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Ataturk: None Must Ever Be Able To Say That We Have Intentionally Injured The Christian Church
In Angora I told M. Kemal Pasha of the Pope’s
great desire for peace. What was to be the Pasha’s
beau geste towards Christianity. I suggested he might,
as S. Sophia was a Christian Church, give it back to the
Pope, as spiritual head of Christendom.
M. Kemal Pasha replied : " Had there been only
one branch of the Christian Church, although S.
Sophia has now become part of our Moslem traditions,
it might have been possible. As the Christian Church
is so much divided, it is impossible. We should only
excite the Russians, the Greeks, and the Anglicans,
to come and fight each other on our soil for S. Sophia ;
and the beau geste you suggest for peace would lead
to eternal conflict and strife. Nevertheless, we are so
anxious to do all in our power to honour Christianity
in the eyes of the world that if, by our retaining S.
Sophia as a mosque, we are really giving offence to
the Catholic Church, we would either turn it into a
museum, or close it forever. None must ever be able
to say that we have intentionally injured the Christian
Church.”
I complimented the Pasha on his fine sentiments
toward the Christian religion.
It is natural,” he replied. ” I am only carrying on
our traditional tolerance to all religions. The Roman
Catholics and all Christians, as well as the Jews, have
always had full religious freedom in our country.
As to the beau geste, what can I say ? You are free
to go anywhere you like in Anatolia ; talk to the
Greeks, talk to the Armenians. If there is any cause
of complaint, we will see that it is removed
at once. We want the Christians to be happy
in our country. We have given them full religious
liberty, and equal rights with Moslems : can we do
more ? I feel sure that, in spite of all the devasta-
tion and atrocities committed by the Greeks in our
country, in a very short time they will be back
amongst us ; the great friends they were before the
Powers interfered.”
Rauf Bey, the Prime Minister, echoed the senti-
ments of the Pasha. “ Tell the Pope,” he said, ‘‘ to
rest assured we are doing all in our power to make his
people happy and contented. Can there be a finer
beau geste than this ? ”
As the Pasha had suggested, I went everywhere,
saw and questioned everyone. The Greek prisoners
were bitter in their criticism of England, who
betrayed them and left them unaided to fight the
Turkish army. Surely the least intelligent of our
military attaches would have seen the cruelty of such
a move.
Source: Grace Ellison, british journalist https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Ellison
Full text of her book "An English Woman In Angora" https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet....ngora_djvu.txt
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Originally Posted by Dianatomia
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