The Turkish martyr of the Palestinian independence war

Today, the Palestinian flag is flown more frequently around the world than the American flag. When Palestine eventually becomes an independent state, it will be one of the smallest countries in the world. Yet, half of the world's nations have rallied in support of Palestine.

Throughout history, Jerusalem has been a sacred place for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. During the time of Caliph Umar, it became a part of Islamic lands, and after Mecca and Medina, it is the third holiest site in the Muslim world. For Judaism and Christianity, it is the most sacred site of both religions.

The root of today's bloodshed in Palestine is the extreme religious fanaticism of some Jewish factions. One of the primary reasons for historical conflicts among Christianity, Judaism, and Islam is this:

1. Christians view Jews as the followers of a religion responsible for the death of their prophet. Additionally, the medieval legends about Jews engaging in usury and allegedly killing Christian children to drink their blood led to widespread prejudice and acts of oppression against them throughout history. This resulted in expulsions and massacres.

2. Christians do not recognize Islam as a valid religion, just as Judaism does not accept the divine origin of the other two faiths. Each religion believes that acknowledging the religion that came after it would invalidate its own authority, leading older religions to never recognize the newer ones.

Under Islamic rule and during the Ottoman era, Muslims, Christians, and Jews coexisted peacefully in Jerusalem. Islam, as the final divine religion, established a legal framework allowing for the peaceful coexistence of followers of subsequent religions. The "Constitution of Medina" is a prime example of this.

The periods when Jerusalem was truly "Jerusalem" were the early Islamic era, the rule of Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, and the Ottoman administration—times when the holy sites of all three religions were respected and governed under the rule of law.

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, Jewish and Evangelical extremism have stained the fate of Palestine with blood.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict that began on October 7 has brought to light Israel’s occupation, oppression, and global influence since 1948, and the whole world is now witnessing this reality.

I write this from Didim, the hometown of the late Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi. The Palestinian cause has grown into a symbol of such profound meaning that anyone with a conscience and a sense of justice has taken a stand against the genocidal state of Israel and in support of the oppressed Palestinian people.

Ayşenur Ezgi, who was martyred by a sniper’s bullet, was targeted and killed after a protest had already ended. The U.S. president blatantly lied to justify the Israeli perpetrators, claiming the bullet "ricocheted" and she was not directly targeted. Yet, why is it that no such "ricochet" occurs during protests in the United States?

Imagine a person who, wherever there is injustice and oppression in the world, rushes to help and tries to heal even the smallest wounds. Ayşenur Ezgi began her fight against genocide by raising her voice at American universities and continued her activism in the West Bank through civil protests.

In a time when states and Muslim communities bury their heads in the sand, a young believer, ready to embrace martyrdom, went to Palestine. Her martyrdom shows that for the contemporary Hitlers and fanatical Jews being accused of genocide, there is no need for law, morality, or boundaries to take a life. They kill indiscriminately, like a mafia state. How else could a deranged state murder 20,000 children?

When Netanyahu addressed the U.S. Congress, I said it was one of the darkest days of humanity to see the killer of 40,000 people receive a standing ovation. Truly, the applause for religious fanaticism and vampirism is worse than the applause for Hitler.

Today, we gather in Didim for the funeral of a martyr. A young soul with a conscience has rekindled the hope that humanity still exists by standing up to the most brutal forces in the world.

I had always wondered about the family environments that raised the people martyred on the night of July 15. What kind of spirit drives people to embrace martyrdom out of love for their homeland, faith, and flag?

Modern society worships materialism. Justice, humanity, law, and conscience have almost been silenced. In Gaza, we encountered a new generation embodying the essence of humanity, seeking refuge in God.

I pray for mercy for our martyr Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, and I want to express my utmost respect to her family for raising a child who symbolizes the conscience of humanity.

As the Kayıt Altında Initiative and the Yeni Şafak family, we hope to keep this sacred effort alive and pass it on to the younger generations.