Author: Abdullah Zamani
Freemasonry (part 50)
The Influence of Freemasonry in the Uthmani Era
Another significant dimension of Freemasonry’s infiltration into Islamic lands was its influence on the Uthmani Caliphate, the last caliphate of Muslims in the world. During this period, they carried out extensive activities, one of the outcomes of which was the establishment of the State of Israel in Palestine. They also introduced new sects among Muslims that were hostile to Islam, in addition to those they had created in earlier periods. Among these sects is the “Baha’i Faith,” whose origins are described as follows:
In Iran, a Jewish man named Muhammad Shirazi lived. In 1820 CE, a son was born to him, whom he named Baha. As soon as this son became acquainted with his father’s hidden inclinations, he founded a sect in 1848 CE called the Babiyyah, claiming to be the Gate of the Hidden Imam, that is, the one who carries his knowledge and conveys his message. This sect later adopted another name and became known as the Baha’i Faith, and one of its prominent figures was Abbas, known as “‘Abd al-Baha.”
This sect spread across parts of Iran and Turkey and, to a limited extent, in Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Europe, and America (especially Chicago). They possess numerous books in which they interpret monotheism in a corporeal manner and claim that the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) ended in the year 1260 AH. They also assign esoteric meanings to prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, jihad, and the Day of Judgment—meanings which, according to them, were hidden from the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions and were only revealed to Shirazi and Abd al-Baha. [1]
According to their view, attacking the Papacy and striving to establish the Temple are two fundamental objectives of Freemasonry, and the Baha’i movement has carried the banner of these goals, aligning itself with Jewish objectives. Examples from Baha’i writings include: [2]
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Abd al-Baha sought to transform the religion of Asia by creating unity among Muslims, Christians, and Jews, gathering them upon the principles of the law of Moses (peace be upon him).
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The work of Moses (peace be upon him) is unparalleled in world history.
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A person from the lineage of Jesse (i.e., from the family of David, peace be upon him) will raise the divine banner over all nations.
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The appearance of Baha’u’llah signifies the prosperity of Jerusalem, and the port of Haifa will receive thousands of men and women.
These are examples taken from Baha’i texts such as Abd al-Baha by Salim Qubaisi and Baha’u’llah and the New Era. Furthermore, Dr. Muhammad al-Za’bi states, “I testify that I know Jewish individuals from Damascus who carried the banner of the Baha’i Faith from 1930 to 1948 and later became soldiers of Zionism in Palestine.”
The Baha’i movement is one example of such activities during the Uthmani era. However, the actions attributed to Freemasons within the Uthmani state itself were carried out in a particularly severe manner by the “Dönmeh Jews” and their followers. [3]
The beginning of their story is as follows: Jews lived in Al-Andalus under the justice of Islamic rule. When Christians gained control over that land, the Jews fled and sought refuge with Murad II, the Uthmani Sultan, who accepted them without conditions. They then spread across Uthmani lands and benefited from Turkish support.
They gradually expanded their influence in commerce and industry. Their great wealth enabled them to establish key economic centers that came to dominate local trade. They then began implementing their plans: publicly declaring conversion to Islam, changing their names, and integrating into Turkish society while secretly working toward their own ethnic objectives.
They recruited certain Turks lacking moral integrity to support their goals and used them for their purposes. They then spread rumors and accusations against Uthmani sultans and Islam, transmitting these fabricated reports to their media outlets in Europe. They also established Freemasonic lodges throughout the country and recruited members from the intellectual elite.
At the same time, they founded secret societies to influence students and Turks both inside and outside the country, drawing them into Freemasonic ranks and affiliated political organizations. They then established the “Young Turks” movement and supported it financially until it gained power. Afterward, they directed it toward the well-known uprising that culminated in the “31 March Incident,” in which Freemasonic slogans became evident. [4]
Many of the leaders of this movement were from the Donmeh Jews, the same individuals who had previously, under the leadership of Midhat Pasha (of Jewish origin), been involved in the assassination of Sultan Abdul-Aziz and had replaced him during a critical period of the Uthmani Empire with the weak Sultan Murad V.
When Sultan Abdulhamid II came to power, he exiled the traitorous Midhat Pasha. However, the Dönmeh Jews had already infiltrated the country, and Freemasonry had spread among the Turkish population.
Sultan Abdulhamid resisted the pressure of Jewish leaders, including Herzl, who visited him in 1901 and 1902 and offered large sums of money in exchange for permission to settle Jews in Palestine. The Sultan firmly rejected this proposal, stating:
Advise Dr. Herzl not to take any serious steps in this matter, for I cannot give up even a single inch of the land of Palestine. It does not belong to me personally; it belongs to the Islamic Ummah. Let the Jews keep their millions. If the Caliphate is ever destroyed, then they may take Palestine without paying anything. But as long as I am alive, it is easier for me to have my body cut into pieces than to see Palestine separated from the body of the Caliphate, and this will never happen.”
When they realized that the Sultan would not yield, they intensified their plots to remove him. They utilized their affiliates within Freemasonry and the Committee of Union and Progress and selected Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to carry out this mission. As a result, Turkey was transformed from the leader of the Islamic world into a secular state aligned with the Christian West, and its fate fell into the hands of a small group associated with the Donmeh. [5]
To be continued…
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References:
[1]. Freemasonry in the Open, p. 180.
[2]. Bahá’ísm, pp. 4–10, published by the Center for Bahá’í Studies, United States of America, New York, 1991.
Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, pp. 31–40, Prof. J. A. Esslemont, Dar Al-‘Usur for Printing and Publishing, Egypt.
[3]. Freemasonry in the Open, p. 183.
[4]. Corrupters on Earth, p. 316.
[5]. The Intrigues of Freemasonry Among Muslims, p. 31.
