muslim leaders
consider the Christian “Arabs” as their potential ally, to be used
when the need arises. They maintain a relationship but it has a low
profile with leaders of the Christian community.
Such Janissary/Mamluke persons are isolated from their Christian
community, at home. They live within a very small social circle.
They are pawns in the hands of their Muslim masters and are
restricted in their views and actions. They are allowed to criticise
the West but not their political opponents at home. They cannot
openly serve and promote the interests and culture of their
Christian community or advocate true democracy.
Listeners and viewers wonder with admiration as to why their Muslim
sponsors themselves do not discuss such conflicting issues with the
same conviction and vigour as their Christian counterparts. Going
back into history, the Janissary/Mamluke comes to mind. To escape
their choking environment and uncertain future, many Christians
sadly forsake their ancestral homeland and seek refuge in Western
countries rather than live a subservient life.
Christians that foster issues relevant to their culture and
environment openly and boldly usually meet with a tragic end.
Islamic governments have accused such proactive Christians either as
communists, foreign agents, or working in the interest of foreign
policies and evangelism.
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